Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chris gadsden]

This was sent to me yesterday.

B.C. PROVINCIAL REGULATIONS 2009
HANDLING YOUR CATCH

A fish that appears unharmed may not survive if carelessly handled, so please abide by the following: Play and release fish as rapidly as possible. A fish played for too long may not recover. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible. A fish out of water is suffocating. Internal injuries and scale loss is much more likely to occur when out of water. Roll fish onto their backs (while still in the water). This may reduce the amount they struggle, therefore minimizing stress, etc. Carry needle-nose pliers. Grab the bendor round portion of the hook with your pliers, twist pliers upside down, and the hook will dislodge. Be quick, but gentle.Single barbless hooks are recommended,if not already stipulated in the regulations.  Any legal fish that is deeply hooked, hooked around the gills or bleeding should be retained as part of your quota. If the fish cannot be retained legally, you can improve its chances for survival by cutting the leader and releasing it with the hook left in. Nets used for landing your catch, should have fine mesh and a knotless webbing to protect fish from abrasion and possible injury.If you must handle the fish, do so with your bare, wethands (not with gloves). Keep your fingers out of the gills, and don’t squeeze the fish or cause scales to be lost or damaged. It is best to leave fish in the water for photos. If you must lift a fish then provide support by cradling one hand behind the front fins and your other hand just forward of the tail fin. Minimize the time out of the water, then hold the fish in the water to recover. If fishing in a river, point the fish upstream while reviving it. When the fish begins to recover, release it.

[YESFISH]

If you carry a hook releaser (handle, straight wire with "U" shape tip) then all you have to do is slip it down the line and once it hits the hook, it pulls out. I use in the salt and river. Same concept as a gaff. Its superior to using a plier as you have to try to get the pliers on that hook and the fish may flop.

[alwaysfishn]

This was sent to me yesterday.

B.C. PROVINCIAL REGULATIONS 2009
HANDLING YOUR CATCH

A fish that appears unharmed may not survive if carelessly handled, so please abide by the following: Play and release fish as rapidly as possible. A fish played for too long may not recover. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible. A fish out of water is suffocating. Internal injuries and scale loss is much more likely to occur when out of water. Roll fish onto their backs (while still in the water). This may reduce the amount they struggle, therefore minimizing stress, etc. Carry needle-nose pliers. Grab the bendor round portion of the hook with your pliers, twist pliers upside down, and the hook will dislodge. Be quick, but gentle.Single barbless hooks are recommended,if not already stipulated in the regulations.  Any legal fish that is deeply hooked, hooked around the gills or bleeding should be retained as part of your quota. If the fish cannot be retained legally, you can improve its chances for survival by cutting the leader and releasing it with the hook left in. Nets used for landing your catch, should have fine mesh and a knotless webbing to protect fish from abrasion and possible injury.If you must handle the fish, do so with your bare, wethands (not with gloves). Keep your fingers out of the gills, and don’t squeeze the fish or cause scales to be lost or damaged. It is best to leave fish in the water for photos. If you must lift a fish then provide support by cradling one hand behind the front fins and your other hand just forward of the tail fin. Minimize the time out of the water, then hold the fish in the water to recover. If fishing in a river, point the fish upstream while reviving it. When the fish begins to recover, release it.

That's a great little paragraph Chris..   It seems like such basic info but I bet 80% of the fishermen don't know this stuff..

I just got a brainwave 

Maybe Rodney could (with the support of some of the site sponsors) have a bunch of business cards printed up with this little writeup on it (or an abbreviated version) and make it available to fishermen to hand out to newbies or "unethical" fishermen we encounter on the river. The other side could have web links or the name of sponsors or this site. It probably wouldn't cost Rodney anything and it might just help educate as well as promote.

[Eagleye]

I think we need to lobby DFO to create an online fishing exam similar to the boating one.  There are many things like the above which should be mandatory for anglers to know before hitting the flow.  I think this is the only way to truly have an impact and then nobody can claim ignorance. 

[Rantalot]

No more stupid tests!!A little common sense goes a long way right?If im not keeping it then it does not come out of the water,i just slide my hand down the till i feel the hoopk and pop it out.If I see people fishing without waders i go over and do it for them.

[scotkemp]

handling fish properly has nothing to do with lack of information and or knowledge, not even common sense. it all boils down to people that are completly disrespectful, its the same as i watch i guy fish with barbs all day and he pulled out im sure it was 5 chums and 3 springs in one day actually 4 hours and every time he catches a fish he takes it to his trunk (yes licence plate reported to dfo) see what i meanthey only care about them

[chris gadsden]

handling fish properly has nothing to do with lack of information and or knowledge, not even common sense. it all boils down to people that are completly disrespectful, its the same as i watch i guy fish with barbs all day and he pulled out im sure it was 5 chums and 3 springs in one day actually 4 hours and every time he catches a fish he takes it to his trunk (yes licence plate reported to dfo) see what i meanthey only care about them

Disrespectful in another sense too. Just look at all the people that are working the water that just throw out their coffee cups, garbage of all description and fishing line not only in the areas they are at but by the parking areas. Of all people you would think they would care more about the environment. Who are these people?

[newsman]

Great post Chris

I totally agree. I would add go heavy on the leader and bring them in faster. It has been a constant issue with me that many of the crowd that pushes C & R the hardest also harm fish by playing them to the point of death with light leaders. In my over fifty years of experience I have found every few leader shy fish. In the last thirty years I have have had to go lighter than 8 lb twice and never under 5 lb. When I release fish they usually bolt out of my hands; this tells me they are in good shape and will survive. Just because a fish swims of does not mean it will survive or is not brain damaged from oxygen starvation or suffering from to much lactic acid build up. When it comes to leaders I stand with the philosophy of Joe Humphreys "your leader should be determined by the density of your fly, not by the industry wanting to sell you more flies."

[dennisK]

Great post Chris

I totally agree. I would add go heavy on the leader and bring them in faster. It has been a constant issue with me that many of the crowd that pushes C & R the hardest also harm fish by playing them to the point of death with light leaders. In my over fifty years of experience I have found every few leader shy fish. In the last thirty years I have have had to go lighter than 8 lb twice and never under 5 lb. When I release fish they usually bolt out of my hands; this tells me they are in good shape and will survive. Just because a fish swims of does not mean it will survive or is not brain damaged from oxygen starvation or suffering from to much lactic acid build up. When it comes to leaders I stand with the philosophy of Joe Humphreys "your leader should be determined by the density of your fly, not by the industry wanting to sell you more flies."

Could not agree with you more, and a pet peeve of mine has always been those who need so much river space to "play" a 10 pound salmon to near death when if they had decent gear with a real drag they could bring it in minutes. A friend of my pulls in +20pound springs in under 5 minutes and the fish literally flies away when released. But those who fish coho especially require to revive the poor things because the fisherman needed to "feel the thrill" of drag less fishing. What the hell? If you cared about the fish you would either not fish at all, or make the experience for the FISH as least stressful and as fast as possible. Right? 

It's like pulling off a bandage, you can rip it off fast and not feel too much pain or "drag" it out for many unnecessary minutes. But it's hard to argue with a guy who just $500  on fancy reels, but they sure can spin.

[Gaffer]

Could not agree with you more, and a pet peeve of mine has always been those who need so much river space to "play" a 10 pound salmon to near death when if they had decent gear with a real drag they could bring it in minutes. A friend of my pulls in +20pound springs in under 5 minutes and the fish literally flies away when released. But those who fish coho especially require to revive the poor things because the fisherman needed to "feel the thrill" of drag less fishing. What the hell? If you cared about the fish you would either not fish at all, or make the experience for the FISH as least stressful and as fast as possible. Right? 

It's like pulling off a bandage, you can rip it off fast and not feel too much pain or "drag" it out for many unnecessary minutes. But it's hard to argue with a guy who just $500  on fancy reels, but they sure can spin.

Re the dragless $500 dollar(plus?) reel ---Mine comes complete with drag--- My right hand--but then the other option is an ethical Brain-- some reels regardless of price don't necessarily come with one  in the box --you have to grow one--- Cheers