by God's Little Boy
© MakeshiftDarkroom.com 2013
Posted 1/14/13

A while back, I had decided to perform a pesticide application to our home, to keep the creepy crawlers at bay. The pest control company that we had used a few years earlier was effective, but too costly. This time around, I had decided to do it myself with a commercially available pest control product from the local home center. Before application, I peeled back the label to read the directions. In bold block letters the directions began as follows:

"CAUTION: TOXIC TO FISH! DO NOT INTRODUCE THIS COMPOUND INTO WATER SYSTEMS!"

Within a matter of days the product I had used proved to be an effective killer. It was a very good product. It had a specific purpose and it was very good at doing what it was supposed to do, but it had to be handled carefully, for it was toxic to fish! Should this compound, in any significant amount, find it's way into a water system the results could be disastrous! Fish kills are usually a result of bad water. When fish are sickly or found floating dead, it might mean that there is something else in the water that shouldn't be there. There are so many dangerous and unnecessary agents in use today and it is easy for these other substances to find their way into the water table.

Legalism kills the fish that the gospel catches. It is a compound that is toxic to fish and is, all too often, found in waters where fish feed. Many fish are lost because of it. This is tragic and so unnecessary, but it can be prevented, however, when we are careful with the water. It makes no sense to kill with death the ones who come freely by life.

It is good water quality that makes fish healthy - pure water, and nothing else. Many years ago, I had a favorite fishing spot I would visit frequently. It was a small 300 acre impoundment brimming with fish. In spite of being hammered, every year, with heavy fishing pressure, it consistently produced an abundance of healthy fish. The fish were clean active feeders and I had many great days on the water. I was surprised to learn that there are only three lakes in the United States where striped bass can successfully reproduce, and this particular lake was one of them. The lake was stocked with striped bass by the DNR and a number of years later the biologists were shocked to find that they were reproducing. The reason, they concluded, was related to water quality. You see, that particular lake is a pristine reservoir that has fifteen feeder creeks and other underground springs each delivering a clean and constantly moving supply of water. Every 31 days the entire volume of water in the lake is replaced. The result is a superior environment that provides fish with everything they needed to thrive and to survive every threat that might be thrown at them. Where fish are concerned, water quality is everything. Good water produces healthy fish, but toxic waters are the death of many fish.

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