Mags: practice what you preach

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#1 Post by **shambobala** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:37 pm

Be interested to hear what the rest of ye think on this issue.

I get a bit annoyed when I see the pictures at the back of TSF and other angling mags of people posing in the kitchen/ living room / caravan with a nice big fish. Last month's TSF has a young lady posing with a 7lb wrasse, now as most humans don't eat wrasse, I can't see why TSF think its a good idea to reward her with soem additional gear so she can go out and kill a few more specimen fish.

I don't mind people keeping a few fish for the table and I've eaten a few myself over the years, but I honestly think that if I landed a 8lb+ bass these days I'd be tripping over myself to get it back in the water safe and sound.

But, since TSF is great at pointing out the need for conservation and catch and release I think they're being a bit inconsistent when then going on to reward people who don't do either. Fair enough, many photos say "fish was released unharmed" which is great, although you have to take their word for it.

I'd imagine the mags get a lot of photos each month and there must be hundreds sending in photos of fish killed just to get the anglers photo in the mag. I think they should have a policy of rewarding for released fish only, particularly the bass that they are so keen to protect.

Or am i just over reacting?

#2 Post by **petekd** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:44 pm

Hear Hear!

winter36 · #3 Post by **winter36** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:55 pm

100% agree

with digital technology, its so easy for a photo then release again within 40 seconds...

#4 Post by **fishinmidget** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:09 pm

i agree too.

jparicka · #5 Post by **jparicka** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:57 pm

I'm right there with ya... but, erm, are you suggesting that caught fish shouldn’t be eaten?

I mean, I personally hate seeing ppl wasting fish (especially when I see a group of 12 fellow eastern Europeans [no offence but that’s what I’ve seen many many times] taking some 40 kilo of fish caught on a day charter-boat trip – who needs 40kg of fish of all sorts and sizes anyway?).

But, once the fish falls into a certain category (size and spices); I have no objections if anyone decides to take it home and prepare some nice dish.

PS – I am not picking up a fight and I do not intend to to annoy anyone.

PPS - Nice size Wrasse can actually be nice in hungarian soup called Halasle (http://feedmethat.com/recipe.php?id=527 ... roth).html).

#6 Post by **Marty Harrison** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:59 pm

Great post, 100% agree myself.

I hope you dont get jumped on for saying it, can be an unpopular view around here at times it seems. Over zealous conservationist comes to mind....................

Marty

winter36 · #7 Post by **winter36** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:03 pm

yeah, i totally understand, there is nothing more lovely than preparing and eating a nice catch, and i too have seen many people taking home an astonishing amount of fish, for it only to be frozen, then chucked in the bin months later.
Another thing i have noticed is the amount of fish being taken by local takeways, chinese to be exact, they now see a great money spinner here too.
if only it was a nice to catch a few, release a few and take one or two home for the table..but its not a perfect world unfortunatly, if it was id have beach babes on my boat with me all tanned and adoring me, instead, i got a smelly petrol can and a blue bucket...
but ah well

jparicka · #8 Post by **jparicka** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:07 pm

winter36 wrote: if only it was a nice to catch a few, release a few and take one or two home for the table..but its not a perfect world unfortunatly, if it was id have beach babes on my boat with me all tanned and adoring me, instead, i got a smelly petrol can and a blue bucket...
but ah well

;o)))))))))

#9 Post by **EoinMag** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:20 pm

Well I'd be against pure catch and release fishing myself as being an aberration of what fishing is about and needless pain being inflicted on fish.

If you're going to hurt them and they are sizeable enough then do them the respect of eating them.

Horses for courses and all that.

#10 Post by KK » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:23 pm

Well the mag is totally contradicting itself by promoting c&r in one hand and promoting dead wrasse specimens in the other. I achually dont understand how no one connected to the mag even realized that. As said before with todays technology (4mega pixel cameras the size of a match box). To register a specimen the fish doesent have to be killed. So mayabe a camera for fishing should be brought out on the market mayabe together with a scales so most anglers can keep digital copys of there catch which is the direction the modern angler is going neway.

winter36 · #11 Post by **winter36** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:33 pm

what a good idea, ok theres one for the invesntors out there, i sell many click n go disposable cameras in our shop, they sell really well, it seems to be the norm now when they are purchasing other tackle for a trip

Mr_Green · #12 Post by **Mr_Green** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:41 pm

this is the thing, many anglers search there who lives for specimen fish, for the awards and the glory ..theres no harm in that, after all fishing is a sport... when i caught the 9.5lb bass, my first ever decent 1 i was in 2 minds whether or not to put him back, and to be honest all i was thinkin about was would it just sound good to say i put him back...would it make me somehting greater than an angler... balls... i eventually kept the fish and fed the family for a few days... it doesnt make me an animal, just human... i conserve as much as i can, but i would love to have some recognition for a prize catch...

