Catch and Release Me From Your Ignorance...the obligatory rant.

Does anyone else feel like they're trying to explain calculus to a tadpole when trying to clarify why they release their fish?  I've tried the flower analogy (if you pick a flower, it ceases to be what you loved). I've tried explaining that “trout are sensitive creatures and we’re not exactly kind to the environment and I’d like it if there were still trout for my kids and grand kids to appreciate”.  I've tried just saying that it is a way to get out of the house and experience nature.  I think I've tried everything, and the best response I can get is a blank stare, maybe a smug laugh.     

I wonder what they'd think if they saw me nursing the fish back into the water, talking to it, cradling it so as not to squeeze too hard, and not letting go until I'm absolutely sure it's going to swim away... just as healthy as when it was fooled by my fly and we were both just as startled to our sudden connection, me graced by the fish's presence, him fighting for dear life.

what I would like to say:  “I don’t ask you to explain to me the appeal of spending 20 hours a week watching millionaires chase a ball, throw a ball, shoot a ball, or kick a ball.  Don’t ask me why I bother fishing  if I ‘don’t even keep the fish.’  Enjoy your perfectly maintained lawn and reality shows.”

I digress.  I know that sounded a little bitchy, maybe childish, and I suppose in the grand scheme of things it's not that big of a deal, just a blip on the radar. It's not mandatory that everyone understand as long as I do and as long as someone else out there does.