More often than not, when drifting for anadromous species on our rivers, the hook set and the fight go smoothly and get our hearts thumping with the thrill of battling some of our migrating chrome slabs...the real action however, inevitably occurs when a fish is being brought to hand. This is the time when the fish is at its highest risk of injury.
A high percentage of the time the fish doesn't cooperate as quickly as we'd like. Yet each fish will take very brief rests as it is swung to shore, interspersed with moments of spastic thrashings that inevitably lead to a short powerful run then once again to a brief moment when the fish takes a "breather"...
It is precisely these breathers that allow an angler the best opportunity to tail a fish safely. Recently, I was able to get some decent video footage of an angler tailing a steelhead for a quick pic. It shows some basic techniques that work well, and exemplifies some good habits to get into.
But I am getting ahead of myself here...let's start at the top of the fight and go through a few things an angler should look for during the course of playing a fish and then we'll get to some tips to make it easier to land your fish responsibly.
When fighting a fish,
-Consider carefully the water around you looking for any obstructions that the fish can run into. Sometimes a fish can get into trouble when tangled up in submerged branches and such and it's best to have a good idea where such traps are while fighting a fish so as to be ready to try and keep the fish away from them.
-Try to determine as quickly as possible the nature of the fish you've hooked. Specifically, is it wild? or hatchery? Decide asap whether or not the fish in question is to be released or if it is going to be retained. This will let you go over your course of action and how you handle the fish as fight comes to an end.
Now, as for those "breathers" a fish takes. They are short lived. But in the following video anglers take advantage of these opportunities and display some good techniques for tailing fish. Whether you are tailing a fish yourself or your buddy is going to tail it for you this video shows some sound techniques to get the job done in style....There are a couple of things to point out from this clip that will make you look like a pro out there and are responsible to the fish.
In the video, it is obvious many of the fish are taking those brief breaks mentioned above. They roll onto their side, and are relatively docile. These moments are often brief, so be prepared for the fish to take off again.
-Notice often the anglers rod is pointed up river and held away from the angler so that the fish is just above or even with his feet.
With the rod extended away from the body in one hand, the free hand can quickly reach down and grasp the fish firmly. This sequence of events must be done quickly and succinctly to fit in the short window of opportunity of the fish's break. Use the leader to help guide the fish into good position.
-If the fish takes off, or the tailing is unsuccessful the angler simply lets go of the fish and lifts the rod tip up and away from the direction the fish is running. If the tailing is successful the angler can quickly let some line off the reel, and then support the fish's belly with the other hand for a quick picture and a smile.
It is also a good idea to keep yourself between the fish and the shoreline...this prevents the fish from wrapping itself around you if it goes off on a tear. Often keeping the fish to your outside will lead to it going towards deeper water if it chooses to run...but it also keeps the fish out fo the rocks, which is integral to avoiding injuring it.
The key is though, that the rod is held upstream of the angler and the fish, and that the movements are coordinated and quick enough to tail the fish while it is not struggling. Holding the rod pointing downstream while trying to swing the fish to hand is more often than not the death move, it allows for very little control to be exerted over the fish and will usually result in a lost fish or one that could potentially injure itself more easily.
Most importantly though,
-The angler holds the fish away from his body, does not use a glove at all, so as to minimize or prevent removal of a fish's protective slime layer
-The fish is suspended OVER THE WATER. If it were to wriggle free of the anglers grasp it would fall into the water, and not onto rocks. All anglers should consider this when choosing where to tail a fish.
-The fish should only be out of the water a short ways, (shorter the better), and quickly placed back in the water once a picture is taken.
This is a very simplified overview of fish handling techniques, and I am sure, (and hope), that others will contribute anything I have missed. Often having a plan makes all the difference in landing a fish smoothly and releasing it unharmed. I find the methods shown here are critical to landing and tailing fish responsibly. They will help any angler, especially if they are going to tail their own fish, which I feel is part of the battle. Doing it smoothly and doing it well can be the most rewarding part of the fight, not to mention it's good for the fish...
Some other notes...
DO NOT drag the fish on the beach
DO NOT keep the fish out of water for more than a few seconds
DO NOT overhandle a fish, get it back in the water and reviving as quickly as possible.
DO NOT "hug" the fish close to your body...
DO NOT release the fish prematurely. Let the fish go once it is fully revived, regardless of how cold your hands get...
Anyways, hopefully this thread will shine some light on what is the ideal way to handle our fish, and although it doesn't always work out as smoothly as it does in this clip, striving towards responsible fish handling is all any angler can do.
