Hello once again everyone, Summer already, WOW.
This piece is a follow up from the last article and more in depth look into Catch and Release.
Now… (My disclaimer) I am no expert on this topic and many people have their own methods and
much is written about catch care/release and the internet is swamped with ideas and techniques on
the matter, so what I have done is taken bits and pieces from various freshwater angling experts
then condensed and refined them for our newsletter.
Lee Wulff famously quoted in 1938 that “Gamefish are too valuable to be caught only once”.
Since then, it has taken many decades for Catch and Release to catch on (pardon the pun) but
fisherman have eventually realized that it is one critical way to conserve their fish stocks.
However, releasing a fish that dies due to improper handling is a waste and at the end of your
fishing session all your released fish may have perished unnecessarily.
The best way to release a fish is to not touch it, that means a water release with a soft landing net
and using fish pliers to carefully remove hook – barbless hooks make this technique very effective.
Trout are covered in a slime and have delicate gills and this is why we need to exercise care and a
little bit of urgency if we intend to bring the fish out of the water. If you catch a Trophy or a
memorable size fish and need to photograph, make sure your camera/phone is ready before you
remove the fish from the water. Also if you intend to measure your capture, have your Brag Mat
unfolded and ready. PLEASE NOTE Hands must be wet before handling fish.
Once out of the water cradle your fish gently allowing it to rest on your fingers and palms to
distribute its weight, squeezing the fish too tight is to be avoided as damage to its internal organs
may occur. Get the fish into pose and take photos quickly. Ideally your photo should show water
dripping from the fish.
To release your capture, gently hold the fish facing into the current, this will allow clean oxygenated
water to flow into the fish’s mouth and over its gills. As the fish regains its strength it will struggle to
free itself, this is when to set free. Smaller fish will generally just power away as soon as they touch
water.
The safe release and survival of a fish has many contributing factors such as health of the fish,
length of the fight, water temperature, time out of water, how the fish was handled etc etc. And even
using all the Best Practices we are still not guaranteed a fish will survive.
I don’t want to bore you will any finer details such as mortally rates and the like, this was just a little
bit of a refresher for us all.
Recfishwest and DPRID both have pamphlets available if more information is required, or jump on
the World Wide Web to find out more.
That’s it for me once again, til next time… Bardz
Lee Wulff, born Henry Leon Wulff, was an artist, pilot, fly fisherman, author, filmmaker, outfitter and
conservationist who made significant contributions to recreational fishing, especially fly fishing and the
conservation of Atlantic Salmon.
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