Tips On Handling Fish

beer enigma

There seems to be firece debate in the 'Your Catches' section on the correct way of handling fish, including some requests from people wanting to learn. I'm going to start a sticky here for people to contribute to from their various areas of ....ahem 'expertise'

coolwings

Two necessary tackle items:
7" - 10" stainless self locking steel artery forceps, (cheap bendy ones are useless and don't grip the hook tight enough)
1 x leather gardening glove for your less dominant hand, eg left hand glove if you are right handed, so the forceps is in the right, and the pike held chinned with the glove is in the left hand.


How to do it, links with illustrations:

http://www.pacgb.co.uk/tips/unhooking.html

http://www.shellangling.com/pdfs/Pike%20Care%20and%20Handling.pdf

If the pike were to be placed on a rocky or gravel bankside, or in a hard timber or fibreglass boat, it's scales will stick to the dry surfaces and be dislodged, protective slime will be removed leaving the fish open to infection.
Allowing any fish to jump about on the bank is bad for the fish, so some way of restraining is beneficial. Some mats have a tail pocket to stop such jumping about.
Because of this many anglers will say an unhooking mat is necessary.
It is optional and desirable, but might not be necessary.
Let me explain that:
A pike that is "chinned" does not jump, it lays still with it's mouth open, and is easily unhooked. This is different from other species like carp, and is the main reason why chinning is so desirable a skill for pike anglers.
If a pike is placed on grass that is pre-wetted with rain, or some water, that is almost as good as a wetted mat, and better than a dry mat. So an unhooking mat is a better way, but some places are ok for unhooking without one.
Another circumstance where an unhooking mat is unnecessary, is when unhooking the fish without removing it from the water. Chin, lift head up so only the head and part of shoulder leaves the water unhook, lay down into the water, slide gloved hand out to release.
Many experienced pike anglers use the just used knotless landing net mesh as a wet mat, lifting the pike from the net, lowering the net to the ground, then carefully placing the fish on a doubled layer of wet mesh to unhook.

stevoman

what advice would be best for unhooking and handling trout?

Auldloon

Unhooking and handling trout.

Use barbless hooks or if you buy your flys or whatever then flatten the barb with a pliers. I wear a scissors/pliers combo on my fishing jacket so its always there when I need it. Barbless will not cause you to loose trout, I rarely loose any and fish barbless all the time.

Handle the fish as little as possible, ideally you should be able to grab the hook with your fingers and remove it without touching the fish at all. This will become quiet easy with a bit of practise.
If you must handle the fish wet your hands before touching, avoid squeezing and get it back in the water asap.

When you return the fish support it gently with your hands until it starts to recover, it should then swim off of its own accord.

If you find the fish is deeply hooked then laying them on their back can help stop them wriggling about so much. A forceps or disgorger tool can be usefull.
If the hook is so deep that you have no hope of removing it without damaging the fish then snip the nylon and release the fish quickly as described above. I have read of many cases where fish have been caught with old hooks inside their mouths so they can survive.
With all this talk of fish I think its time to go fishing:)

b.w.ollie

I'd like to agree with your use of barbless hooks,I debarb all my hooks before tying.(if I can't get them in barbless.) you can get a small 'debarbing' pliers
that is made for the job.keep one in the jacket and another with your flytying tools. I find with barbless hooks too that sometimes if you have a small trout on you can throw a bit of slack on the line and he'll wrigle free. saves having to handle the fish at all.another advantage of barbless hooks is if you happen to hook Yourself, they come out easier,(both clothing and skin.) I find too that holding trout (with wet hands) belly up seems to calm them.

stevecrow74

unhooking fish quick and easy

for those who go sea fishing...

but i'm sure it could be used for fresh water fish too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3Z0P9uOs4

b.w.ollie

seems a bit brutal but if it saves the fish? I find that with trout putting anything in their gill covers/ gills, causes them to trash about so it must distress them . You will find that fish caught on the fly are very,very, rarely hooked deep. most are caught in the fork of the mouth.or usually in dry fly in the upper lip, so a deft pair of fingers is the only tool needed (and BARBLESS hooks) you should always have a Foreceps handy on your jacket just in case. that said the method used in the vid clip was very interesting .thanks.