Fish Handling

Essential Equipment:

Carry and use:
a knotless landing net, big enough for the intended species. For pike and zander, special wide mesh nets may be used to minimise tangling with treble hooks. Dual mesh nets also help. The top wide mesh reduces water drag when the net is raised, and the close mesh or sacking base enfolds the fish while ensuring no damage is done to the fins or the scales.
a disgorger and forceps.
a quality unhooking mat suitable for large fish.
a weigh sling or bag in good condition.
anti-bacterial solutions suitable for fish.

Handling:
Always use an unhooking mat spread on a soft flat surface, rather than on uneven or hard bankside (e.g. gravel).

Be aware that watch straps, lapel badges and jewellery could catch on, and damage, a fish.

Minimise the time the fish is out of water, and handle it as little as possible. Covering the head of the fish with a wet cloth or piece of wet netting will help keep it calm and stop it flapping.
Note that deep-hooked fish should survive if the hook cannot be removed. Cut the line as far into the mouth as possible. Do not pull hard on the line and always release the fish immediately.
When releasing a fish, support it carefully in the water, facing upstream (if in a river), until it is ready to swim off naturally. Barbel and grayling may have a particularly long recovery time, and should be supported in the water or held in a landing net until fully recovered.

Respect all fish regardless of size or species.

All eels should be returned alive, as it takes a long time for them to reach specimen size. Eels may become land-locked, in which case they will grow to specimen proportions and provide anglers with an interesting target. Once on the bank all eels should be handled with care. It is particularly important that the protective mucus is not removed in handling; never use newspaper to hold them but lay them on their backs and gently hold in this position for a few moments. The eel will calm down and is unlikely to move from this position. Unhook with forceps, if the eel is hooked in the lips or scissors. If the eel is deep hooked cut the line or trace as close to the eel's lips as possible and release immediately. The eel, under these circumstances, will lose the hook very quickly. Do not attempt to remove deep hooks from eels. The heart and other vital organs are very close to the back of the throat and you may cause fatal injuries if you damage them.

Deep hooked perch should be treated with the same care as you would with eels. Hooklengths or traces should be cut as low down as possible and under no circumstances try to use a deep disgorger to remove deep hooks. In perch, the heart is very close to the back of the throat and it has been shown that fish are much more likely to survive if left to shed the hook naturally.
Never drop or throw fish back into the water.

Sacks, slings, mats, nets and your own hands must all be wetted before use; note a mat left in the sun should be dipped in the water to cool it first. Transfer fish back to the water in a sling or enclosed mat, never carry them.

Photography:
Must also see previous section under Handling.

Select location for photography, position unhooking mat plus wet covering etc, and have camera ready loaded with sufficient film, before bringing the fish onto the bank.

When holding a fish, support it properly and keep it close to the ground, over an unhooking mat. Never stand, as dropping a fish could cause it severe damage.

Photography of eels will be considerably easier if done immediately after the unhooking technique outlined under Handling above.

Sacks & tubes
Use only when necessary, and retain fish for the minimum time possible. Large fish that have been retained for a prolonged period can be difficult to handle, so be prepared.

These accessories should be of a reputable make, with plenty of holes to provide a good water exchange. Ensure that they are clean and in good condition, and check the water flow through them, otherwise fish could be damaged.

In use, secure in deep water only, even at night. In shallow margins fish may suffer or even die due to extremes of temperature or lack of oxygen. Stake out securely, placing only one fish in each sack or tube.

In rivers, ensure that the fish faces upstream.

Check fish regularly, and release them immediately if they show signs of distress. Hold them upright in the water (facing upstream in rivers), until they push off hard of their own accord.

For catfish, zander, perch, big bream and barbel - only tubes should be used, and they must be large enough to properly accommodate the fish. Big bream however, can also be kept safely in large keepnets with 28" diameter rings. Please note that it is also helpful to cover a staked-out keepnet with light, damp sacking or weed. Framed sacks are also suitable.

To help prevent the spread of disease, thoroughly dry all nets and sacks between sessions.

The health and welfare of the fish must always be your first priority.

Keepnets:
Keepnets are only suitable for small shoal fish. Never use for large carp, pike, zander, tench, perch, barbel, catfish or grayling. Large fish are not suited to keepnets because of their size, and others, regardless of size, such as carp and barbel, are unsuited because the serrated front rays of their dorsal fins can be caught and damaged by netting.

Use only when necessary, and retain fish for the shortest time possible.

Locate as with sacks and tubes. A "stake out bar" to prevent the net from collapsing ,or a weight on the end of the net is helpful, when wind or current could move it to the detriment of the fish. In moving water, a rectangular section net helps avoid rolling.

Keepnets must comply with Agency byelaws. Those with a drawstring or zip bottom release are best.

The use of keepnets incorporating 'carp sacking' at the bottom to provide a dark, safe area, is to be encouraged. These are often referred to as 'conservation mesh'

Keepnet Code

Wet hands before holding fish.
Place the fish in the keepnet gently and as quickly as possible.
Once positioned, avoid all unnecessary disturbance.
Retain fish in keepnet for minimum period of time.
Always use the largest keepnet possible.
Do not overcrowd keepnet - when big catches are expected, take two nets.
When safe to do so, on still or shallow waters always peg out the keepnet to prevent collapse.
Always place the keepnet as near to fishing position as possible - preferably immediately in front, so fish can be placed quickly.

When returning the fish to the water or weighing:
Collapse the keepnet and place the fish gently in the weighing as possible bag or back into the water.
Do not slide or tumble fish down the keepnet.

We are indebted to the National Federation of Anglers for permission to use the above keepnet code

Environment Agency Fisheries Byelaws on Keepnets, keepsacks and landing nets

(1) Any person shall be guilty of an offence if he uses:-
(a) a landing net with any knotted meshes or meshes of metallic material.
(b) a keepnet with any knotted meshes or meshes of metallic material, or having any holes in the mesh larger than 25mm internal circumference, or of less than 2.0 metres in length, or with supporting rings or frames greater than 40cm apart (excluding the distance from the top frame to the first supporting ring or frame) or less than 120cm in circumference.
(c) a keepsack not constructed of a soft, dark coloured, non-abrasive, water permeable fabric, or having dimensions of less than 120cm by 90cm if rectangular, or 150cm by 30cm by 40cm if used with a frame or designed with the intention that a frame be used.

(2) Any person shall be guilty of an offence if he retains more than one fish in a single keepsack at any time.
(3) This Byelaw shall not apply to any keepnet or keepsack used for retaining eels which have been legally taken by instruments other than rod and line.
(4) This byelaw was made taking account of the requirement for notification to the European Commission under Council Directive 83/189/EEC.