Saw this shared from the Suplee Fly Fishing Company Facebook page. (give them a like, if you would… support people speaking out in favor of our resources)
The comments below are theirs, not mine. I thought they’d have more authority than anything I might add.
A nice, dead tarpon
New Women’s #12 pound world record on Fly.
So rather than comment on this post I thought I would share my thoughts here. As a guide who has participated in most of the Major Florida Keys Fly Tournaments for over a decade. I understand wha…t truly difficult accomplishment this is to achieve.
However as a Florida Keys guide for the past two decades. I all also understand how much pressure and stress this very fragile fishery is under.
I’m just not sure that in this day and age of technology this practice if killing these huge mature fish just for the sake of a world record is acceptable.
I personally have never considered killing one if these fish for this purpose. Have I killed fish while fighting them to pure exhaustion just so one of my wealthy sports could get there ever so precious “grab and grin” shot with a prehistoric beast? I would be lying if I said I haven’t. But these world record chasers are the upper tier of anglers and guides and I would think they would have a little more respect for the resource.
We have digital cameras,Face Book, Twitter, Instagram, email , FaceTime etc. these fish can be caught, taped, photographed, filmed what ever and instantly uploaded for all the world to see.
I say let’s stop killing these huge old fish just for the sake of world records. A true world record is one that released and never scored so that maybe our children have a chance to catch one of these fish some day.
;)
