SLO Fish Wrapper Fish Tale.

This just in to the San Luis Obispo Tribune: appears a homeless man was caught in the act of preparing a fish for a meal for himself and other vagrants along the banks of the San Luis Obispo Creek. The meal consisted of a loaf of bread, some lemons and a very large trout. A large trout that this homeless man caught for their meal. A large Steelhead Trout.

Steelhead Trout are a federally protected, endangered species. I'm doubtful that this homeless man took that into account when, feeling both peckish and industrious, he dropped his line into the water. In return for such lawlessness, the man was taken into custody and sentenced to 10 days in jail. The trout, already dead, already grilled, was disposed of, uneaten. What you see to the left is all that remained at the scene of this crime.

Now, I'm all for protecting endangered species. But I suspect that - in this day in time - we're going to see enough similar acts of desperation to fill a new novel or two*. What I find sad is the lack of thinking the who incident through. The guy is homeless, so 10 days in the hoosegow is probably a welcome thing for him. Wouldn't it have been better to inform him of his infraction, release him with a sentence of 10 days community service? Sure would have taught him the necessary lesson, lessened the taxpayer burdens and costs that come with incarceration, and provided some necessary service to the community to boot. Way to think it through, guys!

All this reminds me of what a good thing it is that I gave up hunting and eating California Condor. Sure, the sport was fun, but the meat is too gamey. Just like Bald Eagle.
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*And just where is William Faulkner when you need him? Dead. And uneaten. Just like that Steelhead Trout.