No you're not a curmudgeon. Well, maybe you are but not on this topic. I've never been a big 'keeper of fish' but maybe that's because I really don't like eating fish all that much and am a fun fisher and not a meat fisher. Fresh walleye or whatever, right out of the water is great but once it's been in the freezer I'm not that interested. I've always practiced catch and release on big fish with more than a few comments from people I've been fishing with but it's my fish and I'll do what I want with it. Guess that works both ways. My biggest walleye ever was 10.5 and it went back in the water and I felt good about that. Like you said, there are lots of eater size fish out there so no need to kill the big breeders.

On this note, there has been much talk around town about a 61.5 lb tyee that was taken the other day out of the Tyee Pool (http://www.tyeeclub.org/) which is the biggest fish caught by the Club in 30 years or somesuch. A beautiful fish and kudos to the angler but I must admit to a touch of sadness to see that beautiful fish and all those 'big' genes going to waste. It would have been better in the long run if it had made it up the river to spawn.