Catch & Release Tips

Catch & Release and Fish Care Guide

As anglers we love and care for our fish and the environment in which they live. Although some fish can be taken (see the Club Rules), catch and release is encouraged to maintain our fish stocks and ensure that good fish remain in the river to be caught again!

The following video from Orvis featuring Tom Rosenbauer gives an easy guide for ethical Catch & Release practices.

Key Points to Remember

  • Use tackle that allows you to play fish hard to get them to the net as quickly as possible.

  • Where appropriate, use single barbless hooks. When spinning use single or double hook (treble hooks are strongly discouraged) – preferably debarbed for all fish but must be barbless for trout.

  • Keep fish in the net in the water. Holding a fish out of the water leads to pressure on the the fish’s body and it essentially drowning in air. You can get great shots of a fish just below the surface. If you must lift a fish out of the water for a photograph, have the camera ready and shot planned. Then gently and briefly lift the fish supporting it’s body, take the shot and then lower the fish back into the water immediately.

Gently supported underwater for the shot

  • Always use wet hands to handle fish.

  • Allow the fish to fully recover before releasing it. If the fish doesn’t swim away immediately, gently hold the fish facing into the current (but out of the main flow) and allow the fish to swim away under it’s own steam from the net or your hand.

The Angling Trust have also put together a great guide here.

The Keep Fish Wet website is another excellent resource and a fantastic moto to live by to support the welbeing of the fish you catch and release.

Water Temperature

When fishing for brown trout, sea trout and salmon we would encourage anglers to be mindful of water temperatures. Temperatures over 18C lead to less oxygen in the water meaning that fish will become sluggish and fishing is likely to be very hard work and frustrating. In addition, fish are more likely to struggle to recover from the exertion of a fight with an angler if the water is too warm so if you are fishing Catch and Release we would encourage you to be particularly mindful of the points above and, if deciding to fish, to get the fish to the net and released as quickly as possible.