What was the name of that fishing show?

[Garry2rs]

This scandal is very old news.
As I recall, those two were shooting a show and thought they had special permission to do their filming in the week before the Bass season actually opened. This was to get footage without a lot of other boats on the water etc.

Unfortunately, there was a breakdown in communication and they got busted. When the story broke, it was no big deal. The stars admitted their wrong-doing, explained it was a misunderstanding, apologized and were ready to pay their fine. However by the time it was all finished, there were all kinds of accusations and revelations by helpers and cameramen etc. about other misdeeds.

Whether they were the first or last TV show to ever land the same fish twice to get something on film, or so that they could re-shoot with a better background etc. I don't know...Is it cheating? Sure it is but it's also show business, not reality.

IMO, the truth was that other people in the outdoor writing and TV industry, in Canada, were jealous of the rapid success that Henry and Italo had attained. Things went from Zero to Sixty when their contemporaneous insisted that the "Book be Thrown at Them."

Henry had been a star in the CFL (Canadian Football League.)
At or just before retirement, he had joined forces with Italo and they had taken "Just another 30 minute TV fishing show" and parlayed it into a huge operation that included a slick paged magazine with color pictures and a Travel Agency that booked fishing trips all over the world. This at a time when the only other sports magazines in Canada were printed on newsprint!

As far as incidental catches of out of season fish are concerned, the rules are fairly simply. Season openings are staggered to protect spawning fish. Where the species are heavily pressured, some lakes are closed to all fishing until Lake Trout or Walleye have finished spawning. Where the lake is open for panfish and Pike in May for instance, it's common to accidentally catch Small-mouth Bass while fishing shoals or Large mouth in shallow bays. So long as you aren't targeting Bass no problem, but you must return the fish to the water ASAP...no pictures etc. Is it hard to enforce, yes, but it's Canada ...people expect you to play by the rules.

Like the northern mid-west and northeastern States, fish in Canada have a very short growing season. These trophy lake that were mentioned tend to way-way up north where the only access is from fly-in camps. If you want to fish there, you know the rules before you put your money down.