This year, I've started letting some folks in to fish our ponds. I had a couple of fellows in tonight for their first time, took them around and showed them the ponds they were allowed to fish in, went over the ground rules like I always do, and turned them loose. After a couple hours I went down to see how they were getting along, and was a little surprised at what I witnessed.
They were BG fishing in pond #5, and had five or six good fish. they watched me feed in pond #4, (the CC and HSB pond) and decided to try their luck there, which is OK....I had already asked them to release any HSB they caught, but was fine with them taking a few cats home for dinner.
Since I was already there feeding, I didn't feel too bad about watching them for a few minutes. One of them hauled in a monster, gravid BG...an unintended side effect of feeding the CC and HSB....., then I saw his line twitch. (He was fishing with a nightcrawler, on the bottom, no float) Apparently, he didn't notice the hit, as he didn't react. When he went to pull in his line, he had a HSB on the other end, with the hook swallowed. His reel kept skipping and jerking, which added to the time it took to land the fish. It was about 16" long, and mortally hooked.
So, after telling myself that it happens, I told him to keep the fish and let me know what he thought of the taste. Then, I watched him take two CC out in the same fashion.....missed takes, resulting in swallowed hooks. I saw the takes, but he didn't, and I hated to say anything. Two more fish mortally wounded.
While he's fishing, he's telling me about HIS POND, and asking me why his fish have gotten smaller, even though he's careful to return EVERYTHING back to the water, and he doesn't allow anyone else to fish there.......
I don't want to be hard-nosed, but do I need to inspect the gear of everyone who I let in to fish, to make sure it's up to snuff, AND make them demonstrate their angling abilities beforehand?
I can't be angry, as I'm the one who gives folks permission to fish. I just assumed that people who wanted to fish, KNEW how to fish. That's my fault.
Any advice?
