"Life and Fishing"

Over the years, and especially recent years, I have noticed some questionable fish handling on some of the rivers I fish. Although I am sure it happens during salmon season, my particular focus for this question is on handling steelhead that will be released.

Recently I witnessed an angler taking photo's of a wild steelhead, which in itself is not bad, except the fish in question was out of the water, lying on its side on the bank in the grass...! Once the photo's were completed the fish was returned to the water and released...

I'm not really bringing up this topic for a debate, but make of it what you will, here's the question...

How often do you post reports on your fishing outings, and how important is it for you to have a picture of your fish for said reports Does the purpose of placing a report on the net, or collecting pics for the memory banks warrant mistreating steelhead that are going to be released?

Now I know I have more than my fair share of posts...and I do post pics of fish from time to time, but in the grand scheme of things, I really only post reports and pictures on a small portion of the fish I catch, and make it a point to put the well being of a fish first and my camera second. I would never, ever lay a wild steelhead on the beach for a photo op...even a hatchery fish if to be released would not be treated in this manner. My concern is how sites like ours might breed a need to post reports and pictures of conquests, at the expense of the fish...I feel that above all else, as anglers we need to take some responsibility for how we treat our fish.

If I have a picture of a wild steelhead, it is in the water. If I have a pic of one that is not being handled well, it was before I changed my thinking on the subject, and I carry guilt as a result. Now, I rarely even lift a fish out of the water more than a few inches, and even then I make sure it is at the very least suspended over the water if indeed it does wriggle out of my grasp. There is plenty of opportunity for pictures to be taken by a friend while I revive a fish, and if no friend is present, no pics are taken that might compromise the fish in any way... Handling a fish in this manner allows it the greatest chance of survival. It prevents any mishaps, like the fish suddenly writhing like mad to escape and falling out of an anglers hands onto the rocks possibly injuring the fish. It keeps the protective slime intact, which protects the fish from infection, etc during the most crucial time in its life cycle. As they migrate their energy stores are not the same as when they are in the ocean, these stores are limited. When a fish is handled poorly during this crucial time, it is much more susceptible to injuries and infection. A wild fish lying on the bank has a very good chance of getting an infection after it has been released, particulate can enter the gill area, eyes and fins can be damaged, a fish's air bladder is not designed to be out of the water, how much exposure to the non buoyant environ of land can a fish withstand...? Who knows what other injuries a fish might sustain...

I guess my point is I think sometimes anglers can lose track of, or not consider, the impacts our handling a fish can have on its well being...

Posting a pic or two on the net for a report, should not replace the fish's health on the priority list. It worries me to think that some fish may be handled poorly just for the sole purposes of a pic or two. I hope that everyone reading this post will consider the impact they have on a fish when landing it, and have the sensibility to keep all fish that are to be released in the water!!!!!!!!!! Have your fishing partner take a picture for you as you tend to the fish...often you can get 2 or 3 great "in the water" shots while reviving a fish...and then it takes off safe and sound...

For example, this little wild doe never left the water, except for the two mighty leaps it made during the fight...and I was able to get a friend to take 3 quick pics while I revived the fish, all the while it went through minimal stress and was handled as little as possible...many times in the past nobody has been around to take pics and I simply released the fish, no pictures! Did I miss out on something because I didn't get a picture? NO. It didn't detract from my day whatsoever...in fact it made it better...


Please!!!!!!!!!! Try to minimize the contact you have with them, and if you do feel the need to take various different shots and poses, please do so, but do so responsibly and with a semblance of consideration and thought. Take such pics only with a hatchery fish that you have bonked!

There is no pride in handling a fish poorly just for a few pictures...Having the presence of mind to forgo a picture for the sake of the fish's well being is what really deserves respect, not posting a report and showing off what you caught...I'm sure many internet fishermen enjoy the recognition and praise that comes with a great catch...this is just fine, but the true measure of an angler's character, and what really gets my respect, is when an angler can ignore the temptation to overhandle or misshandle a fish for the sake of a picture, and opts to responsibly handle a fish instead...

Sorry for the rant, it had to be said...

Thx,
rib