Catch & Release Revisited

The other day while driving, I had the radio tuned to Talk 640, a Toronto talk radio station. Although I did not hear the whole thing, an advertisement for the Peter Warren show of the WIC Radio Network came over the air. Mr. Warren was inviting listeners to tune into his show for which he had invited guests from the 'Animal Libbers' to debate a Zoo Keeper. During the advertisement, Mr. Warren seemed to be indicating that this group was claiming victory in stopping circus acts involving animals, and their next goal was to put an end to rodeos.

When I was 17, I left home to work on the TL Bar Ranch, near Trochu, Alberta. While there, I had the privilege of attending several rodeos, and even participated in a small 4-H club rodeo that was held on the ranch I was working at. Society has been using animals for all sorts of things probably since man appeared on the earth, and generations have participated in contests involving animals and man.

Many contests, like the rodeo, demonstrate the skill of a human in the control of an animal. Often, these contests developed from real life tasks that were not thought of as unethical, but necessary. In order for man to have been able to explore the North American continent, horses were a necessity for travel. To train a horse to do such tasks, it first must come under the control of man. Of course rodeos are different. They have no other use as far as the animal participants other than to showcase the skill of some cowboy/girl in controlling the animal.

What exactly is catch and release fishing all about? Does it not share many similarities to the rodeo? The angler that practices catch and release is pitting his skill against a fish. He/she is attempting to trick the fish into believing that the feather and fur tied around a hook at the end of the fishing line is some sort of food and hoping that the fish will be enticed enough to become hooked. After becoming hooked, the fish wants to escape and will fight to become free of the hook and line. A fish that fights hard and jumps spectacularly is generally favored over one that may be simply reeled in without effort. While the fish is fighting, the angler attempts to use his/her skill in controlling the fish so that it may eventually be landed. The C & R angler then hopes that the fish will be not have been injured during this event and that it can be released. If the fish appears to be suffering from fatigue, attempts are made to resuscitate the fish before letting it go on its own, back to what it was doing before being successfully tricked.

What is the purpose of this? There is no question that it is simply for the enjoyment of the angler. An opportunity to control another species and exert control, even if only for a short time. There is certainly a thrill in hooking a fish and successfully landing it. Of course, there is also the enjoyment of all the other pleasures in being outdoors.

So why is Catch and Release fishing seen by many anglers as an honorable thing to do? Why do many fly fishers look down with disdain upon those who want to keep at least some of what they catch to eat later? Probably the biggest reason why catch and release has become so popular in recent years is the acknowledgement that as intelligent beings, we need to be stewards of our resources and act in ways that are consistent with conservation. On many rivers, if fishing is to continue, catch and release regulations must be put in place and enforced. As anglers, we are not prepared to give up fishing, so catch and release seems to be a good method of enjoying our sport while believing that we can also ensure good conservation practices.

You know what folks? This isn't going to work for us much longer. To many people, catch and release fishing is no different than a rodeo. If you were really concerned about populations of salmon and steelhead, why bother fishing for them at all? The only real reason is that the angler gets some selfish pleasure out of controlling a fish. If you want to enjoy nature, go for a walk along the river. If you take some thrill in being able to accurately cast a hook with feather and fur attached, why do it on a river?

I am not going to advocate that C & R fishing be stopped. But you must agree that an angler that eats what he catches at least has some other purpose in mind other than simply controlling a fish when he/she is angling. I am suggesting that we had better think about the issues that are involved here. As anglers, we need to cast off the prejudices and elitism that some of us hold regarding what we think is sporting or ethical. If we don't, we are going to have a very difficult time defending our sport against those that want to stop it. We are going to have to find a lot of common ground together. C & R purists and those of us that like to eat what we catch need to rethink our attitudes towards fishing, and come up with better reasons for continuing our sport. If you don't think so, then take a look at this Press Release issued by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in which they announce a new TV commercial with Linda McCartney aimed at changing the public's attitudes about fishing.

If we don't get together on this one, in 50 years from now, it won't matter whether you think C & R is truly sporting or not.

What's your take on Catch And Release fishing? How do you think we are going to be able to stand up to the growing animal rights organizations that would love to see the end of our sport?