Well Sparkey, this is my ruff opinion on what is my definition of "who/what really is a sportsman"

A sportsman is a person who loves their sport so much that they are not afraid to fight for their right to do what they love to do the most. In this case, on this thread, it's fishing!

A sportsmen (or in this case again, a sport fishermen) is one who will stand up for their right to sport fish. Yes, I said "right" to fish and not "his privilege" to fish. They are people who are not afraid to take on the agencies, power operators (dams), or other powers to be and voice their opinion of how our fisheries should be managed. They are people who are not afraid to voice their opinion; even those they know that it may upset others just because their opinions differs on fishery issues, such as wild vs. hatchery fish.

Yes, even people that are not wild fish advocates can truly be "sportsmen"!

Sportsmen are people who do much more then just take from the resource; they also return back more, and make enhancements to their sport by assuring that it will remain a perpetual one. And yes, that can be done by enhancing either wild or hatchery fish stocks.

Sportsmen are people who also perform other "actions" and not just simply words to assure that we continue to perpetuate our sport fishing. A "sportsmen" is a person who gives their quarry a fair chance to escape his pursuit (no snagging)…make it bit your hook, not you biting them!

A sportsman is one who can accept that they cannot always win every fishing event. A true "sportsmen" knows that they do not always need to win every game to be the real winner. Finally, being a true "sportsmen" is something that is not decided by the person themselves. In my opinion, one cannot appoint themselves as a "sportsmen", that honor and privilege is only accomplished by our fellow peers!

That's my opinion of what makes person a "real sportsmen".

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????