Proper Catch and Release Methods

[slack_in_the_box]

I am redirecting a topic from another post so the entire board can benefit from the discussion...

In an effort to protect the animal we all love, to educate myself, and to educate others, I'd like to share a link provided by CalTrout on proper release methods.

It is my hope that we share our thoughts and experience on this topic because without a basic understanding of Trout biology, Catch and Release is pointless - whether the fish swims powerfully away or not.

Can someone provide some background on WHY a trout MUST remain in the water :?:


http://www.caltrout.org/comm/otherpubs/catchandrelease/c_and_r.html


-Rhys

[NorCalFlyGuy]

good start

the best section on how to do it right is in Chp 6 of Ralph Cutter's Sierrra Trout Guide, starting on pg 55


"Improper handling probably kills the majority of trout. This is absolutely inexcusable. Common sense should tell you that laying a fish on dirt or rocks or holding it out of water for several minutes to take a picture is not in it's best interest. Less apparent but just as deadly is lifting a fish out of water during a high wind or when the air temperature is below freezing. Handling a fish with dry hands can cause the protective slime covering to scrape off (wet hands also keeps slime and fish smell down to a minimum).

it goes on for many paragraphs and is worth rereading

I saw a TV show called Fly Fishing Waters or something like that on cable the other night where the host was a local Sacramento guy

the host was floating the Snake I think and literally used dry hands to handle every single fish and hold it up for the camera and held one out for at least a minute while he talked about how beautiful it was! unreal

[jfkowalski]

1. The gills are damaged if the fish is out of the water for more than 45 sec

2. trout have very poor support for their organs. The organs can move around in respone to gravity and can be damaged easily out of the water. If you must lift it out, put one hand under it, in the stomach area, and keep it horizontal.

CF&G used to post this info at Heenan Lake for the big cutthroat

[Rick J]

If you have to revive a fish, it is best to hold it firmly in front of the tail with one hand and cradle it under the belly just behind the head with the other. You should not wrap your thumb aroung the top of the fish with this hand as you may have a tendency to squeeze if it struggles. Rather keep your thumb parallel to your other fingers when cradling the fish.

If you want a photo have the camera guy set up and focus ahead of time then gently lift the fish a few inches above the surface just for the click of the camera keeping the fish paralle to the water.

[NorCalFlyGuy]

a "Catch & Release" net with a shallow bottom works great

you can leave the fish in the water and in the net to take the picture without losing it if it slips out of your hands

it's more humane for the fish

http://www.tackletour.com/images/picbrodinnet3.jpg



even better is to get the picture while the fish is close by and on it's side before you land it


http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic43032.jpg

[ChrisC]

the host was floating the Snake I think and literally used dry hands to handle every single fish and hold it up for the camera and held one out for at least a minute while he talked about how beautiful it was! unreal

I've seen this same guy, I think. He was in Canada catching huge brookies and talking about how important releasing fish is, yet he handled every single one of them with dry hands. I think this is one of the most overlooked important ideas of C&R -- always wet your hands.

[Eyecatch Tinytrout]

Hello, this is my first post at this great message board. Thanks for drawing attention to proper catch and release proceedures. In early August I was fishing a tiny stream near South Lake Tahoe- small enough that the fish don't get much bigger than 8" or 9," when I caught a gorgeous rainbow. It was about as big as they come in that stream so I was pretty excited. In my over eagerness to land such a beautiful fish I got my rod tip stuck in some overhanging trees. I tried to yank the rod free with a downward motion. The rod tip came loose but left the leader threaded through the branches, pulling the tiny trout clear of the water as if on a pulley. No longer having a direct connection with the fish, it was left to flop around wildly on the rocks for several seconds while I tried to grab him. Man! did I feel like a complete dirtbag when I finaly released it, bleeding from it's gills. I watched it struggle in the current for a long time hoping it would swim strongly away, but I knew it was useless. I now am firmly resolved never to let my anxiety over loosing a fish get in the way of good landing and handling proceedure. Thanks again, I'll keep reading for good pointers.

Tinytrout

[Digger]

Can someone provide some background on WHY a trout MUST remain in the water :?:


how about this.... holding a trout out of water is like holding a human under water.

[Rick J]

There is a belief out there that if a fish is bleeding it will not survive. This is not necessarily true. At fish hatcheries they will gill clip small fish to get gill samples and they survive. That being said, it certainly can't be good for them. But my thoughts are that even if a fish that swims away dies, it becomes part of the nutrient food chain. So do your best to revive a fish and hope for the best.

