Can a Buddhist be a fisherman?

I pondered this question as I visited Mays Lake with my brand new fishing rod and reel (Abu Garcia 2500), a birthday gift. As long as you don't catch anything, sure, no problem-- but what about catch and release? Well, sure, why not, as long as the fish is not harmed. Because I am not a skilled fisherman whose interest in the activity has been recently rekindled after a 35 year hiatus, I can say that my Karma is as yet in tact-- no fish caught, killed or thrown back. Even so, I bought some Canadian Night crawlers and as I threaded one of them onto the hook, it was evident that the poor worm did not like this-- it noticeably flinched when I poked it. Ryder seems not to be in the least concerned with this, happy to skewer worms onto hooks, and anxious to catch fish to eat. I tell him its called fishing, not catching and the whole idea is to thrown in your line and watch the bobber, reel it in, cast again.... the Zen of it all. Zen-- there you go, it is a very meditative activity. But to purposefully take the life of another living being is strictly against the Buddha's Dharma. So, if I pursue this as a hobby to foster this interaction with my son, then does that mean I can not be a Buddhist? Only if I start catching fish then eating them, eh? So far there appears to be no danger of that happening! Much to Ryder's constranation. He expected that we would cast and catch. The whole concept of "fishing" is beyond him. My NIH grant was panned once with the damning criticism-- it was a fishing expedition. Perhaps to hasten my fall from grace and to encourage Ryder's interest, we should visit a stocked pond where he can cast and catch. If I were to just watch, and help him clean and eat the fish, would I not still be in state of grace? No, too late for that. I killed a giant cockroach in lab today.