I'm mostly a C&R fishermen but I will keep a few fish over the course of the year.
- For trout streams, I almost always release everything. Can't remember the last time I would have kept one.
- In trout lakes, I might keep one small one but it depends on the fishery.
- When ice fishing, I will keep one or two whitefish or perch but won't keep anywhere near my limit.
- I also have a general rule wherever I fish that the big ones go back. Always!
And Don, I know we think similarly when it comes to SRD and changes they should be making. One of the things I would like to see is a strong advertising campaign aimed at anglers to practice C&R when it comes to big fish. Doesn't need to be expensive either. Put it in the regulations, put some catchy little catch phrase on the license (perhaps something like, "If it's a beast, practice catch and release
)". Put an article in the regulations with some statistics about how long it takes to grow different types of trophy fish and what a difference catch and releasing those big fish would make to the fishery. Again, not expensive but it might help to get the message out there.
Ask Alberta Outdoorsman to run a similar article showing the positive attributes of catch and release, especially when it comes to catch and releasing of big fish.
Lots of articles on "how to" catch big fish out there but very little on educating people to make responsible decisions once they've landed the big one.
Don, your name has some weight and you've written for lots of magazines. Have you ever written one on the benefits of catching and releasing big fish on a fishery? Have a good story in there, throw in some evidence, make a good case, and see if a SRD will run it in next year's regs, or if some other magazine would run it (oh, I don't know which one... ummmm.... maybe THIS ONE!) I'd love to see something like that. (and forgive me if you've already done something similar and I've missed it).
Sorry FishHunter7 for the hijack, I'll get out of the car now.
Cheers.