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Ten Steps to Save A Trout
1. Use barbless hooks-or crimp the barbs with a pair of needle nose pliers.
This not only makes hook removal easier, but reduces internal damage to the
fish. If you use barbless hooks, the only way you'll hurt a fish is by hooking
it in the gills. If you keep a tight line, you'll land just as many as with
barbed hooks.
2. Land the fish as quickly as possible, especially during warm weather. The faster you land and release the fish, the better it's chances of survival are. Do not over-playing the fish prior to landing is crucial to a fish's survival.
3. Use a landing net with soft cotton mesh- it minimizes damage to the fish. Coarse nylon mesh can cause injury and infection. Avoid landing a fish on dry land.
4. Make sure your hands and net are wet. The mucous coat of the fish protects it from bacteria and infection. The less it is disturbed, the better.
5. Try not to lift the fish all the way out of the water. Turn the trout upside-down in the net. This usually paralyzes it, making the hook easier to remove. Hold the fish in the middle of the back, using the net to improve your grip. Don't squeeze the fish, especially around the mid-section.
6. Use fingertips or better yet, a medical forceps to grip the hook close to the eye. Carefully ease the hook backwards until it comes loose. Avoid contact with the gills. If the hook has been swallowed too deeply, just cut the line as close to the mouth as possible. The price of a fly is not worth the life of a fish to a sportsman.
7. Slide the trout out of the net to a point directly in front of you. Hold the fish facing into the current, supporting it with two hands-one beneath and behind the pectoral fins, the other lightly encircling the base of the tail. Avoid strong currents that will sweep the fish away. Move the fish in a tight oval, keeping it submerged and facing into the current.
8. Don't let the fish go until it is fighting to get out of your grasp.
9. Keep an eye on the fish for as long as you can. If it starts to tip or roll over, re-net it and try to revive it again.
10. When the weather is warm the trout are already stressed. In the heat of summer it is better to go bass fishing. Let the trout wait it out until cool fall weather brings on what is known as the second season.
