[sharpiel]

But John you're still missing the point. It's not just about the fish. It's about cruelty to any animal.

What about the worms you use for bait. Do you stick a big hook through them to keep them on the line? Without your interference would they have remained alive longer?

And you're still recreationally fishing by choice because you enjoy it. You just happen to eat what you enjoy catching.

Congratulations for helping other animals. That is great work too. But this discussion isn't about a ledger where kindness to some animals offsets cruelty to others. In fact you've rather proved my point that recreational fishing is cruel, that it's inconsistent with the way we feel other animals should be treated. That's not logical. Can you see that now?