All anglers are fishermen, but not all fishermen are anglers. Anglers relate to sports fishermen who do it primarily for enjoyment. Fishermen do it for food and very often only as a means of employment.

Anglers usually choose methods that give them the most enjoyment. Fishermen choose methods that are most efficient... regardless of enjoyment.

Anglers often reach a point where their lures are entirely artificial, and often home made. By contrast, sports fishermen will use bait or whatever lures are most efficient. Fly fishing is a method where tiny bits of fur and feathers are tied to a hook using fine thread. The flies are meant to immitate natural insects, crustaceans and baitfish. The fly line is weighted so that it loads (bends) a long rod and is able to propel the tiny flies at the end of a long leader. With Spin fishing it is the weight of the lure that pulls line off the reel.

Sports fishermen in private boats most often troll lures or bait in hopes of catching fish for food.

But that doesn't mean they don't have a good time doing so...

Fly fishermen are anglers who more often than not, release the fish that they catch.

Thai fishermen are not usually anglers, and most often are just trying to obtain food. And, most often keep everything they catch... no matter how small it is. However, that doesn't mean that they don't enjoy what they are doing.

By contrast to sportsfishermen there are the commercial fishermen who do it as a living. Commercial fishermen are hardy folks who enjoy an independent life style and can live with loneliness and danger. They mostly enjoy what they do. They have decimated the stocks of wild fish, but are highly regulated by the government. This commercial troller is sitting in a pod of Killer whales and enjoying the view from close range.

I notice that you, like many other fishermen, take exception to the practice of keeping small fish.

("....keep everything they catch... no matter how small it is....").

Modern thinking amongst anglers and fishermen alike, that is important to both, from a conservation point of view, is that the larger fish should be the ones returned to their habitat.

The larger fish have proved themselves to be survivors, and are thus genetically appropriate to breed.

The larger fish of any particular species are generally lesser in quality for eating.....drier, tougher, more fibrous etc, so why bother killing it?

A larger fish will probably parent more offspring than a smaller fish in any single brood: a bigger next generation.

It goes against the grain in some ways, and is a departure from popular thinking.....but it makes sense.

I thought it was a 'minimum size' thing. So as to at least give the fish an opportunity to breed before taking them, or something like that.

I thought it was a 'minimum size' thing. So as to at least give the fish an opportunity to breed before taking them, or something like that.

Yes, it is now. It is intuitive to return the smaller fish to give them a chance to breed.

But if you think about it further....

1. The larger fish have proved themselves to be survivors, and are thus more genetically appropriate to breed.

2. The larger fish of any particular species are generally lesser in quality for eating.....drier, tougher, more fibrous etc, so why bother killing it?

3. A larger fish will probably parent more offspring than a smaller fish in any single brood: a bigger next generation.

Many fish species in Australia have a "maximum size" limit to help preserve the breeding stocks.

For example:

Barramundi have a minimum size limit of 550mm and a maximum of 800mm

Cod (groper) don't have a minimum , but the maximum is 1000mm or 30 kgs.

Many fish species in Australia have a "maximum size" limit to help preserve the breeding stocks.

For example:

Barramundi have a minimum size limit of 550mm and a maximum of 800mm

Cod (groper) don't have a minimum , but the maximum is 1000mm or 30 kgs.

Ahhhh! Forward thinking Aussies.

I'd be interested to know when the max size limit was instituted.

It does make sense.

I notice that you, like many other fishermen, take exception to the practice of keeping small fish.

("....keep everything they catch... no matter how small it is....").

Modern thinking amongst anglers and fishermen alike, that is important to both, from a conservation point of view, is that the larger fish should be the ones returned to their habitat.

The larger fish have proved themselves to be survivors, and are thus genetically appropriate to breed.

The larger fish of any particular species are generally lesser in quality for eating.....drier, tougher, more fibrous etc, so why bother killing it?

A larger fish will probably parent more offspring than a smaller fish in any single brood: a bigger next generation.

It goes against the grain in some ways, and is a departure from popular thinking.....but it makes sense.

And hence my separating the angler from the fisherman. An angler has usually reached a level of awareness that he or she knows when it doesn't harm a species to harvest a few for food. Many streams have the same species as in big lakes, but in the tiny streams a fish might reach maturity at 6 or 7 inches. For example, here is a mature brook trout from a tiny stream in Connecticut...

here is a mature Brook trout from a larger river with more nutrients...

And here is a mature Brook trout from a fertile lake in BC.

By contrast, Asians keep EVERYTHING they catch. This would be on the large size from some I see being caught in throw nets.

Most of the anglers I know only harvest what they can use. Most of the fly fishermen I know release most of their catch unless they are caught in hatchery stocked lakes where harvesting is expected.