The Relic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2983045.stm

I should say that when I take the dogs for a walk along the banks of the Severn and see people fishing I invariably greet them with a cheery, "Caught anything yet?" If they reply in the affirmative I respond with a, "Shame," and in the negative, "Good, hope you don't," in the same tone. The furrowed brows as they wonder whether they really heard me aright are somehow worth the effort.

How can something so cruel, selfish and unnecessary be tagged a "sport"?

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The Relic

Richard Dawkins for Pope.

skinny

I take it you don't like fishing!
I'm certainly not going to try and convert you, no way,i'll just mumble.

I enjoy it thoroughly. Although the title of the thread is misleading, i suppose, i started this thread hoping to discuss the technical and tactical aspects of fishing, or actual experiences. No matter what you say it is a sport, and like any sport i strive to beat my best, or do my best. When i achieve this the feeling is good. I suppose reactions like yours and others were inevitable, but i suppose they are replies at the end of the day.

Angling is one of if not the biggest participation sports in the world. It is around £24 for a rod license, in this country.The revenue is much needed in this day and age of pollution. The restocking of some Englands baron and polluted rivers can be directly linked to this revenue, through the Environmental Agency.

YOUR QUOTE AT THE TOP
CRUEL
In one of my posts i mention the belief that fish feal pain depends on wether someone is pro or anti fhttp://www.cotrout.org/do_fish_feel_pain.htmishing. I'm pro...so.

I'm not to sure what you mean by selfish, but i'm probably guilty.

Unnecessary, well, so is climbing big mountains.

I'm surprised you haven't commented on animal testing. I read a comment from a soksperson fom PETA, roughly the question was: is the testing we have done to try and discover whether fish can/can't feel pain OK?
The answer, basically was, it's OK as long as it backs our argument up. Iwill try and find the actual quotes.....for no apparent reason

Unregistered

This is the link that was supposed to have appeared.

http://www.cotrout.org/do_fish_feel_pain.htm

I will try to master this flipping quoting

had_enough

AH, The do goodeRs are at it again......they dont want us to eat animals, fish,plants...what can we eat then ?
Let them starve for a couple of weeks and then lets hear what they have to say
As far as I am concerned, they can take a running jump....no...actually a slow jump.

skinny

Went fishing this morning for the first time in ages.

My tackle was; rods-2lb Shimano Powerloops with a soft right through action, action being how much and how far down the rod it bends. Mainline-10lb basic monofilament. Hooklength-8lb Carp silk. Hook-size 8 carp maxx. Bait-12mm Mistral Rosehip Isotonic boillies 8-10mm off the bend of the hook on a standard hair rig, with a two bait stringer, the stringer is a dissolvable string that dissolves, obviously, and leaves the two baits close to the hook bait. Leads were 2oz set so there was a distinct bend in my two rods, the reason behind the bend in the rods is, when the fish picks up the bait the tension in the line pops back and the hook pricks the fish, startled the fish pulls the hook home, a basic "Bolt rig". Alarms- Fox microns.

4am two baits cast at an island thirty yards in front of me.
4.30 one bleep on my RH rod and i was on it. 3-4 minutes later a 8ish pound linear carp was in the net. Quickly released, I rebaited and sat back to have a brew, i didn't take any beer as this was always going to be a short sesh and i had to drive home.
5am, another single bleep on my RH rod. Much the same as the first fish. It was quickly checked over and released. I sat back to scan the water for any tell tale signs of fish location, and spotted a fish rolling 20 yards to the right of my RH rod. Due to lack of action on my LH rod I decided to move it to where i had seen the fish rolling, thus the LH rod became my RH rod.
Just after 6am the RH rod screamed off, i shit myself as i was nearly nodding off. My rod was doing a great impression of a capitol u. My record fish is 14lb 6oz caught on the same rods, so with vague memories of that capture in my head i thought i had my record on the line. I took my time and eventually coaxed it into the net. I was no where near, 12lb 4 it weighed, showing how out of touch i am. Weighed, checked over and released i sat back a happy man.
7am i decided to call it a draw and started to pack my gear away, always leaving the rods till last, just in case, but reluctantly headed for the car in the end.
The tactics i used have worked well for me before. I used to work 10-6 shift in a local factory and would have my tackle in my car. I could have a hook in the water by 6.10 have 2-4 fish and be in bed by 10am.
Anybody that has walked through any fields or round a lake at first light will know what a magical time of day it is, and i don't know any better way of spending it.....in my opinion.

Bruv

Must agree with you totally about the morning....I used to tag along with my big bruvvers many many years ago..and the fishing got in the way, just an excuse for being there so early.
On the last day of a break in Scotland I woke early with a new camcorder to get some last shots......should have done it everyday....all alone as the day unfolds...marvelous.
Too bad Im a night person.
Out of interest....where do you fish?

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I thought I knew more than this...before I started talking

skinny

Sale Water park is one Bruv, it's a 2-2,1/2 acre public water sport centre, near Sale funnily enough, just outside Manchester. Not really up to date with sizes or numbers of fish on any waters anymore, but will be enquiring.

St Georges, is another, about an acre in size, i think. It was council owned, but due to mither or funding, i don't know which, the council pulled out and the regular anglers and locals keep it in fairly good nick, as far as i could see. Fish thieving is a problem when this happens i think.

Little Mere, it was the property of a club i used to be a member of. They built houses across the only access i knew of, lucky householders. It is/was the little sister of Pikemere, a well known BIG lake around our way but not a lot knew of Little Mere. 60-70 yards across and circular. Big Tench!

Heatley Mere was another club water up near Lymm. Slightly bigger than Georges, it was well stocked i think and some big fish to me, twenty pounds!.
Had some cracking times on there, it's well off the beaten track and quite picturesque, me, smoke, beer, sometimes good company and plenty of fish, QUALITY!

The School Chair lake...this was in Belgium, just outside of Antwerp, a place called Boom. About 2+ acres in size. It was the shape of a rough crescent with steep hill running up one side , so you could get the bino's out and watch the wildlife all day. First time i turned up, i had what i carried on the plane as hand luggage, this didn't include a chair, so i was resigned to sitting on the floor all day, until i found a school chair, although it was a lifesaver, my arse still hurts to this day. That's why i called the place The School Chair lake, that and the fact that i couldn't read nor pronounce its proper tittle. That's where my record fish came from great memories.

I've fished a few waters while working away but the ones above are the ones where all the good times, and i am really struggling to think of a bad time......nope I can't, yeah where all the good times rolled.

You've got me strolling down memory lane now Bruv,,CHEERS

Sid

I've just read this link and the thing that stuck me, or one of the things, was this;

Although fish don’t have the capacity to experience human-like pain or suffering, their reactions to nociceptive stimuli or capture are still important because these reactions include the secretion of stress hormones. These stress hormones can have undesirable health effects on fish if they are secreted in large amounts over a long period of time.

So it seems fish do suffer in some way.

If you fishermen want to challenge your brains, skill and sportsmanship against a creature with such a little, non-receptive brain, feel free, just don't call it a sport, call it a pastime.

skinny

I agree fish could suffer in the wrong hands. This is the rest of the paragraph you quoted:.. So by being responsible the fish probably will not suffer or get harmed.

Now what would you say constitutes a sport? obvious reply i know.

Sid