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It was great to hear an open discussion about angling, flyfishing in particular, though the topic of catch and release was only partially addressed. At the heart of catch & release, at least here in the Northwest (I define the Pacific NW as that region of North America where salmonids - genus Oncorhynchus - do, or have historically, spawn...)is the issue of hatchery vs wild. Hatchery salmon and steelhead are essentially man-made fish that have been raised specifically to contribute to the overall "sport" fishery (originally as mitigation for dams) and are genetically, aesthetically and intrinsically inferior to the wild, totemic salmon that have been making their epic spawning runs in NW rivers for thousands of years, their very presence establishing stream and forest regimes that identify out region. Anyone who fishes, or is concerned about the future of our wild salmonids is virtually obligated to step up and take hatchery fish out of the system and into the freezer. Invariably, wild fish will be caught in this pursuit. They must be handled with delicate care and respect (reverence is legitimate, though it may not be known to all)and released to complete their destiny. They are the best gift of all, the completed cycle, the opportunity to see and know for the briefest interlude a wise and tremulous fish of spirit and flesh.

As a former fisheries student, I know that salmon, trout and steelhead have a rather simplified nervous system and do not experience "pain" in a way we would recognize. Their response to being hooked is a reaction to pressure, or being pulled in a direction they don't want to go. Most people I know would react in a very similar fashion... But flyfishing at its most essential transends all of these mundane topics. I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable with framing it as "religion", but you could say it is absolutly a way of life, of being, of believing in the unseen. Technical or intuitive, attractors or hatch-matching, flyfishing is a low impact, direct line connection to the aqueous world and the mysteries held within.

I am an artist, salmonid advocate, fly tyer & designer and have been plying Northwest waters for 30 years. Today you merely grazed the potential for lively discussion on this topic - I hope to hear more in the future.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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