Feeling sorry for a fish...

[id. painter]

I have ask ask many questions on this board and had a good time in the process of getting advice.
I havent told many too many tall ones. Here is the story of my first and only Sturgeon.
It was about 10 or 12 years ago. I was working near Trout Lake Wash, in August, and was fishing the mouth of the White Salmon river for steelhead. It was almost dark and i switched from a spinner to a spin-glow with a sand shrimp. The old timer fishing next to me on the bench started to laugh as soon as he saw what i had on(spin glow/shrimp)"your gonna get a sturgeon and get spooled" he laughed.Well,it took about 20 minutes and sure enough i hooked a Sturg.
I was running 15lb test and only had about 200 yards on my reel. That fish made a very nice run and even a good jump. As i saw my spool running out of line i put the clamp on him and stopped the spool with my thumb. To my suprise it worked, the fish started to come back toward me. I ended up landing him 49 1/2" a KEEPER. We netted the fish and a youngster who was watching instantly started to bash this fish on the head with a big wooden wacker. I mean he pounded on this fish. I put it on a rope and threw it back in and fastened it to the bench. I fished till about 2:00 A.M. , pulled the fish out o fthe water , threw it in the back of my truck and drove to Trout Lake(about 24 miles) When i reached our camp , I took Mr. Sturg. and threw him in a small creek and tied him to a bush.
The next morning when i went to get him he was all spooky. I actually had to fight him again to get him out of the creek.
I again threw him in the back of my truck and drove him back to the bench and river where i had caught him the night before. I had never cleaned one and didnt know how to start. I had never tasted one and had no real desire at that moment. I actually started to feel sorry for him. By now we were almost friends.
As i walked him back to the river, a fisherman saw what i had and what i was going to do(release him) and started to offer me $ for him. I politely declined his $ and proceeded to let him go. Ill never forget the look on that guys face , he was actually ****** at me for not killing that fish. id. p.