Keeping your catch?......

[Island 991]

we can get tope from the shore in the channel islands so im sure you can in UK?? anyone?

[Island 991]

Oh and im a keeper for the table but only if its going to be eaten there and then. I have to question the putting of fresh caught fish in the freezer. Whats the point? If you catch it fresh, eat it fresh dont freeze it for a rainy day as it might as well be mr birds eye for taste.

I do freeze for Mackie for bait like many others but other fish i just keep something fo that day or the next and thats it.

[Sharkbyte]

I am now a total convert to catch and release of specimen fish.

 

When I was younger the thought of releasing a hard won fish seemed such a waste. I relished the thought of taking them home and showing them off. They were then cooked for people who liked fish more than me.

 

Things changed after speaking and mixing with people who cared passionately about their quarry and gave them a huge amount of respect. This respect I felt was deserved after realising just how long a double figure bass has been swimming around, avoiding nets, predators, overcoming diseases and parasites etc etc etc.

 

These days I could not kill a fish of that size and sleep at night. I feel the luckiest man on earth holding a double and seeing it swim away strongly. My fish now go home wiser still after learning another lesson in survival, not to eat sand eels with hooks in them.

 

After killing a specimen and once it has been eaten, the angler is left with lifelong memories and a photo. What better than a photo of a live fish, fins erect, eyes bright and the additional memory of it swimming away to fight another day. (maybe a few pictures of that also)

 

Here's two pictures I have hanging up.

The first was a few years back now, 11lb when caught and a pretty sorry looking sight by the time a photo had been taken.

 

 

 

This is my new PB photographed a couple of weeks ago when being released. 11lb 8oz and looking every bit as a big bass should. This is a picture I am really proud of.

 

 

All said and done I don't take offence at people killing big fish as I believe we are in the very early stages of a catch and release revolution. From my perspective I think the most positive way of changing attitudes a little is to lead by example and show people the way forwards. Barking at folk who have knocked the catch of a lifetime on the head alienates and actually achieves very little.

[maximo]

good post sharkbyte ive only caught one double figure bass and it was kept but there was a lot of money involved and id been trying to win the club snowball for nearly two years,sad maybe to some but ive no regrets and would do it again.

however if i caught another large bass pleasure fishing i am 100% sure i would release it.

i sent some scales off to be recorded and it was 21 years of age,a good argument for releasing large fish, how many times would it have bred i wonder.

[Guest jay_con]

Top post sharkbyte. Nice fish too.

[geffaz]

top fishing mate! good post to! your bang on about not laying into sombody over bumping a big fish! softly softly catchy munkey ;-]

[Sharkbyte]

Cheers guys.

 

Nobody appreciates 'some do-gooder' telling them what to do, especially when its perfectly legal.

 

All I can say is that when anyone is honoured enough to land one of the big old girls give catch and release a go. I promise you will not regret it in the slightest and just think in ten, twenty years time you'll have a picture you can still be proud of when maybe the killing of big fish is considered as digusting as a photo of a shark or common skate hanging up at the dock is today.

 

PS. The T shirt was clean but the photo is dirty.

 

[ 08. October 2005, 12:50 AM: Message edited by: Sharkbyte ]

[geffaz]

lol im more looking at the second pic thinking thers no sand on ya boots or clothing! ar u french lol, (used to work as a bird watching treck guid in S,E asia, used to take french dudes out and they would turn up pristene in white shirts and chinos and go home without a speck of dirt on em)

nice spot tho live down in worthing we got no features like them rocks!