http://susquehannafishing.com/
By Steve Hancock, Susquehanna Fly and Spin Guide Service, LLC
When handling fish, there is a right and wrong way to land and handle your catch. The best way is to not handle them at all, but let’s be realistic. We all want that picture with the catch of a lifetime. Even small fish should be handled with care and released quickly, as they are the future of OUR fishery. Here's a good analogy of what it’s like for the fish… It’s like you or me running a 100 yard dash, and then holding our breath. Try to keep the fish in the water until you are ready with the camera, and snap that picture quickly.
Here's a simple guide to landing and handling your catch correctly:
1. Play the fish as quickly as possible.
2. Once at the boat, try to unhook the fish while in the water, and keep it in water until you’re ready with the camera to snap a quick picture. If you use a net, consider the new type, which are designed to be less damaging to the fish than the older style nets.
3. If you must handle the fish, wet your hands before handling it (fish have a protective layer of film that protects them from disease). Then support the fish with both hands horizontally, not vertically when possible (fish are in a weightless, underwater environment, and holding the fish vertically may be harmful).
4. Revive the fish by placing the fish back in the water. Hold the fish’s lower lip with your thumb on top of the lower lip and your index finger on the bottom of lower lip, and move the fish in a forward motion through the water until the fish can swim freely out of your hands (the fish processes oxygen by water passing over its gills).
5. Watch the fish swim away and feel good that you have done everything possible to ensure the fish's survival, and share this knowledge with others.
Below are a few pictures demonstrating these techniques:
Article written and photographed by PFBC licensed guide Steve Hancock of Susquehanna Fly and Spin Guide Service llc
