What is a Sportsman???

...or is sportsperson more politically correct??

Anyways, not one of us would be a sportsman by Ernest Hemingway's standards. Among many of his other stringent guidelines, one's pursuit would have to be dangerous and life-threatening for that person to be considered a sportsmean.

With the current flame fest in the Fraser R. thread, I thought it would be intresting to find out who/what really is a sportsman and why you believe your opinion is correct??

Flame on!

Well geez to fit into the Hemingway definition we'd each have to consume bout a half gallon of Martini's per day !

Hey Sparkey if you want to be a "Real Sportsman" try fishing out of a boat on the Bankie side of Blue Creek. I think that would qualify as dangerous or life threatening.

Cowlitzfisherman...right on!

Wait a minute...

Did I just see a flock of pigs fly by? Are demons skiing the slopes of Hell as we speak?

I wholeheartedly agree with everything that both Gooose AND Cowlitzfishermen posted...all of it!!

And all in the same thread!!

Nice posts, fellas!

Fish on...

Todd.

P.S. As far as the danger requirement of EH's definition...I'd say that in this day and age, making it really uncomfortable and difficult, while still enjoying the heck out of it, probably counts well enough. Half the things that make it uncomfortable and difficult would have been dangerous a long time ago, but our technology reduces it to merely uncomfotable. I'm thinking of things like better river boats and techniques, better winter wear, better boots, etc.

Todd are you all right....worries me considerable when you say nice things like that...specially to both Cowlitzfisherman and the Feathered Flyer ?

Cowlitz pretty much said it all for me....thanks.

Spark
EH wrote great stories and I wouldn't want anyone to think that he was anything but world class as a writer. However, I don't think he was a very good example at much else. If your not on the brink of harming yourself or jumping in harms way your not a sporstman? Skill to attract a fish to bite or to place an arrow on a gamebird in flight?......Give me a break. Ernie was a national treasure as his works will always be to me. But in my book he was reading on a different page most of the time and he took the cowards way out of life. My vote is his definition misses the mark.

Whaddabout rainbow fishing in AK on the Brooks River with some nice greasy porkchops in yer backpocket...or how about night fishing the Potholes in the summer and running back out to the rig with no flashlight...good way to get "rattled".
Well Spark, I'm officially a Utah flyguy now...at least bought a nonres. license. Some pretty nice water, but I'm not convinced I'll be able to shake the salmo/steelie withdrawls soon. However, there is a reservoir 10 minutes away that has monster Tiger Muskies in it (fly catchable). Heck, going after those seems risky...better come over this fall and try it out. At least I can take you to some rivers that would remind you of the Nick Lyons stories and Big Two Hearted River by EH. Hopper fishing!!!

I dun care what all you say... The best EH had no sport to it at all, and no fishing either. For Whom the Bell Tolls. Best ever

DANGER ?
how about the drive home from your favorite fishing hole.
Thats all the danger I need.

But what is that definition???

CnD-
Good to hear from 'ya!!!! Hope Utah is treating you well...and if hope you have not aquired more then one wife and have managed to find some alchool.

Hope the trout have been treating you well...and the steelie withdrawls wont be too severe. How far is the Clearwater??...have heard it has already started pumping out some decent fishing.

Maybe have to meet you half way on Deschutes, Ronde or Snake this Fall...or maybe make a trip out to Utah. Everyone at work tells me I need to start trout fishing more...why catch pre-migrants when I have no problem catching the adults??

What is a sportsman? Well, before I read the thread about flossing on the Frasier, I thought I knew what a Sportsman was. I guess the term "Sportsman" is open to interpretation. For instants, take the lining issue, Lots of people feel that if you line fish, its not a "sportsman like" thing to do, even if its legal. Some people feel that the Legality of the issue dictates weather or not its "Sportsman like". Still, other people feel that fish on the bank is the measure of a true "sportsman". I really don't know what a true "sportsman" is. Am I even a "Sportsman"? I asked myself and couldn't decide. I love to fish, and I love to catch fish.... I guess that in the end, that's really all that matters.... That we all have that one thing in common... We all love to fish. Why can't the fact that we all love to fish be enough? Why is it that we have to argue over the methods of harvest some choose to use? Why is it that everyone insists on hanging labels like "Purist" or "meat fisherman"? I don't know. What I do know is that I just returned from fishing the Skokomish and that I fought one big fish after another, and that I really enjoyed it..... And that's enough for me.

I think our definition of sportman is always evolving in ourselfs. As we grow and learn to catch more fish we redefine what we see as ethical and what being a sportman is all about. The guy who catchs all kinds a fish changes techinques to make it more interesting for himself and then see's this as a more fullfilling way to catch fish. I think if you are true to yourself (because most of us know right from wrong) then your doing fine.

Tight lines

Kevin

SRBC

I have always thought that being a sportsman had something to do with engaging in an activity where fair play was the essence of the activity. There is the goal of triumphing over another (either a person, a beast, or a condition) within some set of constraints. The more difficult you make it for yourself in relation to your quarry, competitor, or the elements, the more sportsmanlike, unless those conditions negatively affect your quarry.

Needless destruction or despoiling of your opponent, or ruining the field for other players, is unsportsmanlike.

So, fishing with an artificial lure might be considered as more sportsmanlike than baitfishing, because it's somewhat more constraining to the fisherman. This is not to say that bait fishing is unsporting, just perhaps less so than using artificials. Before you jump on me for that comparison, I do both, but I won't use bait if I plan to release the fish, and I think the fish have a high likelihood of being injured by the use of bait.

Gillnetting and dynamite are not sporting tactics, because the fish has no chance at all. This provides an interesting comparison for discussion. Gillnetting is perfectly ethical, but is unsporting. One might say the same for lining techniques. Legal, possibly even ethical. However, I won't engage in flossing, because it is not sporting enough for me. Please note the last two wrods before you launch flaming missles.

In hunting, shooting penned animals is not sportsmanlike, stalking with a bow is the height of sportmanship, because it gives the animal the most chance.

If you use tools and techniques that are too light, or too destructive to your quarry, then you're out of bounds. This might include using .22 shorts for deer hunting, or 1 lb leader for catch and release steelhead fishing, because too many animals die incidently when such gear is used. Of course, for some people, they may be able to use such tactics in a fair manner - the sportsman will decide for himself what is right.

That's how I look at the question.

To me, a sportsman is a person who hunts or fishes in a manner that is legal, challanging, respectful of the quary, gives the quary a chance at getting away (a very good chance in my case lately), and doesn't hurt the resource as a whole. A great sportsman is one who excels at capturing their quary in the manner above and actually contributes to the improvement of the resource.

A sportsman has:

Reverence for his quarry;
Exercises self-restraint; and
Respect for tradition.

Reverence would include not fishing at all if the run size were small and might not have enough spawners. It doesn't require, but can include conservation measures like habitat improvement or restoration or hatchery supplementation.

Self restraint requires using a sporting method that is less effective and or taking fewer fish than what the law may allow.

It's often easier to respect tradition than to follow it. For example, leader material of drawn gut or horsehair is no longer made, and rods made of bamboo are uncommon or expensive. But we can adopt, follow, and keep alive the higher values associated with the sporting tradition by passing it on to the next generation.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.