RETURNING FISH

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:31 am

A few inconsiderate anglers persist in throwing unwanted fish back into the water. Some fish like, pout, poor cod, whiting etc, can be damaged this way. The correct method is to walk into water at least a foot deep and preferably beyond the surf if possible, support the fish in the open palms of the hand along the belly and tail facing into the oncoming water, and simply hold it there until it swims away. It takes only a few seconds before the fish readjusts itself and is gone.

Watch out for dogfish which have a habit of swimming back inwards towards you after release. If you walk them out into deeper water this will not occur. Likewise pout!

Rock marks often sees the angler many feet from the water and returning fish like wrasse and pollack needs a different approach. Here, you use any available rock pools that are deep enough and near the low water line to leave the fish in until the flooding tide frees them. They come to no harm and even big fish like huss and conger will stay dormant and patient until the tide arrives.

The boat is the same. Dropping a fish overboard should be avoided. Hold the fish by the tail and pectoral or dorsal fin in the case of tope, smoothounds and the like, or with the open palm supporting the belly with round fish, and just lower it into the water and hold it until it voluntarily swims away of it's own free will. The head should again point into the oncoming tide, ie, towards the bow. This applies to small fish like whiting too, that need to be placed in the water on return, not dropped!

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:26 pm

Hi Essexman, as you are describing various methods for returning fish to the briny, maybe you could enlighten/clarify the following. I was told quite a while ago when returning fish to the water not to move the fish backwards and forwards prior to release. Something to do with osmosis,whatever that may be. Just hold the fish into the tide until it "kicks" then let it go.

Any views on this query?

cheers seddo. :? :? :? :?

Member Joined: Dec 02, 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Dorset

Hi Guys

Any advice on returning fish that have the bends, (swim bladders extended through mouth) due to being brought up from depth while boat fishing.

pollock, wrasse, pouts and poor cod while species hunting

I have tried reeling in slowly but this does not always work.

Wrecking for pollock and ling in particular it seems that you have to keep them all great sport but seeems a shame to kill all of them

Any thoughts

Guest

Seddo, osmosis is a process of liquid/gas exchange through a porus surface.The backwards forwards motion would affect this even though it occurs at molecular level. I would think that effectively forcing water over the gill surfaces would not allow as much oxygen to be extracted.

Raytheray, If a fish has a damaged swim bladder, the best thing that you can do is put it out of its misery. It is very rare that a fish will recover from this type of trauma so killing it is probably kinder. A sharp tap to the top of the head will suffice. A proper priest is best but I use a motorcycle tyre iron which seems to do just as well.

Guest

Dunc. I've sent you a reply via PM. Apparently according to the AOL lady(Joanna Lumley, I'm sure) I've got company.

Guest

Definately Joanna! I've replied likewise. You could always double click on my name on the buddy list and IM me! :lol:

Guest

I am no longer an IM virgin :lol:

Guest

Welcome to the club! You could add Stuartdv to your buddy list too!

Guest

But only if I had his email.

I've got Screaming's mobile number if you want to send an obscene text message :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Guest

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Guest

So it was you :lol: :lol:

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They'll think theres something wrong-we're keeping all the bo**ocks for IMs PMs and e-mails! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:43 pm

DuncBooth5. Cheers for the explanation re my query osmosis.

Its great to think that there are guys out there that find the time and make the effort to help others whether it is fishing related or otherwise.

Thanks again.

Seddo happy

Guest

No worries Seddo. If you want to see osmosis in action, just put some salt on a slug! A slug tries to keep a moisture balance between the inside and outside of it's body. When you put the salt on (a dessicant-it's dry so it will absorb moisture) the slugs body tries to equalise the inner and outer moisture content and consequently dies trying! Think of a piece of clingfilm with holes in it. Only molecules the same size as the holes or smaller can get through in either direction. Its the same process by which oxygen gets into our bloodstream when we breathe.

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:10 pm

Re off the rocks, if they're small enough you can try hanging them from a grip lead through the gils and lowering down. Shouldn't bother with conger, you just know what's going to happen.

Re swimbladders, I seen one guy on the boats expound his theory they only need a little pressure to equalise it. He then hurled the small fish downward, like a dart, into the oggin. We both saw it at four feet deep, it swam away. Others just floated on the surface where we dropped them.

Re mobile phones, the cheat for Slippy the Snake is accessed by pressing menu / 4 / 8 / 1 / 8. MK