#13 Post by **petekd** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:52 pm

I think the original topic of the post was not about whether or not we should kill or eat fish or whatever before this goes down THAT road again...

I took it as being the fact that TSF is being somewhat hypocritical by giving large segments of its space to articles on conservation and the fights against the commercials and then elsewhere in the magazine is handing space over to pictures, amongst which are fish we would class as inedible. They cant have it both ways and I agree with the sentiments echoed by shambobala who was merely asking why on earth could these not have been photographed at point of capture and put back which is a fair point. A proud moment it may have been for that wee lassie and her 7lb wrasse but who on earth wants to eat that? Its a waste.

I fully support anyones right to kill a fish for the table, thats absolutely fine and I have nothing against anyone who wishes to do that. Taking fish home for glory pictures and then the bin goes totally against the grain however and magazines such as TSF should be a little more responsible when it comes to things like that. Thats all its saying, noone is disputing anyones right to eat a fish.

#14 Post by KK » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:53 pm

Well when it comes to eating fish, killing enough for a feed is a total different story than killing a wrasse that would just be thrown in the bin after the photo. One of the major attractions with fishing is the end feeling of eating your catch and this can never be taken away from that sport its just the unnecessary killing of fish or stupid amounts of fish (40 kilo's) which needs to be dealt with.

#15 Post by **JimC** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:55 pm

Marty Harrison wrote:Great post, 100% agree myself.

I hope you dont get jumped on for saying it, can be an unpopular view around here at times it seems. Over zealous conservationist comes to mind....................

Marty

Mr_Green · #16 Post by **Mr_Green** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:01 pm

Yeah, i took it up wrongly

#17 Post by **shambobala** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:27 pm

As I said, I've no problem with people catching to eat, but I just find TSF being a bit hypocritical in publishing and rewarding an angler for showing a specimen wrasse posing in front of the fireplace and then banging on about conservation a page later.

If they showed and gave a prize to an angler posing with a large tope, smoothhound, blue shark, sting ray, skate etc. in the kitchen I'd be annoyed given the effort most of us put into trying to keep these "sport" fish in our waters. If you wrote to the coarse equivalent with a picture of you posing with a brace of large dead carp I doubt they'd be too impressed

I however do really like Winter's idea of sending in pictures of tanned beach babes ( saw some fine specimens in Ballyreen last month, didn't have a chance to weigh them on an approved scales though). Perhaps we need a new pictures section.

Given the reaction I've penned a letter to TSF, lets hope the publish it and send me a load of free gear now

#18 Post by **round_ourway** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:33 pm

100% agree with you guys, It has actually been bugging me for a while. couldnt believe what i was seeing.

I would also like to partition for better looking women holding there prize catches. sometimes you dont know which one is the john dory lol lol

#19 Post by **EoinMag** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:36 pm

Maybe it looked like I was side tracking by mentioning the eating and respect , so I'll make it clearer.

I think that they would be wrong to promote catch and release by only allowing photos where the fish was released, it's promoting an aberration of the hunting art that is fishing.

Wrasse can make good eating, not the best of eating, but you really don't have any idea from the picture of what happened to the fish and you're suggesting that TSF or whoever become the morality police, not a chance.

ROADRUNNER · #20 Post by **ROADRUNNER** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:46 pm

Hi Guys i agree with whats already been said.

My philosophy is if u catch a nice edible fish And take it for the table Then i really don't see the problem in that HOWEVER where i have a problem is people taking a lot of fish Home. I think a little bit of common sense is needed.

At the end of the day if people take fish home and eat them then that's fine,

Wild Fish are one of our last pure foods we have left so lets not Destroy Them.

Danny