Keep Fish Wet

Right where the hands go...

I’ve noticed over the years we’re all getting better at fooling fish. It’s an arms race. An unending amount of how to videos, books, magazines, not to mention just cumulative time on the water testing new techniques. It’s no longer that intimidating to start fly fishing and have success relatively quickly. I remember when I started. I bought a kit rod in high school, and some blue gill poppers. No YouTube to learn from. Certainly nobody in my family in the rural deep south hollers I grew up in had ever used one. Hell, I hadn’t seen one until I walked by it in a sporting goods store, with some cash burning a hole in my pocket. I had to figure it out on my own. Days and days went by before I could even figure out how to rig it properly, let alone cast the damn thing and catch something. Now, an angler can purchase and learn how to use a fly rod all from their fingertips in an afternoon. I wish modern newcomers to the sport could have the same struggles. They’re missing something special. That moment when, after weeks of trying to figure out how to cast on my own, it all came together and a whopper crappie destroyed my popper, is a moment I will never forget. 

The point is, we’re getting better at catching fish. We still get humbled, no doubt, but on average we’re catching a lot of fish. And this means we’re handling a lot of fish. And while there are zillions of how to videos, there’s really not a lot of discussion taking place on how to properly handle fish in order to ensure that fish swims away healthy and with good prospects of surviving, despite there being signs on more and more fish that we’re doing something wrong. Because we’re catching so many fish, this is becoming critically important to the health of our fishery. 

I’ll be the first one here to admit, I haven’t always done the best that I can. Some of it was ignorance. Some of it is laziness. A lot of it is difficulty. It's easier said than done to handle fish safely in a moving boat on a fast river. Certainly, I've never seen or heard any recommendations from my industry how how to do this properly to incoming guides. And honestly, I’m ashamed to look back at some pictures. If I’m going to catch a fish, I owe it to the fish and to the next angler to make sure that it’s in as good a condition as I found it. What prompted this realization? Over the last couple of years, I’ve netted fish with fungal infections, dismembered jaws, missing jaws, etc. More and more fish that are less than photogenic recently. All angler caused. No question. Too many of them. Maybe even some of them from my own actions. This can’t persist. How many were so improperly handled that they didn’t make it? I see more dead fish on the bottom than I used to in the summer, and I’m absolutely sure that’s largely from over handling. I don’t think it’s intentional. I think it’s mostly laziness mixed with some ignorance. Both of which can be remedied. And if it doesn’t change, more and more will look like they’ve been subjected to torture or die. Not a great way to treat your business partners.

Angler caused mandible removal.

As I think about it, wading recreational anglers are probably less impactful than those in boats when it comes to releasing fish in good condition. And the category of angler who is having the most negative impact on fish through improper handling are guides. Over the last decade here on the Upper Madison, guides have had a target on their backs from many directions, especially concerning recreational use management. Some warranted in my opinion. Others not. But in this case, we’re the ones in boats, being paid to put anglers on fish. In the summer, we make up over 70% of use. Wading anglers usually have nets, are already positioned in the water and so if the fish flops out of their hands or net, off they swim.

For us, we net a fish, bring it in the boat, dodge a rock, untangle the leader from around my oar or neck, the fish is still flopping in the net…I reach in to grab it, hands dry because how am I supposed to wet my hands will all this chaos going on? I found the hook…damn, forgot to debarb it (Why do flies still come with barbs anyway? More on that in a second.). Now I’ve got to squeeze the fish a little more so it sits still. Grab my hemostats, where did they go? There they are, on the cooler. Reach in, yank the hook. Oops, another boulder coming. Row away from that a second. What’s that, Bob, you want a picture? Uh, ok, uh Jim, grab Bob’s camera would ya? Meanwhile the fish is still flopping in the net. Ok, Bob, here ya go. Hand the fish to Bob, hands also dry. Bob holds the fish up. Say cheese! Oh shit, fish flops, bangs on the bottom of the fiberglass boat. Concussion protocol. Quickly reach, grab fish, toss fish back in the river several hundred yards from his holding spot. See ya later, on to the next one.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the riffle, that 12” rainbow trout, dizzied from the otherworldly experience, struggles in the current. Highly susceptible to Osprey attack now. Although it really needs a second to right itself, the Upper Madison waits for no one and it struggles to not go belly up in the 4 mph current. All the dry contact to its skin now allows infections to take hold and it eventually covers its gills. Belly up. Morte. 

