Safe Catch-and-Release Techniques for Anglers
by Dean Growdon
Catch-and-release fishing can be a controversial practice. Some warmwater species, such as bass and panfish, tend to survive release at relatively high rates and are less vulnerable to post-release mortality.
Trout, however, are much more susceptible to death after release. With water temperatures now nearing their annual peak, it feels like a good time to revisit this topic.
I’m no expert, but as an avid angler who practices catch-and-release almost exclusively, I’m always working to refine my approach and minimize harm to fish populations. I’m not opposed to people keeping their legal limit in most circumstances, but it is discouraging to see the bottom of a lake, river, or stream littered with dead.
Here are some pointers related to equipment, and practices from NOAA’s fisheries agency found at their website: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/resources-fishing/catch-and-release-fishing-best-practices
Choose the Right Gear
For catch and release fishing, you need gear that reduces stress to the fish and increases the chance of survival after being released.
- Circle hooks, barbless hooks, or hooks with crimped barbs. These can increase survival rates and make hook removal easier. Some fisheries require the use of circle hooks, so be sure you know the rules and regulations before you hit the water.
- Non-stainless steel hooks. These will corrode and fall out over time if a fish or other wildlife is accidentally hooked and escapes before they can be dehooked.
- Tackle strong enough to quickly land the fish you’re targeting.
- Wet, soft knotless mesh or a rubber landing net. These cause less damage to a fish’s eyes, fins, scales, and protective mucus coating.
- Release tools such as a dehooker. These minimize handling and make it easier to release fish without removing it from the water.
Best Practices
- Never fight a fish to exhaustion.
- Never gaff a fish you plan to release.
- Dehook the fish in the water whenever possible.
- Cut the line as close to the hook as possible if a swallowed hook can’t be easily removed.
- Keep air exposure to a minimum if you must remove a fish from the water. Less than 60 seconds is ideal.
- Handle the fish as little as possible and only with wet hands.
- Avoid touching the fish’s eyes and gills.
- Support the weight of any fish removed from the water along the length of its body. Never suspend a fish by its lip or mouth.
- Resuscitate a sluggish fish by facing it into the current until it regains strength and can swim away on its own. “
Again, these are general recommendations, but when it comes to trout specifically, the top priorities are minimizing handling, reducing air exposure, and releasing fish quickly into cool, well-oxygenated water. My own practices have evolved as my knowledge and experience have grown, and below is a description of the equipment and methods I use for trout.
Equipment: I use a rod with enough power to land fish quickly and reduce exhaustion. I use rubber-mesh nets and fish barbless hooks, which help with faster release and often come free as soon as I ease the tension on the line. I also carry hemostats and a “Ketchum” release tool in case I need them, but I usually remove flies with my fingers.
Practice: I keep most fish in the water while handling them. If a fish is healthy and I want a photo, I grip it at the base of the tail with one hand and support the midsection with the other, making sure to stay clear of the gills. I lift the fish out of the water only briefly for a quick picture, then return it immediately.
In lakes, I hold the fish upright until it swims away on its own. In streams and rivers, I hold the fish facing into the current so water flows through its gills. The fish will swim away when it is ready.
Environmental considerations: In subfreezing conditions, fish should not be removed from the water. Freezing air can damage a fish’s eyes and gills in a matter of seconds. In those conditions, I keep the fish in the net and in the water, then use my fingers or a Ketchum tool to remove the fly before release. If I want a picture, I take it with the fish still in the water and in the net.
In warm conditions, I am careful about where and when I fish, or I avoid fishing those areas altogether. Eagle Lake, for example, has issues with low oxygen and higher pH levels that can affect fish during the warmer months. For that reason, I typically fish only during the first few weeks of the season, then return in the fall when the water cools.
In streams and rivers, I check the water temperature, and if it is above 65 degrees, I do not fish.
Injured fish: It is important for anglers, even those who practice catch-and-release, to recognize when a fish is unlikely to survive if released. Fish that cannot be revived, fish that are bleeding, and fish that have been hooked in the gills are not likely to survive. In those cases, the ethical choice is to bring the fish home for a meal.
These are just a few pointers related to catch-and-release. There is nothing wrong with keeping your legal limit, but if you are releasing fish, you should follow guidelines like these to help protect our precious resources.
