Catch, Photograph & Release !!

Catch and Release - How to do it Properly.

By William D. Anderson

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Fish need to move their gills to breath. If they are out of breath, they lack the energy to move which prevents them from taking in more oxygen. Some fish are so out of breath after fighting an angler that they can't move their gills to force water over them. When this occurs they are unable to breathe and they die. If you wind up with a big one on the end of your line, sometimes you have no choice but to fight the fish. When this happens and the fish runs out of energy, he can be revived. Place the fish in the water belly down and gently grasp him by the tail. If you're in a river, point him up stream. Slowly move him back and forth until he lets you know he's ready to take off. Be careful not to remove any of his protective coating. Most of the time they'll kick loose and swim away, but other times you'll need to repeat this more than once. Try not to let the fish go until he's ready. This is very important in current because he can be carried into rocks or other objects and be injured.

I've also heard people argue that fish don't need to move to breath. They mention fish that sit in weed pockets as examples. Those fish aren't expending energy or burning oxygen like they would be if they were on the end of your line. They also have enough energy to move their gills as needed.

There is one exception to the rule of bringing the fish in quickly and that is when you hook a fish at a depth of around 30 feet or greater. Any one who's ever had scuba training knows that if a diver comes up too fast from great depths too quickly, he will get what's called "the bends". Something similar can happen to fish and it's almost always fatal. If you're going to be catching fish from great depths, it often best to keep them. If you're out for sport, it's best to target shallower fish. It's very difficult to ensure that a fish brought up quickly from 30 feet or more will live.