Fish Handling and Conservation Practices
Fish Handling and Conservation Practices
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Fish Handling and Conservation Practices

Fish Handling And Conservation

Fish Handling and Conservation Practices
Fish Handling and Conservation Practices
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Help us protect our fishery. Ontario Fishing regulations limit fish size and the number of fish that can be kept.

We have an edge over most fisheries as when you visit one of our fly-in lakes, you are most likely to be the only fisherman on the waters. Despite this, we have to practice conservation to insure the continuing success of our fishery.

We encourage you to return trophies and larger fish to the lake so they can spawn again. The larger the fish, the greater the amount of spawn. The larger the fish, the chance that its genes will produce other trophy fish. Female fish choose strong males to be their spawning partner. Stronger, larger female fish often pair with larger stronger males. While this is not a firm rule, it is often the case. Please handle fish to be released with care to insure their survival.

Handling fish properly will insure that a released fish will survive to spawn and be caught again. Wet your hands before touching a fish. Lift a fish carefully and lift it horizontally giving support along the length of the fish with two hands. Don't place your fingers in the gills of your fish. Don't lift your fish by its eyes or touch its eyes. Fish placed on a stringer in the water cannot be released as they are unlikely to survive.

A fish lifted for a picture will likely attempt to jump from your grasp! When lifting a fish use both hands, lift horizontally and over the water. Fish that jump from your hands and fall into the bottom of your boat, instead of falling in the water, are unlikely to survive for long if released. The protective slim covering of fish protects them from infection. When slime is removed by rough handling or from a fall, or from using dry hands, the fish is unlikely to survive if released even thought it looks healthy and is able to swim away with vigor.

The thoughtful and informed fisherman today uses barbless hooks. A barbless hook protects the fish as they are much easier to remove and only do a small fraction of the damage a barbed hook will do in the mouth of a fish. When a barbless hook is set after a strike, a fish is not likely to shake it out or spit it out if you keep your line tensioned. The barbs on your hooks can often be removed with side cutters. Better still, go to your tackle shop and purchase new barbless hooks and attach them to your lures.

When a fish is caught, limit the time you play the fish. Exhausting your fish before netting it will mean that it is less likely to survive if released. A released fish needs to have some strength left to survive. It must have enough energy to re-oxygenate its own blood. An exhausted fish my swim away only to die a few minutes later, out of sight and out of mind. The longer you keep a fish out of water, the more strength it needs to re-oxygenate its blood when released. You can't go without oxygen for a minute or longer and either can a fish! Limit the time you keep a fish out of water to a minute or less to insure its safety.

Dispatching a fish that is to be kept in a timely manner is the best way and the humane way to deal with your catch. Two or three sharp blows with a weighted, blunt instrument, striking the fish between and slightly behind the eyes is the best way to dispatch a fish. Any twelve to twenty four inch hardwood will work. A length of one inch galvanized pipe will word. The broken handle of a paddle, cut to length will work. After you arrive at your camp, take a walk in the bush and find a dried hardwood branch that is about one inch or more in diameter and cut it to size with a camp saw.

Leaving a fish out of the water, to expire by suffocation is not humane. Leaving a fish on a stringer will often cause it to die slowly by suffocation as well.

Some day your photographs are going to tell some other fisherman how conscientious you are or are not! Taking photos of your fish is often the most common way of damaging a fish that is to be returned to the water. In the excitement we forget to take care. We must put fish handling rules first when taking photographs. Hold your fish horizontally at the water's surface to remove hooks and to take a photograph.

Brien East, TourWorld.com

Air-Dale Fly-in Fishing and Moose Hunting Canada - News

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Canada Fishing Trip

Canada Fishing Trip
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We have operated our flying service since 1945. Over the years we have carefully managed our lakes and fisheries. Today can provide you with access to very accessible yet spectacular fishing without the need to travel another ten hours further north. We can offer moose hunting where your party will have an 80% chance of success!
Learn more about our fishing and moose hunting..

Catch and Release Fishing - Ensuring Fish For Our Future by Craig Fiske

Do you know the proper technique for catch and release fishing? Keep those big ones healthy and strong. Your kids and grand kids will thank you!

There is nothing more enjoyable in this world than a great day on the water. If conditions are perfect and the fish are active things don't get much better. Well, maybe catching big fish can add a level of excitement that is hard to match.

Fish populations across North America are, in general, suffering. Stocking efforts and recovery programs are happening virtually in every jurisdiction. Some areas are suffering more than others. Think about it. How often have you heard someone say, "The fishing just isn't as good as it was a few years ago". That goes for a number of lakes and rivers right across this continent.

The good news is you can do something about it. Catch and release fishing is one of the keys to help populations recover. It is pretty straight forward - keep only what you are going to eat. And just as importantly, let go the big one's (they lay many times more eggs during the spawn).

Too often we see anglers keep more fish than they will eat. Often this is done out of ignorance of the impact to the water system. Unfortunately too often it is done out of lack of respect for the fish and water they are taken from.

This has an unbelievable impact on fish populations. Think about it. A good fishing location that has red-hot walleye fishing in the spring for eight weeks can have as many as 100 boats a day visit it. Particularly if the lake is accessible by road. Assume that each boat has 3 anglers in it. Also assume that the limit for walleye is 5 per day.

8 weeks x 100 boats x 3 anglers x 5 walleye = 12,000 walleye! If you are rolling your eyes at that number, don't. There are many lakes that are under tremendous pressure like this and our fish population is taking a pounding!

Catch and release fishing is a key to helping our fish populations recover. The key to catch and release is to reduce the mortality rate of the fish. There are things you need to consider Use a barbless hook. It makes the time the fish is out of the water much shorter. It is also much easier on the fish as the barb can often get caught in the throat or the gills making the odds the fish will live much longer (plus it is a lot easier on you as you take the hook out).

Try to land your fish quickly. The less energy they spend on the way into the boat, the faster they will recover. This is a key element often not thought of during catch and release practices.

If you can keep the fish in the water as you remove the hook, this is a huge advantage for the fish. If you need to pick up the fish, wet your hands first. Try not to squeeze to hard as you hold the fish while you remove the hook. If you can hold the fish upside down, quite often this will immobilize it, and give you a chance to quickly remove the hook! Above all, be gentle!

Often you will need to hold the fish in the water as it "catches its breath"! Be patient, this is an ordeal for any and all fish species. When catch and releasing a fish, do your best to release it in slow water.

If there is a current, make sure the head is facing upstream. This will give it a chance to regain its strength and equilibrium. It also forces water through the gills helping the fish realize much needed oxygen. If there is no current, slowly move the fish forward and backward in the water to get the water through its gills! Make sure you don't release an exhausted fish until it appears the gills are working properly. When this happens, the fish will usually swim out of your light grip on its own.

It is the responsibility of every angler to take care of our fish population! Limit your catch. Let go the big ones go, and ensure a productive resource of fish for generations to come!

For more information visit http://www.freshwater-fishing-canada.com/catchandreleasefishing.html .

Thanks for reading!

Good luck out there!

About the Author
Craig Fiske is from Saskatchewan Canada and has been an avid angler for over 35 years!

For great advice on catching big fish, check out http://www.freshwater-fishing-canada.com ! Tips on walleye, pike, trout muskie and more. Practical advice on when to go and where to stay on your fishing adventures. Fishing tips cover all the seasons, including winter. Delicious fish recipes too!

Fish Handling and Conservation Practices