Catch and Release Techniques / Do's and Don'ts

[Bernard]

I cut the shanks off my flies. It's all about the take. Zero mess.

Kind of like being in a relationship and flirting with all the girls in the office. So much so that you know you could, but obviously you don't pull the trigger. Sporting life, gentlemen.

Now wait a minute!

[Sasha]

I cut the shanks off my flies. It's all about the take. Zero mess.

Kind of like being in a relationship and flirting with all the girls in the office. So much so that you know you could, but obviously you don't pull the trigger. Sporting life, gentlemen.

[Jeff Ike]

Agreed Jimbo, clarification to my reference of back and forth is for those fish that have totally been through the ringer and ran the marathon, little current, something that happens rarely if you can retrieve the fish quickly.
Thanks for the correction. Most fish should not need more than a few seconds,,,

[briansII]

Some really great information so far. I'm having trouble finding something useful to add.

Another thing I see often is when anglers are trying to resuscitate their Trout. If there is any current at all, you do not need to move the fish back and forth in the water. Just point the fish up into the current, he will breathe just fine without the back and forth movement. You can often leave them on their own in the net to do this. In fact I have heard that moving a fish backwards in the water does more harm than you might think. Gills are designed and have evolved with water flowing just one way past them, from their mouths and out their gill slits. The backward motion tends to fold the delicate individual gill structures forward towards their mouths which they are not designed to do. Now if there is no current like in lakes, again first try just holding the fish in the water, if they are still turning belly up after 30 seconds or so then I will hold the trout upright and I will spin myself in a circle so the water is again passing from the mouth and out the gill slit. If the circle movement is not possible, I will use the back and forth movement as a last resort.

Jimbo

This is worth repeating. Moving the fish back and forth really does not help. You see this quite a bit, but it is not the correct way to revive a fish. The gill structure is meant for water to flow front to back, or in the mouth, and out the gill plates. Having water forced the opposite direction might hinder the fish's recovery, and possibly damage it's gills. When fishing lakes, I have towed fish around in my float tube to revive them. I've also led fish in circles, or back and forth along the back. 99% of the fish that I had trouble reviving were large fish, that took extra time to land. Lactic acid is a silent killer. That big fish that slides back into the deep, may never recover.

briansII

[flocktothewall]

So wait... your telling me I shouldn't be using a dry terry cloth towel to hold the fish and my leather man to dig the hook out of its gullet?

My process has always been to flop the fish on the ground, cover it in dirt, that way its not so slimy, then I grab it with a shop towel, and squeeze it as hard as I can so it doesn't slip out of my hands, and then I get my hook back. I just toss the fish back... if it wasn't meant to survive it wont.

[fly addict]

So wait... your telling me I shouldn't be using a dry terry cloth towel to hold the fish and my leather man to dig the hook out of its gullet?

My process has always been to flop the fish on the ground, cover it in dirt, that way its not so slimy, then I grab it with a shop towel, and squeeze it as hard as I can so it doesn't slip out of my hands, and then I get my hook back. I just toss the fish back... if it wasn't meant to survive it wont.

Here is a suggestion to make it a lot easier than what you are doing. To calm a fish down and get your fly back quickly just hit the fish over the head with your net or wading staff until it stops wiggling. After that it is real easy to retrieve your fly.

[DrCreek]

So wait... your telling me I shouldn't be using a dry terry cloth towel to hold the fish and my leather man to dig the hook out of its gullet?

My process has always been to flop the fish on the ground, cover it in dirt, that way its not so slimy, then I grab it with a shop towel, and squeeze it as hard as I can so it doesn't slip out of my hands, and then I get my hook back. I just toss the fish back... if it wasn't meant to survive it wont.

Here is a suggestion to make it a lot easier than what you are doing. To calm a fish down and get your fly back quickly just hit the fish over the head with your net or wading staff until it stops wiggling. After that it is real easy to retrieve your fly.

It's my understanding that whacking him first also makes it easier to take pictures !

[darrin terry]

So wait... your telling me I shouldn't be using a dry terry cloth towel to hold the fish and my leather man to dig the hook out of its gullet?

My process has always been to flop the fish on the ground, cover it in dirt, that way its not so slimy, then I grab it with a shop towel, and squeeze it as hard as I can so it doesn't slip out of my hands, and then I get my hook back. I just toss the fish back... if it wasn't meant to survive it wont.

Here is a suggestion to make it a lot easier than what you are doing. To calm a fish down and get your fly back quickly just hit the fish over the head with your net or wading staff until it stops wiggling. After that it is real easy to retrieve your fly.

Actually Mark, they make a tool for this. They call it a priest. As in last rights.

Priest

[briansII]

My process has always been to flop the fish on the ground, cover it in dirt, that way its not so slimy, then I grab it with a shop towel, and squeeze it as hard as I can so it doesn't slip out of my hands, and then I get my hook back. I just toss the fish back... if it wasn't meant to survive it wont.

You mean like this?



I can see where that would make them much easier to hold on to.

I think this whole deal is a waste of time. Fly fishermen...and women, know how to C&R trout. It just comes natural when you pick up a fly rod.









Need anymore proof?

briansII

[flocktothewall]

I like that idea, I think I will just whack em with my net. Someone said that Greg's nets come in handy... then I'll throw em back!

[DrCreek]

GREAT stuff !! Keep them coming if you've got 'em. I'm getting the base of the manuscript finished faster than I thought.

BUMP

[tyflier]

I think this deserves mentioning again, as it is important, but often forgotten, and kind of buried in this topic...

Your rod tip is meant to be supple and sensitive. It is not designed to fight fish. That's what the butt of the rod is for. Holding the rod grip at roughly shoulder height and lowering the angle in front of you puts all the pressure in the butt of the rod where it is stiffest. It allows the forward sections of your rod to absorb the activity of the fish without reducing the amount of pressure on the hook which allows you to land the fish faster.

It also greatly reduces the risk of snapping a tip off should you get into a monster using light gear...

[DrCreek]

Good one, Chris... very, very true.

[RiverRat]

Land fish quickly by not giving the fish an advantage by reeling in your line right after the the hook set.

Get control of the fish, show him who's boss, then reel in slack line.

The best drag in the world is a finger and reels are oversold but they sure sound and look pretty


shane

[BobK]

I only use a net when in a boat or tube and it has rubber netting. I hate to see people using 2,3, or 4wt outfits when fishing large fish in the spawn (Pyramid lake) or highly energetic fish when the water is in the 70's.(Crowley/Bridgeport) 5/10 min. on a Trout is a dead fish in those conditions.My opinion. I used to use a Ketchum release but broke to many of them at $20 a pop. I go barbless on all freshwater species and most Saltwater, but not Tarpon. Wet hands are a must and fish only come out of the water if I cant reach them in the water. (not very often)
Pet pieve.....Using to light of an outfit for the size of fish targeted. I know that some here probably don't agree with all of this but oh well....BobK