Anglers must take more care with their fish
We
all love to see a good bag of fish, and if you are the captor, perhaps
a nice photo for the album or to show your mates in the pub. Indeed, it
may even make the press.
How often have you read in an angling publication: ‘Improve your
catch-rate’? I am sure it will be many times, but I cannot recollect
many stories relating on how to handle your fish safely and stress-free.
In trout fishing, you are allowed to catch a limit, which may be two or
eight fish, and you are required to dispatch this fixed number of fish
humanely as all part of the game.
In the big competitions, the limit can rise to 10 trout, then, if you
are successful, the magazine photographer soon has you posing with your
catch.
Guaranteed he will want the trout all facing the same way to make everything
uniform - the fish are dead so it saves them from any stress during this
process.
But more and more trout fisheries have sporting tickets which allow catch
and release (C and R) and just like our coarse fishing brethren, we can
return our quarry unharmed back to the water to fight again.
This is something I love to see and always opt for, apart from trout fishing
boat competitions.
Here, there is no place for C and R unless done correctly with proper
controllers, otherwise it is open to abuse.
When fish are being returned, photographs upset me when a good bag of
coarse fish is arranged in the manner described above.
I know just how long it can take to arrange dead fish for that perfect
picture - let alone living fish.
One of the issues that trouble the anti-fishing brigade, such as PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), is the returning of the
fish after capture, not the fishing itself.
It is the so-called suffering we anglers inflict only to release the fish
to be caught another day.
If we were to kill them for the table (within reason) it seems there would
be no real problem for these people; it’s the ‘putting back’
that makes them aggrieved - using a living creature for sport.
I remember seeing an article covering a course fishing World Championship
years ago. All the fish caught by the competitors were not placed in keep
nets, but retained in a sack (out of the water) beside the angler, which
I found disturbing.
The reason was that the host country did not allow fish to be held in
keep nets.
In this country, there was an occasion where a US team refused to take
part in the 1987 World Fly fishing Championships because the rules said
they would have to kill the fish they caught.
It is something abhorred in the States where they are fanatical about
angling and C and R is carried out religiously nationwide.
Nowadays, all World and Euro Fly fishing competitions are C and R and
everyone involved seems to be happy.
Fishing the river Wye at Bakewell, a chap watched me catch a lovely grayling
of around 2lb.
He seemed interested as I showed him how beautiful these fish are then
quickly and safely returned it back to the water.
This guy went berserk! “I think you should be ashamed of yourself,”
he said. “You should kill it.”
I asked why. “Because its cruel for you to make it available to be
caught again and again,” he added.
It was a good job he never saw me catch the 20 odd trout I slipped-back
before he popped up, I thought.
There was no way I could reason with this guy (definitely a member of
some sort of anti campaign).
Nor would he listen as I tried to calmly explain the nature of returning
the fish and how I always used barbless hooks, Micro mesh net, wet hands,
to minimum stress caused to the fish. Nor did he listen to what I told
him in regard to what we anglers do for the environment.
I could understand some form of criticism had I been careless in the way
I handled the fish, but this was not the case.
One thing I love to see is the fish swimming away unharmed after giving
me sport, and yes, to be caught again and again - all provided it is done
correctly.
If you run a 100 metres then hold your breath for as long as possible,
this is roughly what a fish has to go through when hooked then netted.
And, before it’s unhooked, it has basically been suffocating until
it’s returned to the water.
The same goes for a keep net - it still has to hold its breath, in a sense,when
taken out of the water.
Game fish or coarse, please catch it, admire it, take your picture or
weigh it and put them back safely into the water as quickly as possible.
And please don’t hold a fish where you are applying pressure to the
gills - another practice often seen.
I know the majority of anglers do respect their catch, but there are the
few who don't, and need educating. This is for their benefit and for others
who may need reminding.
It has been scientifically proven (has it not?) that fish don't feel pain,
but is it right to put a fish under unnecessary stress?
How often do you ponder on pictures of fish in an angling publication
etc, all lined-up for the camera with the proud angler lying alongside
his or her catch displaying fish clearly gasping for oxygen?
It is fair enough that this type of picture will continue, so long as
we use common sense and give the fish respect.
Notice Board
Child
protection and first aid workshops. Joint Angling Governing Bodies (JAGB)
child protection and first aid workshops are due to be held at Sandhill
Lake Adventure Base, Worksop on Sunday 7th March.
The workshops are available to any member of the general public who is
involved in working with children or vulnerable adults (for example, coaches
or youth club leaders).
For further information, or application forms, please contact Glyn Williams
on 01909 501030.
Angling Course. Ken Stevenson’s angling course is continuing at the Gateford, Worksop on Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm.
Round-up
Greyhound
Angling Club held their final winter league match at Carvale, Bolsover.
Arthur Bird took the honours with 3lb 12oz of mixed fish in a close run
competition using a waggler and maggot combination from peg 14.
Second was Cliff Brailsford with 2lb 12oz using similar tactics on peg
16 while Bret Northage 2lb 11oz, who chose maggot feeder on peg 18, was
third followed by Malcomb Aldred (2lb 6oz from peg 17).
The final aggregate results saw Keith Morris (16 points) emerge as the
winner from Alan Sargeson (18) and Tracey Dickenson (20).
If you want to get in contact with Martin to give him any results, stories or information, you can e-mail him at martintrona@aol.com