Catch and release fishing - how to increase the chance of survival for the fish

The Inland Fisheries Service believes that everyone has the right to take a fish home for a feed, as long as they are keeping within the rules and regulations. However there are anglers who like to fish for fun and do not wish to kill a fish but release it instead. Catch and release has gained in popularity over the years and there are many anglers who seldom kill the fish they catch. East Rocky Lagoon in the Nineteen Lagoons area is a fishery that has a zero bag limit and therefore any fishing practised there would be catch and release.

There is little point in releasing a fish if it is to die anyway, so ensuring that you give a fish the best chance of living after capture is vital. So how do you maximise a fishs' chance of survival after release? Much has been written on this topic and there are as many schools of thought on this as there are types of fish that people catch. The following guidelines come from 'Catch-and-release angling: A review with guidelines for proper fish handling practices'  from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (S.J. Casselman, Fisheries Section, Fish and Wildlife Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 2005).

Angling techniques

• Circle hooks should be used as they will minimise the chance of deep hooking.
• Barbless hooks are recommended as they are easier to remove and therefore reduce handling time.
• The use of live/organic bait should be discouraged as it increases the likelihood of deep hooking.
• The use of artificial lures should be encouraged.
• Fishing lines must not be left unattended as unattended lines have a greater chance of gut hooking the fish.
• Fishing line appropriate to the species being sought should be used. This will reduce the playing time and the risk of the line breaking.
• Avoid angling during extreme water temperatures, both hot and cold, if you plan to release the fish. Extreme temperatures will increase the stress on fish.

• Hooked fish should be retrieved as quickly as possible to prevent fish exhaustion.
• Fish should be landed by hand where possible. Wet your hands first.

Where

• a landing net is required it should be knottless and preferably made of rubber.

• If there is current, hold the fish upright, facing into the current.
• If there isn't any current, gently move fish back and forth in the water until gill movements return to normal and it is able to maintain balance.
• When the fish begins to struggle, let it swim away.