If you’re like most fly anglers, you’re going to release most of the fish that you catch.
Because you want to preserve healthy fisheries, and because it’s the right thing to do, you want your released fish to survive, and thrive, and get bigger, and make babies.
Here are 7 ways you can treat your fish better, no matter where you’re fishing, or what you’re fishing for. Thanks for being a responsible angler!
7 Ways to Treat Your Fish Better
- Use barbless hooks. Yes, barbless hooks do less damage to your fish’s face upon removal – but more importantly, barbless hooks make it much easier to release your fish quickly and with minimal handling.
- Minimize ‘air time’. We all want hero shots – we get it. You’re not taking the fish home in your cooler and you want a way to preserve the memory. Keep the fish in the water until your photographer is ready. Once she’s got the camera ready and taken the practice shot, lift the fish from the water, smile real pretty, get the pic, and get that fish back in the water. If you must do it again, do it again – but minimize the time that the fish is out of the water.
- Fight him hard. Apply as much pressure as you can. Get the fish to hand as quickly as possible. Long battles mean exhausted fish, and exhausted fish die more. Fight hard and fast and get that fish back on its way.
- Stay away from the rocks. Fish flopping around in the rocks can do serious damage to their own skulls – they’re just not built for that. Find a spot to land the fish with as few sharp, hard objects as possible. Sandy beaches are perfect! If you’re in a run that’s totally lined with rocky shorelines, keep the fish in deeper water and do not swim him up onto the rocky bank. You can land any fish that you need to land in a foot of water.
- Keep your fingers out of the gills. In normal life, a fish’s gill plates protect its very delicate gills. Once he’s been tired out to the point that you can grab him, he’s very vulnerable. Please, please don’t reach up under his gill plates for the grip and grin – that’s a really nice handle but it’s also often a death sentence.
- Use appropriate gear. “I landed a 25 pound king salmon on my 6 weight with 6 pound tippet! It took 45 minutes!” We’re not at all impressed by that. That fish was so exhausted that it probably couldn’t even hold itself in the current on release. Use the heaviest gear that’s practical so you can minimize fight times – see #3 above.
- Watch for predators. This one is particularly relevant in saltwater. Any fish that’s been landed is stressed out and not at the top of its game. Make sure that you don’t release a fish right into the wheelhouse of a hungry shark or barracuda. Here’s a great tip courtesy of our friends and Bonefish and Tarpon Trust – if you’re near some flooded mangroves, release your fish there. That’s a great spot for him to find a place to hide while he rests up. In fresh water, just look for cover.
Thanks again for being a responsible angler!
A good start on angler education! Now let’s show steelheaders in particular the beautiful shots that can be had while the fish is still in the water and not being held in a vice grip around its vulnerable organs. Also, comments about using wet hands, not gloves; and releasing properly in the current. Thanks.
Thanks for a good article that will help many release their catch and increase the survival rate.
May I also add and share this:
adding to No. 2
wet your hands before touching the fish esp in some freshwater species where the heat from one’s hand can affect the fish and also dry hands remove the protective slime coating on the fish which could allow parasites to penetrate into the fish skin and infect the fish.
also, may be good to remind people to hold the fish horizontally and not like most hanging form the head – vertically as gravity does cause some damage on the organs within. Here the b grips may be good for holding on to big fish like tarpon etc but sadly and over-kill for smaller fish… a soft mesh ‘fish-friendly’ net will be better.
and lastly, don’t just let the fish go when exhausted but hold and move back and fore to help the fish regain energy and then when one can feel the fish ‘push’ to move the fish can be release…increasing its survival rate..exhausted fish when release sinks and turn upside down and they ‘drown’.
lastly, with No. 7
when I see a shark or cuda or a seal near or approaching my fish its better to try break it off so that the fish could get a way before being preyed upon.
Hope these thoughts could help others..
TY
Tightlines..
Mike ‘SaltyBones’
I really like these tips. I edit a newsletter for the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association and I was wondering if I could reprint these in our Tightlines newsletter sometime?
Thanks for your consideration!
Sam,
Absolutely, feel free to reprint. Thanks for helping anglers treat fish better!
Andrew
Great tips for being a good steward to the fish we all love to chase. I’ve seen countless videos of fellow fly fishermen, use barbless hooks, cast well, fight the fish, and then drag the fish up on the rocky bank. Then the struggling fish proceeds to flop and bang itself around on the rocks. I’m certain the mortality rate of these fish is significant. We can all do better than this with such a precious resource. I’m asking my local flyshop to put a link on their blog to remind us all of the importance of this.
Thanks again…
I suggest the grip on the fish in the photo above is sqeezing it’s heart and most probably condemning it to death. http://www.bishfish.co.nz/articles/fresh/grip-and-kill.htm