Here are some additional links on the subject that might be of interest:
-A Question for all Anglers...(click here)
-Why are you backing up the bank to land your fish?!?!? (click here)
-You may be killing Steelhead and not even know it!!! (Click here)
-FFSBC Catch and release article (Click here)
Here's the video: (the HD version is available on vimeo)
A high percentage of the time the fish doesn't cooperate as quickly as we'd like. Yet each fish will take very brief rests as it is swung to shore, interspersed with moments of spastic thrashings that inevitably lead to a short powerful run then once again to a brief moment when the fish takes a "breather"...
It is precisely these breathers that allow an angler the best opportunity to tail a fish safely. Recently, I was able to get some decent video footage of an angler tailing a steelhead for a quick pic. It shows some basic techniques that work well, and exemplifies some good habits to get into.
But I am getting ahead of myself here...let's start at the top of the fight and go through a few things an angler should look for during the course of playing a fish and then we'll get to some tips to make it easier to land your fish responsibly.
When fighting a fish,
-Consider carefully the water around you looking for any obstructions that the fish can run into. Sometimes a fish can get into trouble when tangled up in submerged branches and such and it's best to have a good idea where such traps are while fighting a fish so as to be ready to try and keep the fish away from them.
-Try to determine as quickly as possible the nature of the fish you've hooked. Specifically, is it wild? or hatchery? Decide asap whether or not the fish in question is to be released or if it is going to be retained. This will let you go over your course of action and how you handle the fish as fight comes to an end.
Now, as for those "breathers" a fish takes. They are short lived. But in the following video anglers take advantage of these opportunities and display some good techniques for tailing fish. Whether you are tailing a fish yourself or your buddy is going to tail it for you this video shows some sound techniques to get the job done in style....There are a couple of things to point out from this clip that will make you look like a pro out there and are responsible to the fish.
In the video, it is obvious many of the fish are taking those brief breaks mentioned above. They roll onto their side, and are relatively docile. These moments are often brief, so be prepared for the fish to take off again.
-Notice often the anglers rod is pointed up river and held away from the angler so that the fish is just above or even with his feet.
With the rod extended away from the body in one hand, the free hand can quickly reach down and grasp the fish firmly. This sequence of events must be done quickly and succinctly to fit in the short window of opportunity of the fish's break. Use the leader to help guide the fish into good position.
-If the fish takes off, or the tailing is unsuccessful the angler simply lets go of the fish and lifts the rod tip up and away from the direction the fish is running. If the tailing is successful the angler can quickly let some line off the reel, and then support the fish's belly with the other hand for a quick picture and a smile.
It is also a good idea to keep yourself between the fish and the shoreline...this prevents the fish from wrapping itself around you if it goes off on a tear. Often keeping the fish to your outside will lead to it going towards deeper water if it chooses to run...but it also keeps the fish out fo the rocks, which is integral to avoiding injuring it.
The key is though, that the rod is held upstream of the angler and the fish, and that the movements are coordinated and quick enough to tail the fish while it is not struggling. Holding the rod pointing downstream while trying to swing the fish to hand is more often than not the death move, it allows for very little control to be exerted over the fish and will usually result in a lost fish or one that could potentially injure itself more easily.
Most importantly though,
-The angler holds the fish away from his body, does not use a glove at all, so as to minimize or prevent removal of a fish's protective slime layer
-The fish is suspended OVER THE WATER. If it were to wriggle free of the anglers grasp it would fall into the water, and not onto rocks. All anglers should consider this when choosing where to tail a fish.
-The fish should only be out of the water a short ways, (shorter the better), and quickly placed back in the water once a picture is taken.
This is a very simplified overview of fish handling techniques, and I am sure, (and hope), that others will contribute anything I have missed. Often having a plan makes all the difference in landing a fish smoothly and releasing it unharmed. I find the methods shown here are critical to landing and tailing fish responsibly. They will help any angler, especially if they are going to tail their own fish, which I feel is part of the battle. Doing it smoothly and doing it well can be the most rewarding part of the fight, not to mention it's good for the fish...
Some other notes...
DO NOT drag the fish on the beach
DO NOT keep the fish out of water for more than a few seconds
DO NOT overhandle a fish, get it back in the water and reviving as quickly as possible.
DO NOT "hug" the fish close to your body...
DO NOT release the fish prematurely. Let the fish go once it is fully revived, regardless of how cold your hands get...
Anyways, hopefully this thread will shine some light on what is the ideal way to handle our fish, and although it doesn't always work out as smoothly as it does in this clip, striving towards responsible fish handling is all any angler can do.
Here are some additional links on the subject that might be of interest:
-A Question for all Anglers...(click here)
-Why are you backing up the bank to land your fish?!?!? (click here)
-You may be killing Steelhead and not even know it!!! (Click here)
-FFSBC Catch and release article (Click here)
Here's the video: (the HD version is available on vimeo)
