good job! Richard E.
----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 21, 2001 12:18 PM Subject: RE: P E T A > I think a lot of the issues that people wrestle with today come from the urbanization of our culture. We no longer fish for food, we fish for fun. As a result, a live creature is being used for our amusement. That is a radical departure from the message we received growing up of "Only kill what you plan to eat." > > Some of the younger generation have never had to hunt or fish to put food on the table and have only used supermarkets. The paradigm for this generation is even greater and is the reason so many of them are flocking to PETA and other environmental groups. With all the abundance of food in the stores they no longer feel there is a valid reason to hunt or fish. > > I think the more exposed a person is to hunting and harvesting ones food (and yes this includes catch and kill fishing), the less of an issue using animal skins, fur and meat is. I was raised on game meat, I prefer game meat to beef and I prefer providing game meat to my children because I know it doesn't contain growth hormone or other chemicals that commercial beef or poultry does. I use my deer hair in the fly tying and try to utilize as much of the animal as I can. > > I certainly don't support mistreatment of animals and don't like seeing chickens living in a ten inch cage. I think it is in everybody's interest to put pressure on the poultry industry and others who mass produce animals to provide reasonable space and care to the critters they raise. > > Ultimately, fly fisherman and anyone else who ventures into the outdoors need to understand that death may and probably will occur to some of the prey they are targeting. This is the reality of what we are doing and it can't be overlooked. If you aren't allright with the fact that the fish on your line may die then you may need to reconsider the sport in which you are partaking in. This is why I prefer fishing waters with a 1 or 2 fish limit as opposed to catch and release only. At least with a 1 fish limit, I can take home and eat a fish that is bleeding or that turns belly up. Eating what you kill is heavily ingrained in my value system and it is almost sacreligous for me to have to release a dying fish because the rules dictate it. > > Mike > >
