Catch and Release By Mark Sosin Of The Saltwater Journal

Catch and Release

Fishing has come a long way since Izaak Walton published the Compleat Angler in 1653 and popularized the sport. In fact, The Compleat Angler is the third most reprinted book in English literature following the Bible and The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Walton did what many of us wish we could do. He spent the last 40 years of his life fishing, talking about fishing, and writing about fishing.
With each passing year, more and more people around the world discovered fishing for sport and recreation as well as for food. Early settlers in America relied on the sea as well as lakes and streams to supplement their diets. What we call big game fishing today really started in 1898 when Dr. Charles Fredrick Holder landed a 183-pound tuna off California’s Catalina Island. That catch led to the formation of The Tuna Club in Avalon, Santa Catalina.
Noted Author Zane Gray dazzled American anglers with his tales of fishing in the South Pacific, while Ernest Hemingway penned his exploits in the Atlantic. The International Game Fish Association traces its roots back to 1939 and, working closely with scientists from the Museum of Natural History, began to lay a foundation for fishing as we know it in the 21st Century.
Through the years, tackle, tactics, and techniques continued to improve constantly. At the same time, the number of outdoor publications increased dramatically including daily, weekly as well as monthly offerings. With the advent of cable television, a proliferation of fishing shows flooded the airways. All of the media contributed greatly to spreading the word and making fishermen everywhere aware of the latest tackle and methods. Add the Internet along with video on demand (VOD) and no fish-catching technique remains secret for very long.
Better tackle coupled with improved tactics helped anglers to catch larger and larger fish as well as species they never dreamed possible. Taxidermists stepped in during those early days to help fishermen preserve their memories and document their fish stories with mounts hung on the wall. These original mounts used the skin of the fish and a number of parts. Eventually, the skin was no longer needed, but some of the parts were which meant that the fish had to be killed if it was to be mounted.
The late Lee Wulff once commented that a fish was too valuable a resource to be caught only once. With all the anglers on the water today using highly sophisticated equipment, fish populations can be easily reduced to levels of serious concern if we don’t practice catch and release fishing whenever possible.
A fish handled carefully and put back in the water has an excellent chance for survival no matter what your assessment happens to be at the time.
Technology has kept pace with catch and release fishing. Through the persistent research of King Release Mounts, you now have the option of commemorating each of your angling achievements with a magnificent release mount. A release mount is produced without the need for any part of the actual fish, which means you can release your catch and still hang it in your home or on your office wall. If you decide months later that you wish you had a particular fish mounted, it can be done with a phone call. All you need is an approximate length or weight of the fish. Each original masterpiece is a precision-crafted replica that is hand painted in vibrant, life-like colors by skilled artists. Because there are no actual parts of the fish, release mounts last longer and can be completed a few short weeks after you place the order. The mounts will be carefully crated and delivered to your home or office in perfect condition. Your captain or mate can take care of all the ordering details for you.
I have a few of my memorable catches hanging on my office wall thanks to King Release Mounts. I know you will be equally happy with yours.
Mark Sosin
Saltwater Journal