They torture us, we torture them back

88% of the time you're returning home It’s both surprising and predictable, a statistical glimpse of the evolution of fishing and outdoor tradition – after a couple of decades of Ronald McDonald, over protective parents, and absent the sterile blessing of Saranwrap.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission released a trout angling survey last week that has an uncommon tilt; of those surveyed only 3% confessed they fished to eat the result.

82% fished bait, 59% lures, and 40% were fly fishermen, the majority preferred bait (53%), but they also preferred to release the fish (88%) at least half the time.

That seems abnormally high – and may include small fish thrown back in favor of larger quarry, which may qualify as “half the time.”

Pennsylvania being a couple thousand miles away, California’s interpretation of this time honored practice suggests; 97% of us are neighbors of the 3% that keep fish, so we can expect freezer burned “gifts” at any moment.

2 thoughts on “They torture us, we torture them back

  1. EOC

    That survey also stated that the anglers had no problem with the state stocking over wild fish.

  2. KBarton10 Post author

    I saw that – I also saw some reference that mentioned “anglers prefer stocked fish” – but it might have been out of context.

    They might have said I go to places that stock fish because I know there’s some there – rather than, “I like stocked fish better.”

    Enough oddities in the responses to raise my eyebrows a couple times…

Comments are closed.