Careful with the salmon

[The Hairy Beast]

First off, NH Fish & Game stocks these Salmon in Winni for the express purpose of allowing people to catch them - this population is not, nor has it ever been, self-sustaining. And if a man goes to the trouble and expense to catch a fish, I don't see why he can't keep it. I don't keep fish because I hate fish - I release everything, but not to be noble. if I were catching porterhouse steaks, I'd have a real dilemma on my hands. Store-bought salmon are still salmon, raised in pens, but materially the same as the ones stocked in Winnipesaukee. Both were put there to be caught.

Up to now, I have caught, landed and released thirty five salmon (since April 2nd). The vast majority I did not handle, or even net. I prefer (to the guffaws of surrounding anglers) to lay on the dock or bank, grab the fly with forceps and shake it loose (my flies are barbless).

But shaking a fish loose with forceps doesn't make for much of a picture, so some of the bigger ones I do handle, to get the hot shot. Those fish will be gone shortly but the pictures will last forever. This isn't volleyball, this is fishing. And, as usual, it wouldn't be fishing if somebody (usually the guy who isn't catching anything) wasn't complaining about the release.