Sport or ego?

[Chuck441]

I'd like some opinions from my FFOL friends. According to an article in the latest Fly Tyer magazine, a gentleman from Australia traveled to the Northwest Territories of Canada, apparently in search of one or more fly rod records. While fishing for shallow water lake trout, he caught and landed a 30 pound 8 ounce laker. Nice fish! My personal gripe: he did it on a 3-weight rod, with a 2-pound tippet. The fight (?) lasted- get this- 4 hours and 13 minutes. The fish was released after being "rested", and swam away.

The question: is this sport, or is it ego? My opinion is the latter, but I'm open to others views.

Chuck

[Uncle Jesse]

The answer is yes. It is sport but there is also a generous helping of ego. As long as the people who keep fishing records keep line class records, there will be someone trying to break them.

[Kerry Stratton]

I don't know if it is ego or what but I think the guy is a jackass. And the only reason I call him a jackass is because I can't post what I really think of him or anyone else that persues such records.

[DUB]

As long as it is legal, more power to him. Jackass? Hmmmm, perhaps the people of the NW territories are the jackasses for allowing such practices/laws. Not him. He is playing by the rules.

My my we are quick to condemn others for playing by the rules.

[Buddy Sanders]

If it's what he wants to do and it's legal, I have no problem with it.

If he'd have kept it and ate it, that would have been a sure death for the fish. At least the fish had a chance for survival this way.

The fish may have died, but we don't know that for sure, and anyway, it IS just a fish.

Lots of ego in fly fishing. This is pretty minor stuff.

But in answer to your question, if fly fishing is a sport(and I'd argue that one), and you do it according to the rules, then why can't it have been both?

Buddy

[Kerry Stratton]

DUB, respect your opinion but because it is legal does not automatically make it correct. I can walk down the street calling people vulgar names legally but it is not the right way to behave. Just as I toned down my opinion of the guy to be acceptable here.

[ScottP]

I'd sure hate to be in the boat fishing with him; "So Dave, it's been 2 hours now. How about you fight that from the stern and give me a shot?"

[DUB]

Kerry, you might aswell hate bait dunkers, ultra light users and anyone else that doesnt live up to your standards of fishing. I guess Washington isn't as Liberal as I thought. Most other places will give you a ticket for calling people vulgar names. Maybe our definition of vulgar is different.

I would love to see you personally berate and chastise that guy in person for playing that fish for that long. I am sure the game warden would give him a ticket under the "jackass" statute just to keep you happy.

[NJTroutbum]

He wanted to catch a huge fish on light tackle. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever in my opinion. The fish was rested and released. Would you care if he killed and ate it after pictures? Would that have been better? Can't have things both ways.....nor can you dictate what others must get from flyfishing, or the value they place on each aspect of it. We all only stand in one pair of waders.

[Fishingfiend]

NJTroutBum ... no offense intended, but I am NOT standing in the same waders with you.
Kerry ... going after world records makes one a jackass? I certainly hope to be a bluegill jackass one day, then. Or a Large Mouth Bass jackass. Anything on a fly rod that's bigger will do. I don't have the money to fly to remote areas to fish, but a big one for my State will do just fine. And I agree with Buddy and NJ ... if I'd have caught it, it probably would've been dinner. It was a line class record, not a world record. It is very possible that the fish in that remote lake get so little pressure and so few are caught that a little catching and eating isn't a bad thing.