Chemically Sharpened

Barry Bonds closes on Hank Aaron’s career record, and seems fated to earn an asterisk, Lance Armstrong is accused of doping, even his lack of a testicle is seen as an unfair advantage - so where is the International Gamefish Association (IGFA) and their drug testing policy?

Most anglers are doped to the gills - we know that. But who’s testing the fish?

Olympic squads have their score invalidated if any individual is positive for a banned substance - fishing is certainly a team sport, the difference is one of the “team” is unwilling.

Proof is abundant - even Fly hooks are “chemically sharpened”, yet manufacturers mention only vague references to “solvents” - before vanishing in cloud of tinted-sunglasses, and chauffeured Mercedes.

The water supply is a cocktail of drugs banned by the Olympics, yet the IGFA requires only a sample of tippet and a certified weight to record the catch for posterity.

I smell conspiracy - somewhere in all this is a blue dress, a half dozen Budweiser lobbyists, and Payola.