SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL: Appropriateness of Recreational / Catch & Release Fishing

I, Mikal E. Belicove, believe that we as human beings should have evolved to the point by now where we do not take pleasure from intentionally causing harm to another living creature purely for our own recreational entertainment. With that thought in mind, how do YOU feel about catch-and-release fishing? Should fishing (non-consumption-based fishing, that is) continue to be pursued on a recreational level?

I, Matt Holzmann, believe that we as human beings should have evolved to the point by now where we take pleasure in anything that helps the economy get out of the crapper. How do I feel about recreational fishing???

I feel that it is integral part of the outdoor recreation goods market place and holds a great deal of power in the Congress for protecting wild places. What would happen if all those snotty punks stopped buying their booties and threads, or those silly little hats? What would happen if the snobs in Congress stopped enjoying our wildlands? Might they foget what a wonderful place a creek, in its natural state, can be?

OK, I'm focussing on those fly-fisherman, which to me aren't far from French, but this excercise in hyperbole is to show that of the ethical delimmas in the world (stealing perscription medicne for your mother b/c you're too poor, etc), this is minor. And, I think that the etichal problem is far outweighed by the benefits to the marketplace and wildland conservation.

What would happen if Bill Dance stopped airing??? Millions of Benji's lost in commercial air time. Or, what if the sparkly bass boats stopped turning their propellors...sure, less oil going into our lakes, but likely fewer people interested in any sort of conservation efforts. I feel that the catch and realease method continues to allow men to feel like men, while maintaining healthy fish populations (stocking in resevoirs is questionable due to bio-diversity loss) and continuing to be a lucrative spot in the outdoor recreation market segment. Tax dollars to fund our schools, or bombs...depends on your side of the aisle.

I don't agree with Kurt Cobain, the deceased Nirvana front man, "It's OK to eat fish, cause they don't have any feelings." I feel that his logic is flawed and uses unreasonable statements about the feelings of fish the world wide.

Gotta get to work, but I can't wait to spend some time with a cane-pole and my grandpa on the Sheboygan River, WI, trying to pull out whatever will bite.

I'm not sure I completely understand the whole "catch and release" program. Doesn't the fish actually get wounded when biting the hook? Doesn't the hook go thru the mouth somehow and get caught, thereby ripping through the fish's body? Understand, all I know about fishing is about zero except maybe some brief episodes of Looney Toones unless I'm thinking of hunting wabbits !? So, if my non-scientific hypothesis of fishing holds true, doesn't "catch and release" really mean "catch and release a wounded animal"?

Just happened upon this site today and thought I would post it. http://www.fishinghurts.com/ I guess this answered my own confusion.