A water-fight for the ages.
Haul a trophy brown trout into a local fly shop, and you might be the one hanging from the scale. These days, anglers in southwest Montana who bonk their catch often do it with the stealth of a drug dealer running a covert night operation, lest they be publicly shamed with “Most Wanted” ads plastered to the corkboard of every boat ramp within a 50-mile radius of Bozeman. Truth be told, a wild-trout dinner is one the finest and cheapest meals available—and was a common one ‘round these parts until only a couple decades ago. Plenty of folks still consume their catch, of course, it just tends to be served with a side-dish of ostracism. So, it’s high time we settle the score, with a no-holds-barred New West throwdown: working-class, catch-and-kill spin-fisherman or keep-‘em-wet fly-fishing illuminati?
Experience
Ah, fly fishing—the purest of angling pursuits. The fluid cast and gentle drop of a dry fly, watching it float across the water, until finally, a snout breaks the surface—you lift and feel the weight of a strong, healthy trout. The battle is tense as the fish tears upstream, heading for cover and threatening to snap your line. Minutes later, you net the beautiful beast, and with your smile wide and spirit soaring, you release it back to its underwater world. You feel renewed, restored, as if you’ve tapped into some primeval force. The death-shudder and bulging eyes of that same fish after you’ve crushed its brain with a rock? Just not quite the same happy ending.
Edge: catch & release
Misconception
Most anglers think it’s a foregone conclusion: a released fish lives to fight another day. Oftentimes, it does. But mortality statistics indicate that anywhere from 10-80% of released rainbow trout die, depending on a range of variables. They may look fine at the moment of release, but later that day, or later that week, they’re belly-up. So the hardcore fly fisherman who catches and releases 20 fish each day is likely killing way more fish than the guy who wanders down to the river every once in a while, catches three trout, and tosses ‘em in a creel. The latter knows exactly how many fish he’s killed.
Edge: catch & keep
Conservation
Keeping a few trout for the frying pan every now and then certainly won’t hurt the overall population—and in some cases, may even result in bigger fish down the road. Still, fishing regulations in Montana rely on the assumption that most fishermen will release their quarry—and when it comes to conservation, it pays to error on the side of caution. When it comes to keeping fish, we should be careful not to go overboard, lest we find ourselves swimmin’ with the fishes.
Edge: catch & release
Fight
The tug at the end of the line—that’s what fishing’s all about, right? Unless you’re trying to keep it alive, that is. A trout slated for release must be fought quickly to increase its chance of survival. But, if it’s destined for the frying pan, go ahead and stretch out those precious few moments of ecstasy. Let ‘em run, baby! And while you’re at it, up the ante by downsizing to a light line or tippet.
Edge: catch & keep
Photo Ops
With classic grip-and-grin photos rapidly disappearing from mainstream fishing magazines, it’s clear that anglers are serious about keeping fish in the water, so that they actually survive after release. Good on them, but really, who wants a blurry, water-smudged shot taken a split-second after that 22-inch brown slipped from your hands? A few bonks on the head with a heavy rock and gone are the days of fish-flop fiascos. Hold it aloft for a full-on photo shoot—sideways, vertical, goofy and serious, alone and with your whole crew. If you’re willing to accept a few dirty looks (and maybe even an obscene gesture) from a flotilla of guide boats, then this one has an obvious winner.
Edge: catch & keep
Challenge
Properly handling a fish, from initial hookset to release, takes skill—and compromise. Barbless hooks, stronger (read: more visible) tippet, and deft, decisive control during the fight all require both expertise and experience. Not to mention the netting, hook-removal, and releasing process—yes, it’s a process, you can’t just yank out the hook and chuck ‘em back in the water. Letting a trout swallow a worm, muscling it into shore on eight-pound test, then dragging it up on the rocks? Doesn’t take much work to master that.
Edge: catch & release
Score: 3 to 3
Winner: Tie
Looks like the bait-toting, camo-wearing, beer-drinkin’ mountain men can hold their own against the catch-and-release ClackaCraft cruisers in designer duds. And despite the nasty treatment the former might receive from the latter, anglers who keep their catch are well within their rights (just check the FWP regs). The takeaway? Whatever side on, cast away judgment and remember that there’s always a counterpoint to whatever you might deem right, proper, and ethical. So fish on—and to each their own. If not, prepare for a dunking! (See our Crime & Punishment chart.)
