Rules and regulations of Recreation Fishing
Recreational fishing
and the closely related sport fishing describe fishing for pleasure or competition.
Rules and regulations of Recreation Fishing
Recreational
fishing has conventions, rules, licensing restrictions and laws that limit the
way in which fish may be caught, The International Game Fish Association (IGFA)
makes and oversees a set of voluntary obligations. Typically, these prohibit
the use of nets and the catching of fish with hooks not in the mouth. Enforceable
regulations are put in place by Governments to ensure sustainable practice amongst
anglers. For example in the Republic of Ireland, the Central Fisheries Board
oversees the implementation of all angling regulations, which include controls
on angling lures, baits and number of hooks permissible, as well as licensing
regimes and other conservation based restrictions.
Laws made to control
recreational fishing frequently also attempt to control the harvest of other
aquatic species, such as frogs and turtles.
Techniques
The most common form of recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel,
line, hooks and
any one of a wide range of baits.
Other devices, commonly referred to as terminal tackle, are also used
to affect or compliment the presentation of the bait to the targeted fish. Some
examples of terminal tackle include weights, floats, and swivels. Lures are
frequently used in place of bait. Most types of fishing tackle are made in a
professional manufacturing facility while others are hand made by hobbyists who
find greater satisfaction in catching fish with tackle made by themselves. Some
examples of hand made tackle include plastics from Fishing
worm molds and flies. The practice of catching or attempting to catch fish
with a hook is known as angling.
In angling, it is sometimes expected or required that fish be returned to the
water (catch
and release).
One method of growing popularity is kayak
fishing. Kayak fisherman fish from sea kayaks in an attempt to level the
playing field with fish and to further challenge their abilities. Kayaks are
extremely stealthy and can allow anglers to reach areas unfishable from land
or by conventional boat.
Big-game
fishing describes fishing from boats to catch large open-water species such
as tuna, sharks and
marlin.
Noodling and
Trout tickling may be pursued as a recreation.
Fish logs
In addition to capturing fish for food recreational anglers also enjoy
keeping a log of fish caught and submitting trophy sized fish to independent
record keeping bodies. In the Republic of Ireland the Irish Specimen Fish Committee
verify and publicize the capture of specimen (i.e. trophy) fish caught on rod
and line by anglers in Ireland, both in freshwater and at sea. The Committee
also ratifies Irish record rod caught fish. It also uses a set of ‘fair play’
regulations to ensure fish are caught in accordance with accepted angling norms.
Competitions
A recent phenomenon of recreational fishing are fishing competitions
(tournaments) where fishermen compete for prizes based on the total weight of
a given species of fish caught within a predetermined time. This sport evolved
from local fishing
contests into large competitive circuits, especially in North
America. Competitors are most often professional fishermen who are supported
by commercial endorsements. Other competitions is purely on length with mandatory
catch and release, either longest fish or total length is documented with camera
and a mandatory sticker, is more fair since it’s hard to weigh a living fish
accurately in a boat.
Sport fishing
Sport fishing, including game
fishing, describes recreational fishing where the primary reward is the challenge
of finding and catching the fish rather than the culinary or financial value
of the fish’s flesh. The distinction is not completely rigid – in many cases,
sport fishers will also eat their catch. The philosophies and tactics used for
sport fishing, however, are usually sufficiently different from "food fishing" to
make the distinction clear enough.
In BC, the most common fish sought after are salmon and halibut.
Sport fishing methods vary according to the
area being fished, the species being targeted, the personal strategies of the
angler, and the resources available, ranging from the aristocratic art of fly
fishing, ostensibly invented in Great Britain, to the high-tech methods used
to chase marlin and tuna. In virtually every case, however, the fishing is done
with hook, line, rod and reel rather than with nets or other aids.
In the past,
sport fishers, even if they did not eat their catch, almost always killed them
to bring them to shore to be weighed or for preservation as trophies. A desire
to improve the fishery has prompted many sport fishermen to catch
and release, sometimes after fitting them with identity tags, recording some
vital statistics, and mailing in a record to a government agency in something
called tag
and release.
Sport fishing competitions involve individuals if the fishing occurs
from land, and usually teams if conducted from boats, as well as a specified
time and area from which to catch fish. A score is awarded for each fish caught.
The points awarded depend on the fish’s weight and species. Occasionally a score
is divided by the strength of the fishing line used, yielding more points to
those who use thinner, weaker line. In tag and release competitions, a flat score
is awarded per fish species caught, divided by the line strength. Usually sport
fishing competitions award a prize to the boat or team with the most points earned.
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