Cermele: Would You Keep an Albino Gamefish?

In the world of deer hunting, there is much debate over the shooting of albino bucks. Some hunters view them as rare trophies, while I know others that abide by a Native American legend that says if you shoot an albino, you’ll never shoot another buck again. Though albino bucks are rare, they’re not nearly as rare as large albino gamefish.

Perhaps you don’t see albino fish as often simply because their lack of color means zero camouflage, making it that much easier for birds and bigger fish to pick them out of rivers and oceans at a young age. But every once in a while, I’ll come across a photo like the one above. This albino sailfish was caught just recently off Cabo San Lucas. According to the story in the Los Angeles Times, there was some back-and-forth banter on the boat regarding whether to keep or release it. In the end, angler Matt Dye opted to let the fish go.

I think if I caught such a fish, I’d have to do the same thing. You have to appreciate the fact that the fish grew to adulthood with all odds against it. At the same time, I wouldn’t fault anyone for taking what would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime catch.

Where do you stand? Have you ever caught an albino (and I don’t mean stocked Palomino trout) – JC