Sir, – It is a crying shame that such a unique specimen has been lost to such a crude method of fishing (“Quite a catch”, Joe O’Shaughnessy, Front page, May 28th).
Industrial strength tackle, precision depth finders and tempting dead bait all rigged up to extract the largest and rarest of trout – the fine ferox.
It might be sport were the trout allowed a fair chance as with fly fishing but with multiple treble hooks being used, what chance does it have? Were such a fish to come to the fly, I am sure the true sportsman would wish to return this extraordinary creature unharmed.
With Corrib’s latest review from Inland Fisheries Ireland showing a significant fall in trout numbers, preservation of all trout should be the order of the day and not just for this exceptional species.
Perhaps Ceri Jones might like to spare the next specimen ferox should he be so lucky to repeat such an experience and show us some photographs of its release instead? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – While reading of the capture of a 24lb trout (Front page, May 28th) on Lough Corrib and its captor’s plans to have it stuffed and mounted in a local bar, I was reminded of the words of that great artist and fisherman, Lee Wulff. “The finest gift you can give to any fisherman is to put a good fish back, and who knows if the fish that you caught isn’t someone else’s gift to you.” – Is mise,