Do fishing and ethics go together?  C.A. Johansen has made a convincing case that they do in a recent article on StripersOnline.Com titled “Fishing Ethics”.  Johansen lists several principles that he practices as an angler, including things like removing all trash and litter from a fishing hole, observing minimum size limits, and proper catch and release techniques.  Here are the author’s own words on fishing ethics:

The ethics of fishing encompasses many aspects that deal with our sport. Do we, as fellow anglers follow a personal ethic code to enhance fishing for future generations to follow? Do we subscribe to a fishing code of ethics that can make a difference to the resource? Each of us must determine his own values in respect to the aquatic resource we fish.

The question is an interesting one and is worthy of further discussion here at Smith Mountain Lake News.  So here’s the topic for the day: what ethical principles guide your angling, and what does that in a typical day on the water?