The question that has come to my mind lately is what happened to the "SPORT" in sport fishermen or sportfishing. Lately I have observed too many incidents of fishermen who feel they need to go home not only with a fish but with always trying to go home with their daily limit. Then theirs the guy using the wrong gear, crowding you, and casting across your line. Lastly lets not forget the guy who leaves his bait container and empty beer can behind when he leaves.
Don't get me wrong I love to occasionally take a nice hatchery Coho or Rainbow home for the Barbecue and I don't begrudge anyone who takes a fish home. But there seems to be a group of people who are fishermen for food first and sport second. These seem to be the same people who take fish that are wild, to small, or a wrongly identified species. Then there is the guy who pulls out salmon that are so dark that I wonder who could possibly think about eating it. For God sake leave it in the river to spawn. There needs to be a renewed respect for the fish, the environment, and for your fellow fishermen.
As Sport fishermen we have a duty to educate ourselves with the rules and laws of the areas in which we fish and obey them. We must tell the fisherman next to us "you cant keep that", "that's an illegal hook", "sorry there is a bait ban on this river", or "Take your garbage with you". You don't have to be a jerk about it just politely tell the person "hey that's not acceptable here". Who knows maybe its his first year of fishing and he's not only learning the rules of fishing but also the etiquette of fishing. Fisheries officers can't be everywhere at once and each fisherman has a responsibility to the sport to educate each other and the newer fishermen out there. Maybe if we all put some effort into it we can put the "SPORT" back into sport fishing.
Ralph Martens
Don't get me wrong I love to occasionally take a nice hatchery Coho or Rainbow home for the Barbecue and I don't begrudge anyone who takes a fish home. But there seems to be a group of people who are fishermen for food first and sport second. These seem to be the same people who take fish that are wild, to small, or a wrongly identified species. Then there is the guy who pulls out salmon that are so dark that I wonder who could possibly think about eating it. For God sake leave it in the river to spawn. There needs to be a renewed respect for the fish, the environment, and for your fellow fishermen.
As Sport fishermen we have a duty to educate ourselves with the rules and laws of the areas in which we fish and obey them. We must tell the fisherman next to us "you cant keep that", "that's an illegal hook", "sorry there is a bait ban on this river", or "Take your garbage with you". You don't have to be a jerk about it just politely tell the person "hey that's not acceptable here". Who knows maybe its his first year of fishing and he's not only learning the rules of fishing but also the etiquette of fishing. Fisheries officers can't be everywhere at once and each fisherman has a responsibility to the sport to educate each other and the newer fishermen out there. Maybe if we all put some effort into it we can put the "SPORT" back into sport fishing.
Ralph Martens
editor
JustSportfishing.com
JustSportfishing.com
And now on a lighter note a funny video
