If the footage is genuine, is it really that shocking ? If you have paid a cameraman to do a feature, the fishing is hard and you muck up the action shot, what is likely to happen ? Rest the fish, rehook it and take two. Granted it’s not ideal, but also it’s not like it’s a regular occurrence that’s going to impact fish stocks or be something that your average angler is going to copy. If you think it’s unethical and you live bait, you’re on very shaky ground ! I’ve caught the same fish in consecutive casts with absolutely no harm done and I do live bait. No doubt some of the most vociferous voices condemning MB regularly litter the banks, keep fish out of the water far too long, fish when water temperatures are critically high, fish with inadequate tackle …….. Jealousy is something that’s never in short supply in the world of angling. This looks like a hatchet job and if so, I certainly won’t be buying a certain tackle company’s products again. Shameful.
I couldn't agree more
I was pondering what potentially is this most heinous of crimes if ever proven?
Did he bang the fish on the head?
Did it go belly up after the ' incident'?
Did he put it in a keepnet?
Did he fraudulently claim a record or capture?
No - he may or may not have set up a fish to be re-caught for the camera, but we don't know.
Do we really know what goes on behind the scenes on these film shoots?
Ain't none of us perfect and this sanctimonious attitude of some does my nut in.
How many of us have missed a fish at the net, only for it to charge off again and get a second wind, Left to recover properly, they should all swim off strongly. But this is probably no different in terms of stress to the fish, to what MB is alleged to have done.
Or as Nick says, get a repeat capture? Should we have moved swims to mitigate the risk?
Or fished when the water is too warm?
Or fished too close to a snag and lost a fish?
Or left a baitrunner screaming only for the fish to end up in a snag, cos we're on the phone or blabbing to a mate in the next swim?
Or are too lazy to check the line and wonder why it parts under pressure?
If you've never dropped a clanger, then you've not fished very much and I guess you can take the high moral ground.. I can't. But I have learnt from my mistakes.
I don't know Martin Bowler, I've spoken to him a few times and he comes across as " what you see is what you get" type of bloke. I think that's his appeal - he's one of us. I don't for one second think he would knowingly harm a barbel. I must have also missed when he became a holy deity complete with Halo and as such is infallible.
IF he did what is suggested, I would wager that if we could measure ' stress' in a fish, he could probably land and " re-hook" ( whatever that means) a barbel and cause it less stress than the vast majority of people that fish for barbel, due to his unquestionable skill and experience.
We all stick hooks in them and we all make mistakes.