pine_knot wrote on Jan 29^th, 2012 at 11:25pm:

Given Stu's a guide and focused on giving clients a grand fishing experience, it doesn't surprise me at all that he's an advocate for catch and release.  Nothing wrong with that.    Most folks who visit canoe country pay enough to catch and eat what they can...nothing wrong with that either. Personally, I spend most of my money in the Quetico.  And given the fees, I'll eat eat fish every few days and not think twice about it.  With one exception.  I've found a couple of relatively small Quetico lakes with lake trout and/or big smallmouth and I won't keep fish from these lakes...but that's just me.

I am very much inclined to agree with PK on this one. I have several friends who are professional bass guides. It is not uncommon for them to catch 50 to 70 bass in one day if they are chewing. All of them refuse to keep even 1 bass........The more your living depends on healthy populations of fish (or game) the more protective you are liable to be.

I also agree with PK on being selective about size and place. I won't think twice about eating a 16" eye out of Basswood but would certainly let all fish of significant size go. Remember that in the Canadian shield fish may tend to grow slowly........it seems a shame to eat the big ones.

And lastly........trauma? Fish can be physically traumatized by being played to long where they expend all their energy.......or from being brought up from the depths (such as lake trout in the heat of summer).........But what about the fish just going through a hurtful unpleasant experience? Remember a fishes musculature is quite different than ours. A hook in the lip is probably quite similar to a spine in the mouth when said fish is munching some poor innocent other fish.........Oh that's right........quite a savage realm they live in isn't it?

I laugh when people look across the lake early in the morning with just a wisp of fog........."It's so peaceful" they are apt to comment........when just underneath the surface creatures are biting and killing with reckless abandon........