Keeping Fish

[DISGRACE100]

I took the girlfriend out to Beaumont on Sunday for a little fishing in the pond. She ended up catching 2 and losing a few more, and I lost 2. I had a great time in the summer heat and burnt to a crisp....Ouch, forgot to put on sun screen. I always practice catch and release and really have no interest in keeping any of my catch, but the second fish she hooked was hooked DEEP. Barbs or no barbs, I needed the pliers to get the hook out from way inside its mouth. After getting it out the little guy was in pretty rough shape. I tried for 15 minutes trying to revive the little guy, but he just wouldn't swim away...and we we're in a hurry to leave. She felt really bad because she is such an animal lover, but I ended up taking him home and throwing him on the BBQ with some spices and lemon juice....those fish taste pretty damn good.

 

I definately have not changed my philosophy on catch and release, but its nice to know that if a fish is gill hooked or hooked deeply I at least have a nice meal to look forward 2...I figured they would taste pretty muddy.

 

Also, if anyone finds a black/ silver pair of pliers on the West...southwest bank dey are mine. I felt kinda stupid....I bought them Yesterday and lost them the same day.

[John Schneider]

There was an interesting article in a recent edition of Flyfishing and Fly Tying Journal out of the UK. There, they face a great deal of pressure from anti-fishing/hunting groups. The article talked about fishing for "sport" and how it might be construed as cruel and a harrassment of wildlife. Keeping a fish for consumption every now and then is fine by me...it is the original intention of why we fish! As long as our efforts and dollars go towards habitat creation and conservation...and a fishery can sustain a harvest level...and it is legal to do so...I see nothing wrong with keeping one for the barbie now and then, stocked or otherwise.

 

I did a little research somewhere along the line and found out why pond fish sometimes taste "off". It is a bacteria of some sort that proliferates in warmer water and imparts its flavour in the flesh of trout. When the water is colder, the bacteria can no longer survive and the flesh tastes better. (Condensed version). The fish in our pond, taste fine in mid/late fall and again in early spring. July though is another story!

 

Glad yours tasted good!

[King Salmon]

You did the right thing. It would have died anyways, so why not take it home for a meal. Keeping the odd trout aint bad.

[Pierre]

Good that you practice C&R, and he would of died anyway, and better you keep a fish from a 'put, grow and take fishery' than from a sensitive ES stream holding native trout.

 

Bon Appetit.

[Scratch]

This is an interesting point - and conundrum.

 

Since beaumont is a 5 any size stocked pond - I hope you enjoyed the little beastie - I've have some fantastic, and terrible fish from that pond.

 

The tricky point is when you get to a place like Muir.

 

Under 20" you can't take him, but if he dies on you - then what? The regs state you can't take it, but it's just going to float belly up... so... what to do? Let it float. The birds will take care of it post-haste.

 

In the case where the regs preclude you from taking one, and you've got a deep hook like that - it's generally better to cut the fish loose with the hook than to risk injury to remove it. Mortality rates are significantly higher - however, at least theres a chance for survival.

 

At Beaumont? I'll take it home if it can't be released. Easy answer.

 

Good on you for thinking about it though - and welcome aboard D100.

[DISGRACE100]

Thanks Scratch, Its good to be here! Hope to meet you out at the pond one day!