Holding fish

[John Lock]

On page 7 of todays Angling Times there's a picture of two pike (14lb and 11lb) being held up, one in each hand, by their captor. Holding them up by their gills can't be doing them any good. I'm constantly seeing pictures like this in ALL of the angling press. Not just pike but all species of fish over about 1lb are shown getting the one-hand treatment. I caught a small (2lb or so) tench last week, it was all I could do to hold it with both hands. To have tried holding it vertically with one hand would have meant I'd have to use immense finger-and-thumb pressure either side of it's head, and that would surely have put it at serious risk of injury. It's time the angling press stopped publishing photos of fish being held in potentially damaging ways.

 

[Baz]

Another BAD example in this weeks A.T. is on the back page.
Who needs input from the anti's? Anglers are capable of doing it for themselves.
This thread also gives me the oppertunity to to add this -: The best way to destroy an association or anything, is from whithin.
I won't say what story this "might/could" apply to which is also in this weeks A.T.

 

[Darren George]

But where do you draw the line? Its not alright for papers/mags to publish a certain grip of fish, but it is ok for spawn bound 'early season' fish to be hauled in and hoisted for pics?

I wanted to quote the editorial in the recent CAT but I cant remember it well enough, rest assured the above paragraph were 'words to that effect'. Check it out.

To be honest, I dont like that method of holding fish, but I dont know enough about it to pass comment.

Is it ATs fault that anglers hold fish in that way?

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

Those pike are not being held up by the gills as such but under the chin, through the space in the gill plates.

This is the correct way to hold a pike and I can assure you they come to no damage held like this.

The worst way of holding a pike is under the body close to the head. The heart is in this position and it the pike is a heavy one it can be damaged.

 

[Baz]

That is a disgusting photograph, two pike being held aloft like trophys. Although they are being held under their chin.
Other people I believe are holding them the correct way.
I can remember last year in A.T. of a similar photo. The following week there was a huge outcry on the way the fish was being handled.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

Spot on Ron.

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

Thanks Budgie.

And now a bit of a bombshell.

I fully believe that a pike gaffed properly comes to no harm at all. In fact I have seen pike that have been netted where one of the hooks has been caught up in the meshes, cause damage to the fish.

Of course I don't gaff pike myself these days and perhaps netting pike is best as some skill is required to gaff a pike correctly.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I hold them all the time like this, easiest way to drop one over the side of the boat to return it because as soon as you put another hand around them, they sqiurm about and you deslime them.

Also the way I lift them off the mat to return smaller ones, ie my hand's in there anyway after I've unhooked it so usually it's just a case of stand up and take a couple of steps back to the water to lay them in and hold them upright, withdrawing the chinning hand as they swim off.

Might not always look as poetic as this in practice but I haven't dropped one in a long, long time.

I'd be more bothered about having two in picture - was one retained rather than put back straight away..?

I wouldn't hold a big fish like this for fear of dropping it, but I'd pobably have lifted it into the weigh sling this way before hand, then put it back in the sling the same way to carry back to he water after a pic.

 

[Chris Bishop]

Err, Ron - I'd quit while you're winning mate.

 

[The Monk]

best not mention the new crossbow then Ron!

 

[Baz]

I've never dropped a pike yet, and I support them with two hands, allways keeping low to the ground. Inches not metres, incase one does flip. You can usually tell when they are going to flip, as you can feel the body begin to writhe.