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Sunday, December 4, 2005It Takes All Kinds
The other day, a news channel aired a segment about animal rights blowhards’ opposition to fishing. It seems that they are distributing printed materials that are being given to children. The material suggests that Daddy is bad if he fishes and kills innocent creatures. Daddy is in effect a murderer. One can laugh at this tactic, but it clearly shows they have not given up their quest to force their way of life upon us...
Several years ago I attended a Lake Ontario fishery meeting about the status of the fishery. As the meeting progressed I was shocked to learn that not all in attendance had the same fishing interests. My jaw just about hit the floor when a person told how he could care less about the trout and salmon fishery. He wanted better perch fishing. This wasn’t an ogre looking guy with green hair and a persistent drool; no, he looked like me, except for the green hair.
What I am attempting to point out is that within our sporting community there are many differing factions with many different interests and desires. I like to troll; well actually I love to troll. I would not go fly fishing ever. Not interested in it, think it is boring and would never shop at Orvis. (Just kidding) Bass fishing is not for me, but you could get me to throw out a worm and bobber, sit back with my feet propped up and a cool one standing by. Sometimes one fishing faction will get ”in the face” of another, causing rifts that have a tendency to divide. It is this division that can be exploited. This could be the case with proponents of catch and release and catch and eat. One should not be favored over the other. Both should be considered as acceptable fishing philosophies.
Now one thing is for sure, while there are many ways to fish and many opinions on which is most revered, the common denominator is that it all falls under the category of fishing. If you are a fisherperson, (politically correct terminology) who cares about your method of choice. Anglers are what we are! We practice our sport in many different ways, but when you take off our boots we all are the same. (Sort of).
That is how we must defend and look to improve various fisheries. It is a series of give and take gestures that are based on sound fishery management science. A dab or two of emotion is OK, however, science based decisions must prevail. Want to keep fishing a sport as we know it today? Then look at the whole picture! Be an angler first!
Posted By: Capn Gerry Bresadola @ 4:40:06 AM
