Releasing Fish "Remember that not only must the fish be released, it should also survive." By Ed Russell It's safe to say that a great many light tackle anglers release more of their catch than they keep. In fact, catch and release fishing has become almost a religion to many fly fishermen. Some never actually take a fish home to eat, and look with horror upon those that do. Not me! While I subscribe heartily to the premise of releasing most of my catch, I have no compunctions whatsoever about keeping a few fish for my table. If you are planning to keep a fish, how you handle him is of little importance, since his ultimate destination is the cooler. It's a different story when you plan on releasing your catch. Remember that not only must the fish be released, it should also survive. Unfortunately, such is not always the case. Many fish are released and swim away, only to die later. How you handle a fish is very important. I have witnessed "fishermen" catch a protected species from a bridge or the catwalk of a dam. Since the fish in question must be released, the typical angler hauls the fish up with a net, jerks the hook from its mouth (often from its gullet) and then tosses it back. Since this toss can be a drop of forty or fifty feet, what do you suppose the survival rate is? Although this is an extreme example, and not a situation a true sportsman will likely face, how much different is it from this scenario. You have just caught a really big whatever. Because it is out of season, or because you simply don't want to kill it, you will release it. But first, you want to record the event. After searching through your fishing vest, you finally find a tape measure. While a friend holds the fish, you measure its length and girth. Then for a picture! You dig out your camera and now you hold the fish while your friend (after some emergency picture taking instruction) takes several photos. Now you'll release the fish. You put it back into the water, swish it around a few times and finally, you watch it swim away, smug in the knowledge that you have released the fish to fight another day. But have you? In the forgoing episode, several errors were committed. First, handling the fish as much as indicated may result in internal injuries, and almost certainly will damage the protective slime layer opening up the real possibility of a deadly fungal infection. Another error is the time the fish was out of the water. Understandably, just about everyone wants to record an impressive catch, but the time the fish is out of water should be extremely limited. Consider this - fish can't breath air, you can't breath water. A good trick to remember is every time you lift a fish from water, hold your breath. This will give you a very real perspective for what the fish is experiencing. Actually, the less you can handle the fish the better. If you don't want a photo, it's best to release the fish without ever lifting him from his element. This can be accomplished several ways. First, for smaller fish, including bass, trout and many saltwater species, I recommend a Ketchum (tm) Release. Manufactured by The Waterworks Company. This simple device consists of a short slotted tube attached at an angle to a handle. To use it, simply slip the tube over the leader, run it down over the fly and push. The fly will pop free and you don't have to touch the fish. It's one of those "why didn't someone think of this sooner" ideas. Very easy to use, inexpensive and available in sizes to suit everything from billfish flies to midges, it really works. On smaller species, hemostats often work well. They are a little difficult to use on a fish in the water, but it can be done. One company (Dr. Slick) markets a hemostat with a tube similar to that used on the Ketchum release welded to one jaw. Although I haven't used it, it looks good. Be sure to limit the amount of time that your catch is out of the water. A good trick to remember is every time you lift a fish from water, hold your breath. This will give you a very real perspective for what the fish is experiencing. Release nets are another good idea. Having shallow net bags made from ventilated nylon with no knots, they do little harm to a fish. It's easy to lift a trout or bass from the water with one of these and use long nose pliers or hemostats to remove the hook. The fish can then be put back without ever being touched. Another net that does little damage has a rubber bag. These nets are usually intended for larger species, and do not stow as easily as those with a mesh bag, but they don't seem to damage the fish, and the much larger rubber "mesh" doesn't entangle hooks nearly as bad. Of course, it is assumed that you will be using barbless hooks if you plan to release your catch. They do make unhooking much easier, and I can see no disadvantage to using them. Some studies indicate that hook penetration is actually better with barbless hooks than with those sporting barbs. Personally, I find myself either buying barbless hooks or pinching down the barb as a matter of course. If you feel that you may loose fish on a barbless hook, you could "split the difference" and use hooks with a micro barb that are produced by several manufacturers. "As a last resort, if you must handle a fish, you can minimize its struggles by holding it upside down with your hand placed at midpoint on its body. For whatever reason, fish held in this position seldom struggle much." Bigger fish, especially saltwater varieties, many of which have teeth, present a different problem. The trick is to immobilize them without hurting them. In my humble opinion, the best tool ever invented to aid in this process is the Boga Grip manufactured by Estaboga Tackle. Consisting of a pair of spring loaded "pincers" and incorporating an accurate spring scale in the handle, I now consider this tool to be indispensable. In use, you simply draw back the jaws with your thumb, put one jaw into the fish's mouth and release the jaws. Bingo! You have control of the fish. You can reach down and remove the hook with the fish in the water, or lift him for a picture. One big advantage is that although the fish is captured and controlled, you can keep it in the water while you ready your camera. With this setup, you can get a number of shots without harming the fish. Unlike a technique used by many bass anglers whereby they would lift a bass by the jaw and then turn it horizontally to look at it, the direct pull by the Boga Grip does not unduly stress the fish's jaw. While most fish respond favorably to being "swished" back and forth in the water as a revival technique, some do not. All members of the tuna family lack the means for pushing water through their gills with muscular action. These fish must swim constantly to breathe. So, if you fish for False Albacore, or Bonita, for example you must release them aggressively. To do this, lift the fish up in the air and plunge it quickly back into the water, nose first, at about a forty-five degree angle. Do this forcibly. The water forced through the fish's mouth in this manner usually will give it a "jump start". One last caveat regarding this particular class of fish. All tuna are exceptionally strong fighters. On tackle that is too light, they will literally fight to exhaustion, and generally die. Water temperature plays a big part in a fish's survival. Spawning striped bass, for example, are fairly fragile while in fresh water. Should the water temperature be much over 60 degrees, the survival rate of a caught and released striper drops dramatically. In fact, stripers don't tolerate warm water wherever they are caught. Current studies indicate that as much as a third of the recreationally caught stripers die within a week of being released when the water temperatures reach beyond 75 degrees. When the bay waters top 80 degrees, as they frequently do in the lower bay in late summer, a released striper will probably not survive. Tackle also plays a big part. Well known hunting writers have often advised their readers to "use enough gun". The meaning of course was to use a cartridge capable of killing whatever the quarry was quickly and humanely. This premise can be carried over to fishing. Ultra light tackle may magnify the fight, possibly affording the angler more fun, but it kills fish! Protracted battles allow a buildup of lactic acid in game fish, hastening their demise. When you intend to release your catch, use equipment that will not prolong the fight and learn to use the proper techniques to land a fish quickly. It's a lot more fun to land a worthy fish and release it secure in the knowledge that you have done everything possible to ensure its survival, than it is to see a "released" fish slowly sink from sight belly up. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Millis ini terselengara berkat dukungan PT. KreatifNet - The WebDesign Company http://www.kreatif.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website mancing-l at http://www.MancingL.com --> Fishing information, online chat, forum discusion, clasifiedads, etc MancingL Archive at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ** Save Bandwidth... potong berita yang tidak perlu **
