I’m not looking to start at debate with this statement or even trying to take some sort of moral high ground. Without a catch & release philosophy, there will be no trout, and no fishery for us to share and enjoy. Whether you fish with flies, lures, or worms, our rivers and lakes would never be able to survive if everyone was to “take their limit” or mount the trophies that they catch on their walls. We are participants and conservators of a wild and living world of trout. Take your photos, remove stringers full of memories, and if trophies must be mounted, let it be on your Facebook wall.
This is Angler’s Ethic. By embracing this ethic and training up others, the sport of fly fishing and the fish upon which our pastime depends can grow and thrive. Like those given a great and undeserved gift, we do not own the water or the sport. We are the conservators, the holders of a legacy that can only be preserved through patience, responsible use, education, and sharing this love with others.
By: Peter Stitcher