Hi Folks!

Have you ever considered that? Or how about blasting caps and medium Dupont spinners?

A recent post about treble hooks, snagging, and the certainty of catching, rather than just fishing (possibly without catching) stimulated these thoughts. Regulations aside, why do we encumber ourselves with such inefficient means of procuring fish? I know, fishing tackle sometimes is a fairly effecient way, but certainly not in the grand scale of things. I mean, if you want to measure your catch by the ton, rather than by the inch or pound, it's tough to beat a drift gill net, a Dupont cast into a pool of schooled up salmon, and such like.

Come on Salmo, are you just baiting us like that flame guy? Well, yeah, a little bit. I thought I'd just like to put in a word for sport. I like to catch fish, but if the outcome of fishing was certain, I'd probably go once or twice. But it wouldn't sustain my interest. (Not to mention the resource!) Would it sustain yours?

I recall reading that sportfishing is defined by three qualities (there may be more; this was written a long time ago).

TRADITION, ETHICS, and RESTRAINT.

Absent these, we would probably be practicing something other than sportfishing. Even as a kid, it became obvious right away that fishing was about a lot more than procuring meat from the water to deliver to the larder. We limit the practice to certain times, places, methods, techniques, and limits. It increases the challenge and the satisfactions we take in our success. Isn't knowing that we could take steps to reduce the uncertainty, and then trying to deal with an angling situation in spite of the uncertainty a large part of fishing's ultimate satisfaction? Is for me.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Neat concept. Think of all the cash you would save. That way you could fish twice per year, and still have plenty to EAT. You would have all kinds of time on your hands to watch Jerry Springer, and Geraldo, and really be in touch with what's going on in the world. You da man.

Salmo G. You read my mind, I thought posting the same thing. Fishing is a Sport, and that is why there are rules, and if you are fishing for meat, you might as well use a gillnet or a stick of dynamite. Better yet, those same people might as well go to the store and buy the biggest fish they can find. Some people enjoy fishing, the rest are Meat fishers, and those might as well buy there fish. If you aren't interested in sport fishing, then why even bother using this message board?

A man can fish his whole life without realizing that it's not the fish he's after. Like the longboard surfer, the Harley biker and the sport fisher, it's not about the destination but rather the journey.

Hey Salmo G> when you quote the "Great Haig Brown" please include his name for credit the passage is from A Fishermans Summer and as you and I agree on this Tight Lines to you sir.

Native Son,

Apologies; I didn't mean to withold acknowledgement. I couldn't remember the entire quote, nor which book it was in, which is why I didn't try to quote it, but I should have mentioned his name. Haig-Brown's books sure were an inspiration, for sport, conservation, and the simple elegance of fly fishing. The guy really had his act together. Heard him speak and met him just once, about a year before he passed away.

Tight lines,

Salmo g.