Killing fish

[Charlie_Thompson]

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.

I'd head inland mate and go for bugs and insects, you'd starve to death on Seaburn beach if the "Hole in the Wall" chippy got taken out by an Exocet

[roybert]

Sharp knife one slice head off, no more suffering, simple as. Forgot to say if deep hooked and to small a fish or did not want the fish I just cut the hook snood and let it go back.

[The Great Wallsendo]

So there really is no perfect answer then is there?

I considered leaving the hook in but thought that would be cruel (oh the irony)

[roybert]

So there really is no perfect answer then is there?
I considered leaving the hook in but thought that would be cruel (oh the irony)

YES sharp knife one slice head off.

The hook would more than likey rust away, if it didn't Imo it wouldn't do the fish any harm like.

[BriH]

I have cut and pasted this article for you Wallsendo


The Acid Test
All fish have a built in mechanism that will help them survive a hook. The larger the fish, the better the mechanism. Their body fluids contain a substance that can literally dissolve a hook within a matter of days. I have caught a number of large fish wherein an imprint of a hook can be seen inside their mouth cavity. The hook is gone – dissolved – but the outline is still there. I’ve cleaned fish and found the same thing in their stomach lining. Biologists I have interviewed in the past have provided me with data indicating the high acid content that dissolves the hook.


The Release Process
Given that these fish can dissolve the hooks relatively easily, the best method for releasing becomes obvious. I cut the line or leader off the hook as close to the eye as possible. Fish hooked in the gills are less likely to survive, but leaving the hook in place is far better than trying to remove it. Fisheries biologists confirm that the survival rate is extremely high if we simply leave the hook and cut the line.

Did you ever notice that fish hooked in the mouth area or in the stomach area never bleed? Bleeding fish will invariably be hooked in the gills, where their blood flows to gather oxygen from the water. The mouth area does not bleed. Fish are constantly being poked and stuck during their normal course of feeding. Larger fish, feeding on smaller fish are constantly being stuck in the mouth area with dorsal and anal fins – and painlessly, I might add. A hook is simply another fin to them.

Once the line is cut, I will make sure their air bladder has not been distended. If it has, a small puncture with a needle or the point of a hook will allow the pressure to equalize, and they can then swim back to the bottom.

Handle the fish as little as possible and make this a quick return to the water.


Another Option
One way to insure good releases is to avoid gut hooking a fish. Sometimes we can’t avoid it at all. But the use of circle hooks can make a big difference. Circle hooks are designed to hook the fish without the need for you to set the hooks. In fact, if you set the hook you will usually end up missing the fish. As the fish swims away with the bait, the circle hook and bait begin to be pulled from the mouth or stomach of the fish. As the fish feels pressure, he swims faster and the circle hook ends up at the corner of the mouth. It works this way a very high percentage of the time. Gut hooked fish are rare when using circle hooks.


Summary
In the future, take the time to allow a fish to live to fight again another day. Give up the few penny`s it cost to replace a hook and let your released fish take care of it. Future generations of anglers will thank you!

Hopefully some info there for you



This is what this Board is for - Helping each other and keeping us fishing



Cheers BriH

[The Great Wallsendo]

old dog new tricks

Reet - well I know how I'll be dealing with my catches from now on.

I do think however that preaching about the suffering of fish (in any way) is hypocritical - especially considering what we as anglers do.

Has anyone else out there any thoughts?

[Charlie_Thompson]

I do think however that preaching about the suffering of fish (in any way) is hypocritical - especially considering what we as anglers do.

Has anyone else out there any thoughts?

Funnily enough I have -

No-one has preached, merely given correct advice known for eons by all responsible anglers

To consider the feelings of one's quarry and empathise with their right to life and struggle for survival is not hypocritical, it is human, respectful and the least we should do.

To ignore the realities of what our "Hobby" involves is just that "IGNORANCE"

[Charlie_Thompson]

I used to like you Wallsendo

[pottsy]

I'd head inland mate and go for bugs and insects, you'd starve to death on Seaburn beach if the "Hole in the Wall" chippy got taken out by an Exocet

better head toward Killingworth there are loads of insects and reptiles there


ali

[The Great Wallsendo]

I like...

...the cut of your jib Charlie.

Are you a Buddhist Monk perchance? (no disrespect if you are)

Where's Phil Itofish anyway? he started this discussion

[Charlie_Thompson]

better head toward Killingworth there are loads of insects and reptiles there


ali

They've moved to ....................................

[pottsy]

They've moved to ....................................

.......not all of them...there is still a sub species on the loose

[The Great Wallsendo]

On the question of morality...

Is it right to hammer the mackerel off the piers?

It seems to me that there a lot of mackerel being caught - which is good coz I'm going to go out and have a go myself at some point.

But surely pulling in over 30/40/50 of them is a tad excessive?

Unless of course you have dietary needs or indeed if you are a charter skipper in need of bait - or maybe even if you are intending to flog them.

But I have a feeling that some people are catching that many just becuase they can - like shooting fish in a barrel

[willywetegg]

Hi Great, you don't mind if I call you Great do you .

The question of Mackerel and the amount taken arises every year. Last year some **** left a load of dead Mackerel on the pier when he went home. That sort of thing does wonders for our sport, and why did he do it, because he could. I have a mate that I used to fish with regular and he went mad one day at a couple of our so called top match anglers that were catching Mackerel on Blyth pier and just throwing them in a bucket to die slowly.

A lot of problems arise from ignorance and a lot more arise from stupid people that think they know. We have all seen them.

Jim.

[Charlie_Thompson]

Like it or not Angling involves a certain adrenaline rush - hunting and that. Couple this with huge amounts of amazing fish within spitting distance of shore on a coastline that in winter throws up very few fish. It's going to go daft. I don't join in these days but catching mackerel was one of my first ever experiences of sea angling and gets many kids into it. If you're going to use 40-50 fish then take them no probs. this is nothing compared to the Tons of mackerel (adult and juvenile) hoovered up by factory ships. The summer shore mackerel frenzy has no long term effects on the mackerel population.

Now if you were put on a superb drift time and time again by a great skipper over a productive wreck and kept on catching superb fish where would this come on the fish in a barrell scale. Should you stop fishing there as it's unfair?