Liars Beware: Texas Law Will Make Fish Tales a Crime

May 12, 2011 By: Marshall Cutchin

A bill that just passed the Texas senate by unanimous vote will impose strong penalties on anglers who lie to win tournaments — but will let the average prevaricator off the hook.  As Erica Goode writes in The New York Times, hard times and growing prize money have tempted tournament fishers to do whatever it takes to win, and state legislators have had enough.

Fortunately, as Fort Worth fly-fishing equipment salesman Stephen Woodcock pointed out, fly fishers are mostly immune to lying (perhaps he’s never spent much time at the bar with tarpon anglers).