Rules of handling fish: KEEP YOUR HAND OUT OF THE GILLS - This is huge! I see this in pictures, by the river…please don’t! Do not put your fingers inside of the gills or the gill plate. This is a very sensitive area and even though it’s an “easy” area to grab, it WILL kill a wild fish after release very quickly. This would be like someone picking you up by the lung – not fun. Only do this to fish you mean to kill. A fish for release should never have anything inside of it’s gills. Also take care that mud, sand or any other material does not wash into the gills. Hold that tail! Hold your fish horizontally, distributing their weight evenly between your hands (both hands!) You can apply a lot of pressure right above the tail without harming the fish, this should be where you hold the fish most firmly. Place your other hand along the underside of the fish (keeping hands out of gills) holding it firmly. Note the picture above for proper hand placement. Don’t hold a fish vertically in either direction.Keep it in the water – Getting a picture is great. I love to get photos of native Steelhead, however, do not compromise fish safety for a picture. Wear waders or get your feet a little wet and make sure that fish stays in the water for the majority of the time. If you lift them out of the water for a quick picture return them to the water immediately after. There have been many times where a good picture is just not feasible (a difficult, rocky bank or fishing alone) – in those cases, release the fish and put your camera away. You will have that memory forever and we’ll believe your story! In my opinion it’s more important to feel and enjoy the release of a wild fish than get a picture.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 01:17:37 +0000
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