What is catch and release and why is it important?
Catch and release is the practice of hooking and landing a fish, then returning it almost immediatelyback to its environment. Fish often never leave the water as hooks can be removed gently while a fish is in shallow water or at the side of a boat. In the United States, catch and release began in the mid 20th century as a way to relieve strain on heavily fished hatcheries. Today catch and release is widely practiced among sport fishermen in order to help protect natural populations of fish.
This is of growing importance since development in some areas can remove viable habitat which can have an effect the size of the fish population. In addition, more people learn to enjoy the sport of fishing every day, which increases strain on fish populations. So, catch and release is a superb vital practice for both fish and fishermen. The angler gets to experience the excitement of landing a trophy fish, and the fish gets returned unharmed to its home.
How can I practice catch and release?
The general idea is to minimize stress on the fish which means three things:
1. limit bodily injury to the fish
2. limit fighting time for the fish
3. limit the fish's time out of the water
Use of barbless hooks is important. They do much less damage to the fish than do barbed hooks and are easier to remove after the fish is landed. Barbless hooks can either be purchased or can be prepared from barbed hooks by using light sandpaper. Note - be careful if you attempt to prepare your own barbless hooks! A good pair of needle nose pliers can be very usefull when removing hooks because they allow a positive grip on the hook while trying to remove it safely from a fish's mouth.
Fighting time can be reduced by using a little heavier gear (see the slingFish section on gear) than you might normally use for sport fishing. Sturdier gear allows the fish to be reeled in with less time. A slightly heavier rod, reel, and line works beautifully. Please keep in mind however that the idea is to shorten the fighting time for the fish, but NOT to drag the fish in. Pulling a fish in way too quickly can also harm the fish.
Time out of water can be reduced by preparing in advance for any photos, weighing, or measuring you intend to do. If you want a picture of that 6 point something pounder, you might want to have a fishing buddy nearby and ready with
the camera! Imagine if you were asked to hold your breath under water while a buddy unloads the car, sets up the tripod, grabs the film, . . . well you get the idea. The best scenario for the fish is to never leave the water. As mentioned previously, hooks can be removed easily with the fish in shallow water, particularly when barbless hooks are used.
Finally, stress and injury can be minimized through proper handling of the fish if it must be removed from the water. Never pick a fish up by hooking your finger or anything else through its gill slits. Gills are fragile vascular structures that can easily be damaged. Always handle fish with relatively clean, wet hands. Fish have a natural slimy coating over their scales which can be removed if not handled wich care. This can be stressfull and in the worst case lethal to a fish.
You can learn more about catch and release from a local conservation group or other online source. The bottom line however is to return any fish you catch, unharmed, back to its home.
Catch & Release:
