I have thought about asking this on here for a while but have been reluctant in case I get accused of mishandling/ rough handling. Here goes.
A small club I belong to decided to stock with a load of F1's. Although I don't match fish I do catch a few from time to time which is inevitable.
A few over the last couple of years appear to shed blood from the gill covers when swimming away.
I don't use a keep net. I don't even handle them, releasing from the net which has been suspended across my knees.
They are mostly lightly hooked in the outer mouth with no sign of bleeding from the hook point.
I realise they are not every ones ideal quary(or mine) but the matchmen enjoy them and obviously would not wish to harm them. I have not seen any dead ones either.
I have mentioned this to others but they seem to put them in a keep net in matches and with all the others in there swishing about it may have gone unnoticed.
Has any one else experience of this?
A small club I belong to decided to stock with a load of F1's. Although I don't match fish I do catch a few from time to time which is inevitable.
A few over the last couple of years appear to shed blood from the gill covers when swimming away.
I don't use a keep net. I don't even handle them, releasing from the net which has been suspended across my knees.
They are mostly lightly hooked in the outer mouth with no sign of bleeding from the hook point.
I realise they are not every ones ideal quary(or mine) but the matchmen enjoy them and obviously would not wish to harm them. I have not seen any dead ones either.
I have mentioned this to others but they seem to put them in a keep net in matches and with all the others in there swishing about it may have gone unnoticed.
Has any one else experience of this?