Re-release of your catches
Everyone will eventually have to release fish. This could be caught dead, undersized, colored fish or other protected fish that you, for one reason or another, should not bring home.
It is of course important that the fish that are to be released are treated with the utmost care to give them the best possible chance of survival. Here, the right equipment and accessories can make it easier for you to care for the fish.
The fish you release will in the future help to increase the fish population through subsequent spawning. Dead fish do not contribute to the population, which is why you as an angler have a responsibility. Careful handling and release is important for the fish to survive.
When a fish is caught and handled, it is exposed to great stress. When the fish is fought, it tries to escape the hook, which causes lactic acid to build up in the fish. The actual catching and handling is further stressful and abnormal for it. It can take up to a full day before the fish is fully recovered, and during this period there is a risk that the fish will die.
However, you can reduce this risk if you take special precautions.
Always make sure to have wet hands or wear wet cotton gloves when handling the fish, this will avoid damaging the fish's natural mucus layer too much.
It is not without importance where the fish is hooked. The further it is hooked, the greater the chances of it surviving. Here, your gear and accessories can have an impact on how easily you get the hook out.
If the fish is hooked in the throat or gills and is bleeding heavily from the hook wound, it should be killed. Undersized fish should, however, be released in all circumstances.
Remember that you can easily unhook a fish without lifting the fish out of the water. If it is necessary to lift the fish out of the water, this should be done quickly. For the fish, being above water feels the same as having your head under water does for you. If the fish has been lifted out of the water, release it by carefully lifting it back into its proper element and 'give it artificial respiration' by leading the fish forward in the water so that water passes past the gills. It is important that you do not lead the fish back and forth in the water, as this will prevent the fish from getting oxygen to the gills.
In freezing weather, fish should never be lifted out of the water as this can damage their eyes.
There are of course many more precautions depending on the type of fish and water temperatures, but here you were introduced to the most general ones.
See our selection of accessories for your fishing trip here .
