How to Release Fish Properly
5 Rules for Safely Releasing Fish with the
Maximum Chances of Survival
Rule 1: Speed Does Not Kill
The faster you can get a fish to the boat or shore the better its chances of survival. The longer the fight the less chance the fish has of surviving.
It is likely that the survival rates decrease exponentially as fight time increases. That is as fight-time goes up, survival chances decrease at an ever increasing rate. If you fish on a catch-and-release basis you should use gear that will minimise the fight time.
Rule 2: Get Wet
Lifting a fish out of the water, decreases its survival chances. The longer a fish is out of the water its chances of survival decrease exponentially. Try and remove the hook while the fish is in the water.
If it is not possible to remove the hook while the fish is still in the water use a landing-net with wide mesh, and a mesh made out of soft material. Rough, hard netting will remove slime and scales from the fish, which is its natural protection against parasites and infection.
On bigger saltwater fish, it may be necessary to use a gaff. If so, try and gaff the fish from inside the mouth and out the lower jaw. Lay the fish on a wet towel or cloth while the hook is removed - covering the fish's eyes often helps to calm it down.
If you must touch the fish make sure your hands are wet or use a wet cloth or wet gloves between you and the fish. Make sure that at no time are the fish's gills touched, they are extremely delicate and just touching them can damage them.
Rule 3: Unhook Quickly
The longer you take over hook removal, the less the chances of the fishes survival. The less care you take over removing the hook, the less chance of the fish surviving.
Use a pair of forceps, long-nosed pliers, or a purpose made hook-out to quickly and efficiently remove the hook. If the fish is deeply hooked back in the throat or stomach cut the line as close to the hook as possible and leave the hook in the fish - it will probably do more damage trying to remove a deep hook than leaving it where it is.
Barbless hooks are also much easier to remove and do far less damage. You can flatten a barb with parallel jawed pliers.
Avoid using treble or double hooks - these can really damage a fish, and can be very hard to remove.
If you are saltwater fishing try using circle hooks, which hook up most often in the corner of the jaw, and are much easier to remove.
Rule 4: No Throwing
Throwing a fish back into the water is likely to greatly decrease the fish's chances of survival. The major problem with tossing a fish back into the water is that the fish will go into shock, and float belly-up. In the sea this is an open invitation to predators. In a river the current will take the fish downstream and away from any chance of reviving it.
It is always better to hold the fish in the water, until it moves off of its own accord. In a boat have the boat move slowly ahead while the fish is held, in a river hold the fish into the current. In both situations the fish will indicate it is OK by swimming out of your hands.
Rule 5: Avoid Photo Folly
If you must take a photo do it very quickly - remember every second the fish is out of water is reducing the chances of its survival.
Make sure the 'happy angler' has wet hands and holds the fish just in front of the tail and under the gill latch - never, ever, not even once, put a hand under the gill covers. Do not hold a hand under the stomach area, this will damage internal organs.
Don't pose and shoot - taking one shot, then reposing the shot and taking another, and so on will add to the time the fish is out of the water. Instead, just get the photographer to fire off a rapid series of ten or twelve shots in very quick succession - this is what the professionals do, and it is the reason they get better shots.
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Topic: How to Release Fish Properly (Read 1621 times)
