Hello Chaps,

I was just wondering if any of the more experienced guys out there could give me a few pointers?

My first question relates to playing the fish. I most often fish small still water trout fisheries and the trout average between 1 - 3 lbs. I want to know how long I should play the fish for and exactly how I guage the appropriate time to land the fish? Sometimes I am unsure as to whether I should dominate the fish and decide that now is the time that it must be landed. I apologise if this sounds a simple question but I just want to make sure I am abiding by the best practice.

My second question relates to handling the fish. I am fully conversant with the need to have wet hands etc but I would like to know the best way to hold the fish on the occasions where I need to use the forceps etc (e.g not just a simple buzzer in the scissors which can be easily unhooked without touching the fish)? When I say 'best' way, I am also thinking along the lines of reducing the likelihood of the trout flapping around too much whilst I am unhooking.

Any guidance would be really appreciated so many thanks in advance.


Matt

Matt,

If you are intending to release fish you should play them as hard as you can. You won't break your rod, and leader breakage is also unlikely during the fight assuming you are using sensible breaking strains of 6lbs or above. If the hookhold lets go, so what? You were going to release the fish anyway.

Try to avoid taking the fish out of the water. It is sometimes a bit tricky dealing with the still-fresh fish in the net, but they are not as tender as some would have you believe. Using forceps can often result in damaged flies so I tend to avoid their use unless the fish has the fly inside its mouth. Each fish will present different situations but in general I try to grip the lower jaw with one hand while I dink the fly out with the other. If necessary allow the fish a moment to recover in the net before you let it slide back.

I agree with matt. I always try and play the trout as quickly as possible. If im on C+R then i want to get that fish into the net as quickly as possible.

When i have the fish in the net i will only touch the fish through the net, but most of the time i try and get the hook out of the fish without handling it.. then all i do is lower my net into the water and let the fish out..

Andy

It is very simple, bring it to you as fast as you can and handle it so you can release it as fast as you can. There are no rules, like keeping it in water or lifting it out. You will gather expirience and from that you shall know which fish shall be easily released in water and for which it is better to take it out to get a good angle/better view to unhook it faster. However do note that trouts/grayling are very sensitive to air exposure. And one other thing that anglers often forget, if a fish swims away, it does not mean it shall be ok.

Handling time, air exposure etc. play a big role in what shall happen after it swims away.

BlueOne

Well said guys, I just recently read this from a book the more energy the fish uses to fight, the less chance of it surviving. This common sense but it reminds us to make the decision quickly, is this a keeper or am I on C+R.

Cheers
Baldy

Well thank you very much guys.

This was exactly the type of 'back to basics' advice that I was looking for.

Matt

Good answers above so only have one minor thing to add: 'Length of fight?' One of the general rules of the thumb used here is '1 minute per pound max.'

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How do you weigh it before playing and landing it.

Paul

The fish on the 'business end' of your line and your rod bend will give you a reasonable approximation. Now if you toss in moving water/type of fish, must admit it will get far more interesting.

Most fish (moving water) will tend to try to pull swimming up/down stream and no real big deal. Ahhhhh, but "The exceptions are what proves the rule?" Kalama River in SW Washington.

Those Bug gers would lay flat across the current and actually 'cup' their bodies into the current. That 7# fish just became 14 until you could get his/her nose turned around. 'Only' thing you could do was swing the rod tip from as far up stream as you could get it to as far down as fast as possible to change line direction.

Doesn't sound like a big deal, but with a 13-14 foot 2-hander that was a line direction change direction of 26 to 28 foot. The 'idea' was to "tip the fish over" and that confused the heck out of the Fella. Or so you hoped ....

Actually, it usually worked ... assuming line wasn't still being ripped off your reel. But then you had a whole different set of problems that would, with little exception, end up as "A long range release."

But what the heck, you were going to turn the fish loose anyway.

fae

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"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
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If you use a long handled landing net, stay hidden even when playing the fish, it is very easy to get the fish into the net in a reasonably short time. Warren Slaney's blog has a video illustrating this very well from setting the hook at 4:11 to the fish being in the net at 5:04. There are some tricks to learn and some folk lore to dispose of too when fighting a fish. Get rid of the daft idea that you keep the rod up during the fight. That is no good at all. The fish gets to please itself where it goes and you lose control. Side strain is your friend. If you ever get chance, watch a coarse fishing match angler at work. The other trick is to always, always, always be doing something. Make the fish swim to one side then the other, turn it with side strain, guide it to your waiting, long handled landing net...

You've had some good hints on this thread for protecting the fish whilst unhooking. I like the fish to be in the wet meshes of the net whilst unhooking it. If the fish is small hold it by the lower jaw with your thumb in its mouth whilst you take the hook out in the exact opposite direction it went in. Never use a disgorger like a Ketchum or the tip ring of your rod when the fish is in the water and able to struggle. If the ground is hard, consider taking and using an unhooking mat. There are some small ones on eBay for very little money.

richard

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