Fly Fishing in Rockies: Catch and Release Fishing

Fly Fishing in Rockies - Catch and Release Fishing

From REI

A great fly fisher once said, "A wild trout is too valuable to catch only once." If released properly, the fish you catch today will live on to breed and provide opportunity for future anglers. With lower wild-fish populations and the increasing popularity of the sport, releasing fish is vital for both the fish and the angler.

There are 4 primary tenets of catch-and-release fishing:

Use barbless hooks.

Play the fish quickly.

Handle fish gently and remove hook cleanly.

Release and revive fish in slow water.

Step 1: Use Barbless Hooks

Always fish with flies that have barbless hooks. Sometimes you can buy flies tied to barbless hooks, but more often than not you'll need to debarb the hook yourself. With a pair of foreceps or plier, simply crimp down the barb. This simple step makes releasing a caught fish much easier. Unhooking a fish with a barbed hook is doubly as difficult and much more damaging. As you might imagine, it also makes it less painful for the angler should you inadvertently get hooked.

Step 2: Play the Fish Quickly

You've done it. All the work and practice paid off, and you find yourself attached to a fighting fish. Your goal is to bring in the fish as quickly as possible so that it has the energy to recover. Fish played too long may not recover from the process of being caught.

Playing a fish relies heavily on proper leader and rod selection. Ideally, your rod is delicate enough to give you the thrill of the battle while being stout enough to land the fish quickly. It takes a long time to bring a large fish in on a small rod, so it's better to err on the side of an oversized rod rather than undersized. This way you only compromise feel, and not the fish's health.
Use medium-diameter leaders and tippet. You may hear tales of enormous trout landed with ridiculously thin and long leaders, but this challenge comes at the expense of the fish's health. Most of the time, and especially if there is any hint of sediment in the water, medium-size leaders and tippet are preferred since they allow you to play a fish aggressively and without fear of breaking the line. On occasion, thin, long leaders may be necessary to lure very selective or spooky fish in clear water.
Use the rest of your gear to your advantage. If playing a big fish, palm the rim of your reel as the fish strips line off during a big run. This ensures it expends plenty of energy during the run. As it slows down, reel or strip in line to bring the fish closer. Your rod should be nearly vertical, with the tip held high, so that it disperses line tension rather than having the line bear all the weight. A lowered rod tip is often the quickest way to lose a fish and your fly. On stubborn, energetic fish, try arching your rod slowly from left to right. This turns the fish's head and disorients it slightly, allowing for easier landing.
Look for the fish's head to come out of the water readily and play it long enough so that it no longer sprints off. At this point, it's fatigued just enough to bring in and let go. Smaller fish (under 15" or so) are an exception to this rule since your gear is stout enough to easily land and unhook them without needing to tire them out first.

Step 3: Handle Fish Gently and Remove Hook Cleanly

Fish are delicate creatures. While they can endure being hooked and reeled in, they do not do well breathing fresh air or being handled excessively. Most fish have a protective "slime coat" that is easily damaged by touch. A compromised slime coat is susceptible to parasitic and fungal attacks. Gills are another sensitive area. Never grab or touch a fish by the gills or gill coverings. When handling fish, never squeeze. This can bruise their internal organs. Also, keep in mind that fish mortality significantly increases the longer a fish is held out of water.

To remove the hook, use either your fingers, a pair of forceps or needle-nose pliers, or a specially designed fly-removal tool. When using your fingers, forceps or pliers, pinch the hook at its base, closest to where it enters the fish's body. This gives you the best leverage. Slip it out with the flick of your wrist. Grabbing a fly towards the front or eye of the hook makes for sloppy removal. When using a fly-removal tool such as the Ketchem Release, follow the instructions that come with the product. Many fish need not even leave the water or be touched.
If the fish is large or you're fishing from a boat, use a net. Some nets are specially designed for catch-and-release fishing. They typically have a fine, soft mesh and a shallow bag. Used properly, they won't remove the slime coat of a fish. For the more traditional deep-bag nets, tie the excess in a knot so that the fish won't get tangled in the bottom, having lost its entire slime coat getting there.
To temporarily immobilize larger fish, turn them upside down. Wet your hands before touching the fish to protect its slime coat. Gently grab around the belly and tip upside down with one hand while using your other hand to slip out the hook.
Some saltwater and warm species such as bass can be temporarily paralyzed by grabbing the lower jaw, enabling you to remove the hook. (Don't do this with toothy fish such as musky or salmon. Use pliers to remove the hook so as to protect your hands.)
Typically, fish are hooked in the mouth. Sometimes, however, the fly gets lodged internally or in the gills. In these cases, it is very difficult to remove without serious injury to the fish, so simply cut the tippet as close to the fly as possible and leave the hook in. It will rust out over time.

Step 4: Release and Revive Fish in Slow Water

After a long fight, a fish can be tired and starved for oxygen. Taking care in this final step of catch-and-release can mean the difference between survival or death.

Release a fish in slow water with the head facing the current so that it can regain its equilibrium. A fatigued fish released in fast water may be rushed downstream sideways or upside down, bouncing off rocks as it goes.
For exhausted fish, practice fish resuscitation by moving water over the gills to replenish the fish's oxygen supply. This can be done by either holding a fish steady in a mild current or, in still water, by gently holding the tail and section just behind the head and rocking the fish front to back until it has enough energy to swim away.

Successfully releasing a fish efficiently and unharmed is part of the art of fly fishing. It takes some practice and a little know-how. If you are just learning, having an experienced fly angler show you a few tricks is an invaluable help and means less fish are risked in the learning process. Once you master releasing fish, teach those around you and take pleasure in knowing the fish you caught today will be swimming tomorrow.

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