Sorry end to a great last day fishing

[Double_A_Ron]

Today my girlfriend and I went fishing to Touchwood lake near Lac La Biche, was a bit slow but managed to catch one keeper jack fish of 73cm. When we finished loading the boat we decided to clean the fish at the cleaning station in the camp ground. Upon finishing cleaning the fish a parks officer came and measured the skeleton of the fish confirming it was legal size and checked our licenses, then we headed for our truck to head home.

This is where the day went south.

Once we got to our truck and were just about ready to leave, the parks officer ran over from the cleaning station and asked where we were going, I honestly told him we were heading back to town. He then goes on to explain that it is against the regulations to clean a fish at anywhere but your primary residence and then transport it. I then asked how is that against regulation when he had already measured and confirmed my fish's species and size. He then asked me for my drivers license and explained he would go to his truck and see what his options were, taking the fillets of the jack with him. He then proceeded to measure and confiscate the fillets (writing me a receipt) and a ticket for $172 for "Posses game fish other than at permanent residence so that species cannot be readily identified".

Now, I'm not a poacher, I wasn't trying to hide anything, was open and honest with the officer the entire time, and to my credit I wasn't going to completely clean the fish until the officer showed up at the cleaning station.

The biggest shame is that the fish is now going to go to waste, which is what the parks and fish/game officers should be concerned with. The fish's life is lost but the parks officer got $172 and a ticket dispensed on his record. Good job officer Jordan Baier no.7377 you made a big difference today. It may be in the regulations not to clean and transport a fish, but when the fish has been confirmed legal prior to transport how is that an offense....