I rarely knowlingly kill a fish (wilderness planted brookies and a very occasional salmon being the exception but if you are going to do it, an injured fish would be the one to keep

[NorCalFlyGuy]

small rainbow.....landed, filmed and released entirely --UNDERWATER-- thanks to a $25 'Catch & Release' net

the net allows you to revive the fish and even fumble with a camera and get the shot ready without any real damage to the fish (it remains under water in the net with his head facing upstream the entire time)

catch & release nets are shallower than normal nets and allow you to lay the fish out horizontally to get the picture



http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic45062.jpg

[Adam Grace]

Holding a fish out of water is like dunking a human's head underwater right after running a marathon. Try to keep the fish in the water as long as possible.

Weting your hands before touching the fish is important when you have to touch the fish. I try to shake the smaller fish off of the hook without touching them. I am guilty of keeping some fish out of the water a little too long for a photo opportunity. I usually try to get the fish off the hook quickly but I do not always remember to wet my hands before touching a fish. I am not the perfect fish handler. I try to remember all of these techniques but they are not yet a part of my habit and instinct.

I hope that I can remember to use all of these great techniques in the future.

[NorCalFlyGuy]

tools of the trade that make landing and releasing fish easy and hopefully painless for you and the fish:

(1) not pictured but just as important are barbless hooks.....countless studies (and my own personal experience) attests that they actually hold better than barbed hooks and are MUCH more humane for the fish...they also allow for quicker releases with less stress on the fisherman because they are easier to remove (cost: free - just use the forceps below to bend down the barb)....the twisting action of the hook during a fight causes barbed hooks to widen the hole area making it easier for the hook to pop out and causes real damage to the fish, especially if big hooks are used (zonker, etc)

(2) 'catch & release' net.....it has a wide, shallow bottom large enough to land just about any size fish, but shallow enough to lay them out on their belly for pictures and to allow the fisherman to easily remove the hook and face their heads up current (cost: about $20-30)

(3) forceps - a must to remove hooks quickly by gripping the bend of the hook...mine are a combo scissor/forceps (cost: $15-20, depending on quality and features).....I almost never use just my hands anymore because forceps get the job done much more quickly

(4) a retractable clip for your vest to keep the forceps handy....mine is a Ketchum Release and it works great, but Orvis and Cabelas and others also carry them. They allow your forceps to clip onto the front of your vest for easy access ($8-20)

all of these make a day on the river pleasant for you and the fish....when I first started out fishing as a kid, I used to dread having to release a fish because it was so hard to get the hook out with my bare hands. With these tools, landing and releasing a fish is not a problem, in fact, it's downright easy, and so is taking pictures when using a 'catch & release' net. I never miss a shot because I feel 'hurried'....I just remove the hook, leave the fish in the net underwater and aimed upstream and get the camera out of my vest and prepare the shot.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic45069.jpg

[SullyTM]

...on a recent outing I caught a nice 12" rainbow, but the fish had my fly a good distance down its throat. Not wanting to cause any serious injury I just cut the tippet as close as possible. Even though it was a barbless hook I didn't want to attempt a "Deep Throat" extraction. Hopefully, the hook will work itself out.

Does Kiene's sell that Catch & Release net? Cost? Thanks Bill. Thom

[Adam Grace]

Thom, yes they do, it's around $20

[slack_in_the_box]

Thanks everyone =D> for adding to and reading this post. I learned a little trick or two from you guys and hope that others found it beneficial too :)

I don't think we can ever do too much to protect our finned friends. :)


Have a great weekend!

Rhys

[Eyecatch Tinytrout]

About the catch and release net, can a similar effect be achieved by tying a knot in the bottom of a regular "deep" net, making it more shallow? Or is there something special in the contours of the C&R net that this will not account for?
Tinytrout

[Digger]

I know this is reviving an old post, but I'm wondering if anyone knows for a fact that the rubberized netting is better for the fish, than the softer mesh that most c & r nets were once made of.
It would seem as if the slime might not cling to rubber as much.
Is there any proven difference?

[jhaquett]

Yea just to add to the strength of taking action shots rather than picking the fish up, I took this one while fighting the fish and it took probably 4 seconds longer than if I hadn't taken the picure. I drop the net in the water as a size indicator, this fish was about 14", a small one where I was fishing (Baum Lake). /Users/JH/Desktop/Baum Lake Rainbow 2 copy.jpg

Shoot I don't know how to put a picture up...nevermind then.

[gryhackl]

Yeah, I'd just like to see a thread on "the proper catch methods."