Sailfish Souvenir
Yesterday, the fleet forged back through the St. Lucie Inlet with sailfish release flags flying. The 2011-12 winter continues to serve up the best sailfishing in anyone's living memory, and that is in large part due to the cultural impact of the sailfish release pennant.
Back in the 1930s, early billfish tournament organizers were concerned that tournaments were encouraging anglers to kill sailfish in numbers that the population couldn't take. So, in order to give a released sailfish proper credit and celebration as a catch, early visionaries with the West Palm Beach Fishing Club invented the "red release flag." Since then, the flags are flown high and proud on the way home from a successful day of catch-and-release sailfishing.
These flags also make great souvenirs. Some friends have them framed, and they look great framed under a mount. Modern taxidermy no longer requires killing the fish–you only need the fish's measurements, plus a few pictures. The fiberglass representations last forever.
Artist/Angler David Wirth recently unveiled a new rendition of the traditional flag that depicts an ancient style of circle hook n white against a sharp red background. This flag celebrates a catch underscoring the value of using a circle hook for the sake of a safe release. Circle hooks almost always catch in the corner of a fish's mouth without harming internal organs.
If you're planning a sailfish trip this winter or next, or luck into sails during the spring and summer months, these are great ways to memorialize your catch.

