Species Diversity

One of the things that has always bothered me is when fellow anglers refer to naturally occurring/native species as "trash fish". Basically, to earn this label all you have to do is eat the same stuff a "more desirable" fish does. For instance, many local anglers grumble and moan when a bluefish is caught instead of a striped bass. Unfortunately, sometimes these attitudes are played out in the treatment of the fish when on shore, or the deck of a boat.

I challenge all of us this season to celebrate the diversity of species we can catch on rod and reel here in New England. Should you find yourself playing a fish that is something other than what you were hoping for, look at it as a bonus!

Though not caught in our neck of the woods, Sam forwarded along a sampling of the fish he caught on his last trip to Belize. The fact that all these fish were caught on the fly rod is pretty cool (not pictured is one of the many bonefish he caught). Enjoy!