Killing fish

[phill_itofish]

Ok guys whats the best way to kill your catch ?? caught a flattie of friday and it just wouldnt stop flapping !

[Mogthemackem]

If you cut just behine the head of a flattie you can sever it's spinal cord which will paralise it (You can feel for the spine). Also a big knock on the head or knife through the skull to kill it)

[phill_itofish]

If you cut just behine the head of a flattie you can sever it's spinal cord which will paralise it (You can feel for the spine). Also a big knock on the head or knife through the skull to kill it)

I have a 10 inch length of 1/2 inch steel tube i use as a priest, knowked it with that and knifed it between the eyes but the poor sod still kept going. Will try the spinal cored thing next time.

cheers

[The Great Wallsendo]

Flatties...

...are seemingly invincible!!! I caught a Plaice last week and the bugger was still alive three hours later.

I saw a young lad use a tea towel to hold one and then bray the things head off the rocks a few times - if that didn't kill it i don't know what would...

I guess it depends on how squeemish you are - either club it to death or wait until it suffocates...which apparently doesn't work with flatties!!!

[Mogthemackem]

suffocation takes ages aswell. A mate of mine caught one last year when we were on a session. We fished for about 4 hours after that, drove home from hartlepool and he said when he took the fish out of his bag back at home it started flapping on his kitchen table.

[BriH]

Great thread guys - loads of ammo for the Anti Brigade, to get their teeth into - if you need to kill it ,gut it ,take its head off ,or take a big enough priest to do the job ,but as for letting any fish die by just keeping it out of water (i dont know the right term ,but i know its not suffocate ,saying as its in the air and gulping for all its worth) i am appalled that you cant just finish the job off without ,what i think is bordering on immense cruelty


BriH

[The Great Wallsendo]

Cruel?

I think you'd find the thread actually was based around the question of best way to dispose of the fish...because it is clear that there is not a "best" way

Preaching about immense cruelty is a bit hypocritical - if you were to take the basic thread of what Fishing is about...which is pulling a living creature out of the sea by a barbed bit of wire (often swallowed whole by the fish in question) then we're all providing fuel to the "Anti" lot anyway. And who's to say they aren't the most evolved and intelligent creatures on this planet?

The fish in question for me had swallowed the hook whole - so i could have either ripped it's guts out and chucked it back wishing it well, smacked it over the head or indeed, as is also "common practice" among anglers, suffocation. Suffocation is in fact the correct term in a fishes case because it "breathes" by absorbing oxygen from the water - hence when it out of the water it will suffocate.

So whacking it in the right spot over the head with a priest, or stoving it's head in off a rock or even suffocation is all inhumane - but it's what miilions of anglers do every day.

The fish I caught the next night lived to tell the tale to his mates - which is what I'd prefer to do. Take a picture, weigh it/measure it and chuck it back, but when you can't what do you do? Sing it to sleep?

[BriH]

[QUOTE

Preaching about immense cruelty is a bit hypocritical . //NOT If you Dispatch what you are keeping on landing !!//

The fish in question for me had swallowed the hook whole - so i could have either ripped it's guts out and chucked it back wishing it well, smacked it over the head or indeed, as is also "common practice" among anglers, suffocation. // NEVER EVER heard of any Angler who would do allow a fish to suffocate ,if its hooked in a way that you cannot return it ,kill it out right //

The fish I caught the next night lived to tell the tale to his mates - which is what I'd prefer to do. Take a picture, weigh it/measure it and chuck it back, but when you can't what do you do? - // Dispatch it with as little stress as possible// ,whereas you let it flap about gasping for its last breath by the sounds of it

[Charlie_Thompson]

There is a best way IMHO and that is quickly and cleanly and on the spot. This often involves what appear to be "Violent" methods. As Bri said a priest that is up to the job or a quick full neck break. Squemishness should not come into. We inevitably cause some pain and suffering to the fish we catch, a quick and respectful end to the tussle should go without saying. Do not pussy foot about.

These actions are not inhuman - it's what we must do to turn animals and fish into food.

I have heard the flatty stories about them flapping back home, I think it's a combination of their resilience and difficult shape to get a proper hold of. One thing I don't like and often see is mackerel skittering about in bait bins on boats. I always try to give these noble little tigers a quick and easy send off.

[The Great Wallsendo]

"if you need to kill it ,gut it ,take its head off" are you suggesting that all this is done on the beach? pier or boat as soon as the little blighter is in your hand? and lopping it's head off while still alive is humane is it?

I'm sorry mate but the world is not like that - in my own case i will learn from your preachings and try to be a better fisherman.

Like I said before there is no "right" answer to this debate - what you decry as barbaric is often deemed as "normal" by others

[Charlie_Thompson]

"if you need to kill it ,gut it ,take its head off" are you suggesting that all this is done on the beach? pier or boat as soon as the little blighter is in your hand? and lopping it's head off while still alive is humane is it?

That's exactly how it should be done. And I repeat it is human(e) to kill animals and fish to eat, they hurt your throat if they are still alive when you swallow them.

Lopping a fishes head off when it's dead is done for presentation reasons or perversion

[The Great Wallsendo]

You are right - it is humane to kill them outright, I hadn't been fishing for lot of year and forgot about the resilience of certain species hence my naivety when it came to lobbing the poor bugger in the bag without despatching of it quickly.

I was merely drawing reference to how the "anti" lot perceive the Angling community - which is inhumane. Each and every action is deemed as inhumane by the tree huggers. Fish is food and only keep what you need (I think that's someones signature)

For me I'd rather take a picture, and if I ever catch one big enough I'll send it into Sea Angler and try and win a prize.

Next time if I want to keep it for my scran I'll despatch quickly and sharply - otherwise it's going back in the drink.

[Charlie_Thompson]

BTW The Great Wallsendo (Best name on the forum) Many of us wrestle often with the morality of what we do but I will say again IMHO it is purely down to the fact that we have become so far removed from the processes that involve us getting a good feed. Kids and many adults have no idea were a bacon sarnie comes from. I think it is an incredibly positive thing that anglers can hunt, catch, dispatch and eat their quarry, if done properly it can teach kids an awful lot about food - I also respect people who choose not to eat meat or fish because of what the process involves. If your hunting shooting and fishing the last bit (The death) should be given as much attention and respect as preceding bits - "the fun stuff"

[Charlie_Thompson]

I agree with what your last post says Wallsendo m8

[The Great Wallsendo]

Flattery.....

...gets you everywhere.

"Many of us wrestle often with the morality of what we do but I will say again IMHO it is purely down to the fact that we have become so far removed from the processes that involve us getting a good feed. Kids and many adults have no idea were a bacon sarnie comes from. I think it is an incredibly positive thing that anglers can hunt, catch, dispatch and eat their quarry, if done properly it can teach kids an awful lot about food - I also respect people who choose not to eat meat or fish because of what the process involves. If your hunting shooting and fishing the last bit (The death) should be given as much attention and respect as preceding bits - "the fun stuff"

Corr blimey - how incredibly deep. But very true.

As an Angler I'm doing it for fun, I never catch enough fish to satisfy my families (not that I have one yet) needs anyway; but if we were to suddenly lose all the modern trappings of life then I'd be the first to whip out my tent, fsihing rod etc have a quick scan through the SAS Survival Handbook (best book ever) and away I would go - into the wilderness to survive.