How do you handle Trout or any fish in fact if releasing?

[luderick -angler]

Okay my two cents on handling trout and having spent time in NZ where they are tad more plentiful I just want to put the following statement out there in respect to to ocnserving out trout stocks if they are not headed for the smoker so here goes

So not pointing fingers at anyone here but I notice a lot of trout pics by Aussie anglers (here and other unnamed forums) in respect to handling trout is that they seem to be on very dry land or in some cases a deathe grip and not in the water or shallow margins in a few inches of water to revive they are not great survivors if put on gravel etc for pics after a fight their lactic acid gets quite high and it can kill the fish if they are not release quickly a good tip told to me by a top NZ guide is get fish to net ASAP wet hands quick cheesy short and then release the fish if your not gonna knock it on the head. A lot of the time the fish will swim away but can die not long after I myself guilty of this when I first took up trout fishing.

[arpie]

Hi LA

I first saw trout fishos in NZ using surgical Hemostats to remove hooks from their trout - the trout was in the net, pic taken, then used the hemostat to remove the hook, tip fish out of net - not even touched!

When not using the hemostat, just 'lock it' onto your shirt/fly vest (those little silver bits on the inside of the hanldes are a 'locking mechanism') so they don't fall off & always ready to use!

Any trout that I catch becomes an instant celebrity tho (lots of pics) & is almost certainly bound for the pot ...... I am much better at catching bream & blackies!

I guess, if putting the fish back, just try to minimise touching the fish - and put it back quickly!

cheers

Roberta