I've caught a fish........

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averageangler

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I'm getting closer to starting out but all the magazines and literature I have read seems to shy away from advising how to despatch the trout quickly and humanely or advising how to handle/store them at the bankside to keep them freshest whilst carrying on fishing.

I guess to despatch any fish being retained a priest firmly applied once or twice to the top of the head before removing the fly is the most humane. Is this the case?

Once dispatched and unhooked is a bass bag used to keep them in the water to stay fresh and if so what about during warm weather when the margins are warm as well? Are there any other suggestions?

I assume that they should be gutted as soon as possible and stored in a cold place as soon as possible; do you all use cooler boxes and ice blocks in the boot of the car on the way home?

Finally I have caught and prepared sea fish before which need de-scaling. Do you need to descale trout?

Many thanks in advance for the benefit of your experiences.
 
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Ged

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A knock on the head with a priest.
Bass bags or plastic bags.
Bass bags can be left in the water and keeps the trout cooler.
Cool boxes are okay if on a long journey home. As regards to gutting, some places offer facilities for this, others ban it especially on the bank for obvious reasons.
Trout don't need descaling.
I have caught trout early morning, left in a bas bag and not gutted until I've got home nesarly 8 hours later, sometimes 15 hours later. All have been good when eaten.
If big enough, fillitted and coverd in flour before frying in whisky.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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The sooner a trout is eaten after killing it the better it will taste. Most people who say they don't like trout probably only have experience of fish in restaurants and from supermarkets which are quite horrid.

Where it is allowed and there are facilities for doing it, get the guts out of the trout as quickly as possible, including the gills. The most important part of cleaning a trout is to remove the blood line down the inside of the backbone.

These days I cut the head off trout over 2 lbs or so. The fish then is eaten or put into a plastic bag and frozen.

The best thing for big trout, ie fish over 4 lbs is the have them cold smoked. They are really quite delicious prepared this way and every bit as good as smoked salmon.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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By the way, you will often read about a single tap on the head to despatch a trout.

It actually takes a fair old wallop, right between the eyes. If the fish still shows signs of life after clouting it, give it another well directed wallop.

Make sure your priest is heavy enough too. There are all sorts of little toy priests on the market that are as good as useless and quite in-humane.
 
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Ian Alexander

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A bang on the noggin is the best way to 'despatch' a trout.
I have to admit, I once left two fish for two days before cleaning them. I didn't notice any effects detrimental to the taste but the fish did seem drier.
When I catch the bigger fish- I have had them up to eight pounds- I make a terrine for parties using smoked salmon or smoked trout for the wrap.
I have a great recipe for trout fishcakes too.
 
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Beecy

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never done any trout fishing Ron, but if its best to prepare them asap why not do away with the knock on the head and just kill them by lopping the head straight off with a good sharp knife?
 
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Ged

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Caught a rainbow one nice and crisp frosty morning, early season. when I rapped it on the head, it's eyes popped out.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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That's a bit messy Beecy and I don't fancy a lot of fishery owners seeing pools of blood everywhere.

Yes Ged that does happen at times. It generally means you have done the job right.
 
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NT

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I've caught a fish.. ... and then find find priest, raise it for the final rites...














... and then twat my thumb!
 
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Alan Tyler

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Priests are heavy - if they're any use - and sink to the bottom of your bag. To avoid looking a tit as you fumble round for it while your quarry flaps about, get one of those plastic marrow spoons and attach it to the handle of the priest with a foot or so of cord. Let the spoon dangle outside your bag. When you net a trout, grab the spoon, (easy, cos it's outside the bag) and pull GENTLY to access your priest. If you pull quickly, you'll fling the contents of the bag all over the lake.
This also reduces the temptation to be lazy and not bother to spoon the fish.
 
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averageangler

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Thanks for all the tips gentlemen.

Just found out my dad has bought a fly-fishing outfit on the sly (Mum's not happy.). Looks like I will be booking casting lessons for 2!! Still that's his birthday present sorted......
 
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NT

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Alan, I bought I nice brass & wood priest with cord attached. That season, whilst in a boat,I cast out and heard a big splash, only to realise my flyline had caught round the priest and the thing ended up at the bottom of Rutland.
 
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Richard Baker 6

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If for any reason you find yourself without a priest and need to kill a fish quickly you can grip the fish in one hand, place two fingers under the gills and pull the head upwards (towards the dorsal fin) sharply. If done quickly should break the neck and kill the fish in about a second. Not as good as the preist, but as I say, useful in emergencies.

Once you've done this, the bloodline does bleed a lot of its contents out and can save a lot of work at the gutting stage.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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And if it's a fair sized brown trout, watch those teeth. Often you find it's your own blood all over the place if you do this.
 
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