Catch and release

Fish A to Fish B : “I am off to Norway”

B: "Why do you want to go all the way to Norway?”

A: “Because it is illegal to catch and release a fish in Norway”

B: “Who would want to do such a thing?”

A: “In which water world are you living in? The humans have developed a sport where they do fishing just for the fun of it and then release the fish back into the water”

B: “Oh at least we will be alive after they have had their fun”

A: “Don’t be stupid. Do you know the trauma and agony that a fish undergoes once that hook gets into our mouth? Last week my friend (let us call him Nemo) got hooked by a guy who thought he would have some fun by engaging in this ‘catch and release’ sport. 

The minute Nemo got hooked, he started wriggling and pulling against the fishing line, by which the hook got embedded deep into his jaw. This guy (let us call him Mr X) found it difficult to haul up Nemo and asked two passers-by for help. One of the guys helped Mr X to haul up Nemo with the net.

Mr X was very happy with his catch and kept saying “he is a big one”

He then proceeded to remove the hook from Nemo’s mouth. Not an easy task but he had a curved artery forceps by which he did it, not realising how it tore a part of Nemo’s jaws.

Mr X wanted a picture to be clicked (with his phone camera) holding his trophy.

He later insisted that the passer-by should also hold the fish and have a picture clicked.

All this while, time was ticking away and Nemo was gasping for breath.

Meanwhile the passer-by said “so you will be having fish on your table tonight” to which Mr X replied “No no back in the water, I just fish for fun”

Saying that he released Nemo back into the water.

The passer-by did not say anything but he had a last look at all the tell-tale signs, the artery forceps, the fishing rod, the net.

Later the passer-by told his friend “I don’t understand this concept of ‘fishing for fun’ He looked at the water and said “hope the fish was not injured”

Fish B: “Yes I hope Nemo did not suffer much”

Fish A: “Oh no. On the contrary Nemo had to nurse a badly bruised jaw and his immune system too came down with Mr X holding that cloth against its scales. I used to meet Nemo daily but have not seen him for some days, hope he is safe somewhere”

Fish B : “That is not good news. May be, we should seriously think of making it to Norway”

Fish A : “I too think so. Meanwhile if the humans had a look at this picture (click here), they would understand what Nemo had to undergo.”