Catch-and-release tips

A while ago someone wrote that trout cannot be released after caught because of “soft mouths.” I do not know what that means, but a fish hooked in the mouth, properly handled, will almost always be released unharmed.

Some catch-and-release tips:

. Fish that are completely played out may die from high levels of lactic acid made by their body as they struggle. Play out fish only enough to reel them in.

. Pulling fish out of the water strains them. Lift fish out by lifting their side and do not keep any fish out of the water for more than 15 seconds.

. Wet your hands or net before touching a fish as you can rub off a germ-protecting layer of slime.

. Net a fish with a fine mesh net by pulling the fish headfirst into the net.

. Do not pull fish up by the net.

. Release fish in quiet waters, do not bring them into areas where they touch the rocks or let them lie on the bank.

. Finally, do not throw fish back.

Nathaniel Freedman

Caribou

TV comments damaging

Around the first of March I was in the “County” snowmobiling (and it was great). I turned on the TV and found a boys basketball game between Caribou and Presque Isle and what a great game it was!

Being from out of town, I had no connection to either team. But quickly, it was obvious who the announcer wanted to win. His derogatory comments about some of the players were disgusting!

One comment when a boy was about to try a foul shot, and I quote, “He couldn’t hit water from a rowboat”. And other times in a loud voice he would say, “stupid, stupid, stupid pass” and obviously anyone watching the game knew which player he was referring to!

I find that that kind of media reporting, especially at the high school level, is very demeaning to such young athletes who are trying to do the best they can. Who wants to make a “stupid” pass, or who wants to step up to the line only to have an announcer say that he couldn’t hit water from a rowboat?

Everyone on the teams will surely watch the tape of the game and be very embarrassed when they hear what the announcer had to say. I hope the TV station will find a person who is more responsible to do their games from now on. Those kind of remarks do not belong to young, non-professional players.

Please do not allow this type of negative coverage to continue. Those kind of remarks could stay with a young athlete forever and it would be a shame to let it happen again.

Jon Holmes

Dixfield