By Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
If you are an angler, you probably get cranked by big fish.
If you do not, you should take up golf.
We L-O-V-E big fish, I believe big fish of any species. There are a lot of reasons and motivations for anglers to go fishing and no two anglers are exactly the same. However, if you like to fish, I will pretty much guarantee some element of big fish and their pursuit quickens your pulse.
Sometimes, with a big fish on the line, our pulse quickens too much and we do some really stupid things. Things that prevent us from landing those big fish. Oh man, who among us does not have a whole volume of stories about “the one that got away”.
And that is why we slobber, stutter and search for words to describe our most recent or most favorite big catch:
Then, of course, we have to have our photos! “Hero shots” if you will.
A fishing friend of mine once described those hero shots this way:
“The “Hero Shot” pose is a standard practice by Stewards of our Fisheries with the HERO being the FISH! The pose shows respect to the fish by the Angler properly handling it (not “hanging” by the gills, lips etc.) and by extending the arms so the fish is at the forefront of the photo. The intent is NOT to mislead viewers on the size, but to promote the “Hero” status of the catch.”–Harold
Hope you get to practice those shots and the associated vocabulary this weekend. And remember, there is no greater gift you can give to another angler than to release a “hawg”.