Now, they obviously don’t all go that way. This is what I would consider a worst case scenario. But I think you’d be shocked at how many on a daily basis in guide boats DO go that way. And if it’s a whitefish? Oh man, the protocol I see so often is to reach in the next grab it quick, dry hands remember, and squeeze the living shit out of it, because if you’ve ever handled a whitefish you know they get a little wiggly. Once the hook is removed they’re promptly disposed of. Sometimes with a championship level cornhole toss, 5 feet in the air. Splash. Not a second thought given. 

Again, not all guides struggle like this. But many do. We can do better. In my opinion, we're obligated to do better. Too much of our attention is focused on putting fish in the net. I know, that's our job, but we're ignoring the cost of our neglect. And we guides are the biggest contributors to overhandled or mishandled fish. I just don't think that's debatable. We catch the most fish. Most of the time. And with the number of anglers skyrocketing on guided trips, combined with our improved catch rates, our fish are looking more and more like cyborgs because of all the mishandling. Again, our intentions aren’t bad. We’ve got a lot going on. A lot of pressure from anglers for photos of 12” fish. Rocks to dodge. It's hard to wet hands and row at the same time. On and on. But we can do better if we try. If we care enough. If we’re adamant enough. If we are clear at the start of each day about how handling fish is going to go. If we caution people that most of the time pictures on the boat aren’t going to be possible while also making sure that fish has the best chance of survival and we don’t go down like the Titanic on a boulder. Yes, I realize fishing is naturally a blood sport to some degree. That doesn't change my opinion at all on our obligation to treat our resources with the utmost respect. If we educate and teach anglers proper protocol. Maybe I need to keep a shallow bucket of water available to wet hands? Worth a try. The point is, we have the ability, knowledge, and audience to advocate for our fisheries and many times we just don’t, because it’s hard to do that day in and day out. 

The folks over at Keep Fish Wet do a fantastic job of promoting the use of science-based best practices to catch, handle, and release fish. According to them, (PhD's in fisheries, so they know a thing or ten about the topic) “science shows that even small changes in how an angler catches, handles, and releases a fish can have positive outcomes once that fish swims away. Not only does using best practices increase survival rates of fish, but it also helps fish return to their normal behavior as quickly as possible after release. Using best practices for catch-and-release is a quick and effective way to put conservation into practice.”

I would encourage you to visit their website (HERE), and peruse their collected articles on the science of fish health and properly handling fish. So much solid material. It will really open your eyes. 

There are 3 main principles they advocate for, backed by science, which will contribute to positive outcomes for fish health: minimizing air exposure, eliminating contact with dry surfaces, and reducing handling time.

Some of the tips they share may seem obvious, but are nonetheless important

Avoid spawning fish

Use extra caution or limit fishing in warm water

Use barbless hooks

Use rubber nets

Use hook removal devices instead of hands

Limit fighting time

Hold fish in or over water

Grip fish carefully

Photograph wet fish

Why barbless hooks aren’t more popular in fly bins I have no idea. What if fly shops kept a set of hemostats at the counter with a “Go Barbless” sign right there to encourage anglers to debarb them before they leave? Anyway, using barbless flies is critical. If nothing else, it reduces handling time significantly. One of the most tired arguments I hear from other guides is “I have beginners so I want the barb.” I used to buy that. I used to do that. But truthfully, it’s a bullshit argument. We need to teach our anglers how to fight fish properly, not rely on a barb as a crutch. Fair chase. When a fish is caught with a barbed fly, there’s a far higher likelihood that the fish is damaged by the over handling involved in yanking to get the fly out. If it’s barbless, it pops out sometimes without even needing to handle it. Please, debarb your flies!

So, if you’re in my boat this summer, there will be changes to fish handling. I’ve seen enough infected, deformed fish. If it’s possible to get a photograph, I’ll let you know. I’ll have a protocol for that and we’ll chat about it in the morning. If not, take a picture with your mind. The challenge for us guides is developing a protocol and sticking with it day in and day out. The pressure to provide customers with a photo when they ask is great sometimes. But we cannot lose sight of the priority. Getting that fish back into the water quickly and safely. Whitefish too. If I’m slacking one day, and one of you sees me violating this code of ethics, I fully expect you to let me know. We need to be accountable.