Fish handling and welfare.

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Please Read:

Regarding fish handling and release. Especially important at this time of year, with the warm water temperatures!

Most anglers do the above correctly, but over the course of the weekend Ive noticed a few anglers "mis-handling fish". They may or may not be aware of the effect of keeping a trout out of the water for more than 20secs.Their chances drop dramatically of the fish fully recovering. Handling the fish with dry hands can remove the protective slime covering their body, with leaves them open to infections etc.
Even if handling with wet hands this can still happen, but minimises the risk of damaging the trout.
Ideally keep the trout in the water and get the fish in as fast as possible, the longer you play the fish the more lactic acid that builds up in the muscle tissue of the trout, and makes releasing the fish a lot more problematic.

Once you have landed the fish:
These are not rules, more guidelines so that we can keep the fish returned healthy and happy.

1. Try not to take it out of the water, at all, and unhook it while its still secure in the net. Care must be taken not to touch the fish with dry hands at this stage.
2. If the fish must be taken out of the water, wet your hands, and keep the fish within the net rather than have it riggle about all over the peg. Grabbing a trout and holding it too your clothes, ie. chest to help remove the hook is possibly one of the worst things you could do. This will well and truely remove a good chunk of the protective slime layer the fish needs to fight off infections etc.
3. When releasing, keep the fish within the net, try not handle the trout unless you have too. Again with wet hands. The trout must not remain out of the water for more than 20-25seconds. If the hook cannot be removed within this time, please re-enter the fish into the water inside the net, for a 10 or so seconds, and then try again. If the hook still wont come out please cut the line.
4. Allow the trout to fully recover, this doesnt mean a simple dip in the water and the fish will slowly swim off, give the trout time to recover from its fight. If the trout turns belly up, simply wet your hands and up-right the fish.
5. If the trout isnt showing any forms of wanting to be returned to its home, then slowly (with wet hands) gain a hold of the trouts tail, and slowly rock the fish back and forth to allow the gills a sudden burst of Oxygen, the trout should usually kick with its tail while your doing this as its gaining strength and energy.
6. Then release if all is well.

Thanks for taking your time to read this and the majority of anglers that fish curleys handle the trout conerned extremely well, so thank you.
If your not too sure on how to correctly handle a trout, or are new to the sport please, email me or mention it in the tackle shop.

Tight Lines,
Nathan