THE KINGDOM OF THE LAKE.
By David John Lovell.
I have been asked many times by people if I eat the fish I catch. In England, on the course fishing side of things, we catch fish and put them back. We may take a quick photo of the capture, and on the carp fishing side of things we treat the fish for any injuries or sores, which are often obtained during the spawning season from crashing through reed stalks etc.
However, because we return the fish the bio mass of the lake remains in a natural state of continuation. The predator species such as pike and perch feed on the other species and yet there is a good stock of fry / baby fish coming on for the future. Birds such as cormorants and heron visit the lake and feed also, but the stock remains healthy. Nature is perfection itself, and needs no interference from us, mankind, who creates man made problems, the largest being that our numbers go unchecked.
We return our fish, we worship them, their beauty, and to hold one up for the camera is magical. We return our fish, and the rest of the world could learn a few things from us English, men of appreciation of what the kingdom of the lake offers, Englishmen, of immense tolerance of ignorance, and we return our fish, because if we didn't, we wouldn't have our beautiful fish left to photograph and love, and besides, who would want to kill a fish of such beauty with a fridge full of food waiting at home, but if we did kill our fish, the kingdom into which we tread from time to time, would die.
