Disturbing hero shots

They are cold blooded, right?
And if we really had "respect" for the fish, none of us would be piercing it's mouth with razor sharp hooks, dragging it against its will, playing a fish for our own enjoyment, then taking it out of where it can breathe(at any temp, doesn't matter), then throwing it back in the water and trying to do the same thing again.
I think your reaction is a subjective one and an exaggeration. There are much weightier matters to be up in arms about. This isn't one of them.

http://www.biblegateway.c...A26-28&version=KJV

Troutbum I understand that God gave us dominion over the feesh. I'm simply responding to your complaint about a lack of respect for fish. It's a subjective response. Someone else might use the same passage to say that we shouldn't torture Gods creation because He made it.
In one breath ur complaining that someone has no respect for the fish, and in the next ur using the Bible to give us permission to catch fish.
Contradiction?
I certainly advocate for proper fish handling, but the whole debate is pretty subjective, other than some
obvious gill raking slobs.

Do we know if the fishermen were going to keep their legal limit? If they are going to keep the fish then it doesn't matter.......just saying.  I throw all my fish back as soon as possible. Used to keep a few Salmon in the 80's but for trout its a "flash and a splash".

Clint S
I can say I have been guilty in the past of putting the picture before the fish. Like letting it flop around on the rocks and stuff.     The excitement and adrenaline make you do things.......    I have tried to be better this year.

Clint I think we all go thru a learning curve.
But a guide should know better, if the fish were  indeed out of the water for more than a few seconds.
Again I haven't seen the pics in question so am just commenting in general not this specific case.
Having the camera ready, the sport kneeling and the fish picked up and back in the water quickly goes a long way in protecting the fish.
Ya the hands might get cold putting it back in the water between multiple pics but it is a small price to do the right thing.

is it better to take a hero shot and return it to the river....or slap it on a string?
 

I'll support troutbum on this one.  I was up there in early December and would freak out if my pops had the fish out of the water too long for a pic.  Also made him lose a fish because I didn't want him to bank the chrome.  I was handling the leader, the fish turned and snap there goes the 6 lb test.  I will never live that one down... 
 
I will say this....  I suspect the guide was doing whatever he could to make sure his clients enjoyed themselves.  In early December I was fishing mid-river.  A guideboat drifted off so I shuffled down to fish a seam noticed a 12 lber struggling along the banks.  I could help but think did the guide do this and if he saw this fish struggling why didn't he just keep her.  I tried to revive her but the outcome did not look good. 
 
Its sort of like the discussion on nets versus banking a fish versus a michigan mit versus a wool mit during the winter steelhead season.  It ends up coming down to how can we inflict the least amount of harm and in this particular case do not hold the fish out of the water for extended periods of time especially during the winter season.