With more fish being caught now, and a lot being released, our On-The-Water fly fishing reporter Jason has some essential tips.
Jason: With catch and release fishing increasing in popularity, it’s important for newer anglers to be aware of the importance of proper fish handling. I’ve put together a list of tips to ensure the fish you release survives to be caught again:
1) Try to avoid sticking your fingers under the fish’s gill plate. This can damage the delicate gills, causing the fish to bleed. A bleeding fish will often end up a dead fish.
2) Try not to hold the fish out of water for more than 15 seconds at a time. One study showed that a fish held out of water for more than 15 seconds is up to 600% more likely to not survive.
3) Keep ’em wet! Handle the fish with wet hands, if possible, and try not remove too much of its protective slime.
4) Revive the fish by facing it into the current or pushing it in a circle. Pushing the fish back and forth, contrary to what you may see on TV, is actually not good for the fish as its gills only work in one direction.
5) If possible, fish barbless! A barbless hook does less damage to the mouth of a fish, and is safer for you, too! I personally pinch or file down all my barbs before I even begin tying a fly. When people ask why I fish barbless, I joke that it’s as much for me as it is for the fish! I’ve been fishing barbless flies exclusively since 2017, and I can count on one hand how many bones have spit a barbless fly running at me.
6) Try to release the fish in an area free of predators. This is obviously not always possible, but we try our best. For instance, if I land a fish in an area where I earlier saw a shark, I will to wade to an area further down the flat to release it. Ensuring the fish is fully revived before the release will also help, as a tired, slow-moving fish is easy pickings for a shark or large barracuda.
7) This last one is going to be controversial since it’s pretty widely practiced by both fly fisherman and conventional fishers alike, and in many cases is done to obtain a weight of the fish. Try to avoid “lipping” the fish and suspending it vertically. If you do, try not to hold it in this position for too long as it can damage the fish’s jaws and put strain on its spine and organs. Anyway, if rule 2 above is followed you should be ok.
Some of the above may seem excessive, or even downright silly. As a beginning fly angler and catch and release practitioner, I committed many of these myself. But remember, if it’s worth releasing a fish, it’s worth doing so in a way which maximizes its chances of survival. Otherwise, you are better off harvesting it (if it’s legal, of course) and making some delicious lomi oio or fried papio! Thanks for reading, and happy fishing (and releasing)!