Hookless Fishing

On October 24, 2005 I posted Confessions of a Reluctant Angler  to the message board at www.pierfishing.com.  In it I admitted that I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with 
fishing just 'for the sport of it'.  Not willing, at that time, to give up fishing all together I indicated 
that I was going to explore other ways of catching fish using a pole and line but no hooks. 

My first success in this new method came on November 1st of that year while fishing at Gaviota using a whole salted anchovy threaded onto the line and tied in a harness about the head.  After the fish swallows the bait any resistance on it's part pulls the line taught and the bait 'bunches up' ... acting as
a soft gorge. 

Between November and the following July I caught several more fish that way including a fairly large (36") shovelnose guitarfish.  But by then I was even begining to have reservations about the gorge as well and eventually I decided to stop fishing all together.

I don't miss fishing as much as I thought I would because the time spent not fishing is being put to good use exploring other interests.