As a person who spends a fair amount of time writing and tinkering with headlines, I recognize that it’s easy for those introductory words to take on a life of their own and express a meaning that isn’t really conveyed in the story itself.

That’s the case here, I fear, as the corresponding blog post is not nearly as rigorous in the headline’s apparent anti-catch-and-release sentiment. I’d rather the headline said something like this: “Fisheries biologists encourage anglers to harvest their catch on some waters.”

Why does that matter? Well, having spent a good deal of time studying the online behavior of our own readers, I can tell you that often would-be readers only spend 25 seconds or so on a story. Therefore, their entire understanding of that story is derived from the headline, and what the accompanying photo shows them.