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Catch and release is more than just catch and release
By Troy Basso*

Generally the fly anglers I meet are for the most part catch and release fisherman, but few understand there is much more to catching and releasing than just the words. It's more about handling a stressed fish than just releasing it back into the water. Ever hear someone say that they always see a bunch of dead fish after a tournament weigh-in? Well, most of the time those comments are heard during the summer, that's no mere coincidence. Fish mortality is highest during the summer for a reason. It takes more energy from a fish when you fight them in 90-plus degree water than it does in 60 degree water. If you don't believe me let your kids swim in a hundred yards in a 80 degree pool then have them try it in a 90 degree pool. The heat literally leaches the energy from their muscles.

Don't hold a public hanging

The popularity of catch and release in the fishing industry has spawned a myriad of tools to help land and weigh fish. The most prominent is the Boga grip. The Boga is "handy as a shirt pocket" but it can kill a fish very quickly. The tool has a scale to weigh the fish so you should weigh it very quickly and get the fish back into the water. You should never "hang" the fish from the Boga for pictures or simple admiration. When you "hang" a big fish by the lower jaw you can do two things. First, a fish is subject to about seven times more gravity out of the water than they get in the water, you can easily dislocate the jaw and prevent the fish from feeding once released. Secondly, the extra force of gravity coupled with the act of "hanging" a fish, especially a long fish, can and does crush the internal organs. Many of today's conventional anglers are under the misconception that the fly-fishing contingent just likes cheesy photos of themselves accenting a fish's length. In reality, holding a fish horizontally for a picture is much better for your trophy than hanging it vertically by the jaw. Remember it matters not if you use a Boga or a Rapala tool. They are tools to protect your hands while bringing a fish to the boat. Weigh a fish if you must but don't hang it by the jaw for an extended period of time.

Use tackle best suited for the situation

The old adage of "don't bring a knife to a gunfight" fits fishing well both in the original sense and in a twisted reversed sense as well. Trying to land big fish on light leaders and tippet is great but there is a fine line between fishing light gear and simply "stunt fishing". It is especially cruel to fight a big fish on ultra light equipment in the heat of the summer. It is much better to use leaders and tippet that are capable of spanking the fish quickly and landing them in short order. Fish have muscles much like us and when they over exert themselves they build up lactic acid. If you have ever went and worked out until your muscles burned and hurt you know what lactic acid can do. An exhausted fish in the spring can mean a fish that won't spawn and we lose that hatch of fish for the future.

Flatten a barb and clip a treble

When most folks hear someone talking about flattening a barb they think about trout fishing. In actuality is applies to any species of both cold and warm water fish. It not only makes the hook set easier, since the hook will more easily penetrate a bone filled mouth without the barb to slow it down, but it also makes hook removal a snap. If anyone has ever buried any type of barbed hook deep into their own flesh past the barb they know how painful a barbed hook can be. They hurt extremely bad going in and even worse when you try to remove one. If you use something with a treble hook try either clipping all but one hook off each treble or better yet, replace the treble hooks with single hooks. You wont loose any more or less fish by making the switch and you reduce your chances of becoming impaled on an errant hook as well.

Release fish back into cover

Several years ago when I first started fishing the tail waters of the mid south I inadvertently released a small Rainbow into the mouth of a feeding Striper. The larger more predatory fish can and will chase a smaller fish while an angler is fighting it. On one cold February day while skipjack fishing I had a huge striper inhale a skipjack I was landing right at the side of the boat! Try to release a fish back into some sort of cover. If they can get into a treetop or similar structure the odds are they wont become prey to a predator fish. The cover allows the fish to catch its breath, so to speak.

Strive to revive

Sometimes when we are having those magical times on the river we tend to release a fish too quickly. We want to get our fly back into action. Remember a fish is fighting you, a creature a hundred times its size, and a rod designed to give the angler even more of an advantage. No matter the size of the fish, insure you take ample time to revive the fish. After all, would you like to fight a person three times your size then get tossed out of a boat on your head? Always hold the fish in the water while moving it back and forth until the fish swims away under its own power. On another note never handle a fish with dry hands. You will remove the protective slime and subject the fish to bacteria. Lastly, if you catch a really big fish and want to release it place the beast in a live well for a short period of time. The highly oxygenated water will increase the odds you will get to catch that trophy another day. The bottom line is even though fish are generally considered a renewable natural resource they can't reproduce if they die after being released by a fisherman.

*Troy Basso is a freelance writer, avid fisherman and instructor for the National Bowhunter Education Program.

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