What a time to be alive and to fly fish: Some people take pictures so they can brag. Some people don’t take pictures of fish, and then brag about that. It’s a real topsy-turvy world of pride, prejudice, and virtue signaling. And a bunch of poor trout are caught in the middle.
Just to catch you up to speed, if you’ve suddenly walked back into civilization and logged onto this website, I’ll explain what’s going on. We don’t kill fish, but taking pictures is okay. Unless it isn’t. The circumstances which define the line which ought not be crossed are murky. It seems to be a collaborative effort between science and mob rule. And the latter seems to be steering the ship.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating the abuse of fish. I’m not crazy. I’m also not “comment section on social media” crazy, AKA the moral compasses of all things angling. I, along with a lot of reasonable fly fishers out there, like to take a picture of a fish now and again. I keep it wet as much as I can, handle it minimally, and send it back once it’s regained its bearings. I do share some pictures online. Not to brag (seeing as I have little to brag about). Certainly not to show the gold standard of photography.
I also have plenty of pictures I haven’t shared. Shots that encapsulate a moment and a memory. Something small that stays on my phone to remind me of a time and a place. Like a cutthroat caught high in the mountains on a sunny summer day… even though I’m looking at it in bed in New England on a freezing December night. That particular fish was hooked, landed, photographed, and released in under a minute. It probably didn’t think too much of our interaction. I’m still reliving it. Thanks, in part, to a picture.
Much ink has been spilled over the how in this issue. How to do this and how not to do that. Like in most things, maybe some folks aren’t asking the right question. Why might be more appropriate. Why take pictures of fish? What’s the point? To show off? To keep a tally? To do it because you’ve always done it? Those whys, in my opinion, don’t justify a bunch of well-done hows.
If you’re struck by the moment, or anticipate that you might want to remember it, that seems like a good why. Sharing that moment, with pure intentions, qualifies as well. Some people might have a lot of moments. More power to them. In scenarios like those, it’s time to employ the proper hows.
Then, and we’re really wading deep into the swampy realm of opinion here, be sure to go back and look at your fish pictures. Don’t go through the hassle of taking pictures just to take up storage space in a cloud somewhere. You and the fish have better things to do.
Celebrate fish and the moments they represent through pictures. Do it right, do it thoughtfully, and by all means do it. If the why is right, then why not?
The real question is: How do you make a fish smile?
Tell it to say, “cheese,” of course…
Test
A+
I take pictures to help jar a feeling and remember a moment. Moments on the stream are spiritual bliss to me. Forgive me for being an outdoors romantic, but I am. The bragging, dont make me laugh, because catching a wild 5 inch brook trout and sharing the picture doesn’t mean anything to the masses. At least the masses I run with, lol. Actually, they laugh, knowing you sometimes drive 3 hours one way to a destination to catch that poor little thing. Feeling somewhat sorry for me in the process. So catching fish, mostly small, is a self virtue kind of endeavor. Hey, sometimes I get lucky and catch a big fish, if anybody is wondering. Already caught my mermaid 27 years ago, lol.
Tiny brookies and a mermaid – what a life!
Hey, sometimes I catch a big fish. You forgot that part! It happens, though not often, but it happens. It really does! Just want to make sure the masses know this, lol. 🙂
Thanks for your thoughtful comments on the “why” we photograph fish. In doing so, you also offered some tips on how to do it while protecting and respecting the valuable aquatic resource that fuels our obession. For whatever reason, we feel compelled to capture our trophy, either to braggingly share it or simply to save it from being deleted from our foggy and forgetful memory.
I like to think that I take fish pictures as a small contribution to science. Much of my fishing takes place on small, and smaller, streams. I justify my time on these cricks as conducting rod and reel surveys to determine fish presence or absence. In particular, I marvel at just how far upstream native westslope cutthroat inhabit a small stream. I use a camera, Rite in the Rain notebook and GPS to document my findings. Granted, my citizen science does not follow robust protocols but I occasionally share my results (usually photos) with local fish biologists. In return, they will share their knowledge. This oftentimes results in adding a few more blue lines to my to-do list.
In no way, however, an I dissing those who display photos of their trophy fish. It’s just that my trophy may only measure three inches long. But believe me, that’s a whale in such skinny water.
Thanks for the great blog!
Bill Love
Sandpoint, Idaho
Thanks for the comment, and the great idea, Bill!
I bet a lot of the general angling public would be surprised to hear how many scientific contributions were made by conscientious fly fishers doing things like you’ve done.