Proper Fish Handling & Etiquette

Whats up fellow flyfishing bums, this is Clark. Some of you may know me as chasingbrowns from Instagram. A little background info about me if your curious. I've been flyfishing since I was 6 years old, I saw A River Runs Through It, and I knew instantly I wanted to do that. Since then I have fished on and off over the years sometimes much more than others and recently over the last two years I've gotten pretty deep you could say. I reside in the Lehigh Valley and fish all over the state of Pennsylvania. If it's not completely obvious chasing big wild browns is what keeps me going, and I also love secluded native brook trout streams. Well I better stop there, that's plenty about me.

Fish Handling
The main topic I want to discuss is fish handling. Now first off, in no means am I an expert on everything and feel free to share or add anything you like. Basically it goes down like this, as the internet continues to grow along with fishing as a sport, I've begun to notice some disturbing things. Some of these include atrocious fish handling, poor fish care, people blowing up spots and poor etiquette in general. Things like fish on dry rocks(which I am ashamed to say I did years ago), fish out of water for long periods and the death grip (people squeezing fish until they look like they're going to pop).

Here's how it goes down, first and foremost, fishing should be all about the fish. Even with proper fish handling and doing all you can to be gently with the fish, there are still fish mortalities. As anglers, we can only take the most precautions to minimize this as much as possible.

So here are my suggestions, tips or whatever you want to call it.
1.       Keep fish in the water as much as possible, the fish is worth more than the picture. If you want to get a picture, keep the fish in the net, underwater, and get your camera ready. Lift the fish out of the water, snap a picture, then return it to the net. You can do this a few times if your first picture doesn't come out like you'd like, but the more handling of the fish, the worse it is for them. You can minimize this by getting your camera settings right before you catch something. We do this by taking a picture of someone holding an air fish (or their rod), and adjust our ISO, aperature, etc. accordingly. That way, when you catch that 20" slob on a streamer and all hell has broken loose, you're ready to capture the moment as quickly and safely as possible.

2.       Wet your hands before handling fish, to prevent damage to their slime layer. Many fish (brook trout and musky especially) have a protective slime layer around their body that prevents them from infectious diseases. Removing this with dry hands, gloves, or something similar will compromise the fish's ability to survive. Try to keep your line from wrapping around the fish. Rubber net bags help immensely as well. If you can take a picture of the fish in the water by holding your line, then release the fish after, that is the safest approach.

3.       Use barbless hooks. Barbs are just no good, plain and simple. Whether youre brookie fishing, or musky fishing, you just shouldn't use barbs. The take longer to remove, cause more trauma to the fish, and are simply a nuissance. Not to mention, snags come out easier, and when you bury that size 6 gami into your neck, it will come out much easier. And remember, the smaller diameter of the shank, the better for the fish

4.       Do not put fish on the bank, EVER. Whether its dry grass, mud or rocks, this will also remove the slime layer and cause damage. If you are holding a fish above dry land, when they flop out of your hands and fall onto the rocks, no bueno.

5.       Do not target spawning fish for the sake of them and future fish. If you see a redd, avoid fishing it or walking near it. Plain and simple, the fish deserve to be left alone when they are spawning.

6.       Do not fish in warm water. This goes for trout mostly, when the water temps are above 70 degrees, the lack of oxygen puts way too much stress on fish. When fishing in warmer temps, don't play the fish too long, as it stresses them out. Once you've landed it, safely return the fish to the water and allow it time to recover by moving it back and forth to allow water (oxygen) to move through it's gills.  Vice versa, when it is extremely cold, keep the fish IN THE WATER. Even a couple seconds outside of the water in freezing temperatures will kill a fish. The water in their gills will freeze, and though they might swim away, they will die shortly after.

7.       Don't snag fish like a moron. If you ever see someone snagging fish, it is in the fishermans handbook that you're allowed to smack them right upside the head. There's just no need for it.

Lastly, educate yourself, ask questions and read whatever you can get your hands on. There is a wealth of knowledge out there just a few clicks away.

Stream Etiquette and Spot Burning

To me this is a little less important than the well being of the fish but a relevant topic none the less.
Basic stream etiquette to me includes being friendly to others on the water, yes even bait fisherman and always and especially kids. Another thing which you would think would be common sense is to give someone their space, if you see someone in a spot don't go in right where they are and blow up their spot. If you want to chat stay off the water and be polite , splashing around and trying to catch the fish they are targeting is shameful at best. Fishing elbows to assholes is for the opening day clown squad.

As far as spot burning goes its a touchy subject. In my opinion I like to share a few spots and tips with people and enjoy others catching fish and enjoying the sport. however sharing with the wrong person is like taking a stick of dynamite to your favorite hole sticking it in the biggest fishes mouth and blowing everything up.  There are a few people I share my secret spots with but the list is short, and I still have a few secrets. I feel like you need to be careful who you share with and what you tell them. The internet and social media these days can blow up a spot within days.

- Clark