Landing and releasing fish

So I went fishing last week to a day ticket fishery. Took the wife so needed somewhere with toilets and cafe to keep her happy. Usual type of place, carp mostly but all the others there as well so suits me catching roach bream etc.

Alls going well catching tiddlers, swinging them in, unhooking and dropping them back in. Along comes the bailiff. " see that net" pointing to my landing net on the ground. I'm thinking surely it's not too small but no. " make sure you use it to land and return the fish" . I apologise for not using it and carry on fishing.

Now maybe 1or2 fish might have been better landed with the net but they probably only went 8oz at most and all the others were tiddlers. As I am a guest of the fishery I do as told and use my net for everything. It's not easy landing a 1oz fish in a net and releasing is even worse, have to double check to make sure he actually swam out of it.

I appreciate that the fishery doesnt want its fish damaged but when they're small I don't see what harm I'm doing. After all I've just stuck a hook in its mouth, held it in my hands and dragged it from its natural environment.
Also the fishery holds matches where the fish are dropped into keep nets in a similar manner to me returning them to the water.

I think I fished in an appropriate manner for the size of fish I caught.

What's your thoughts on the matter?

I had a similar thing three weeks ago on commercial lakes the bailiff walked around the lakes checking our tickets and commented that I should not swing the small in fish and to use my net.
Then he remarked on the size of my landing net which was a 22” he told me next time I come and fish on the lakes I need a minimum net of 28” (I was fishing the match lake) the biggest fish in the lake is 6lbs. the lakes have a tackle and selling a landing net 18” in size. They can sell them we can’t use them

Fisheries can't really win. When they do little to protect their stock they are accused of not caring, or only caring for money. When they do something, even if we might not agree, they are accused of being too fussy. Ultimately, it's their stock, their fishery and their livelihood, they can do as they see fit. Should we not like their rules, whether we think they are over the top or not protective enough, we can vote with our feet.

I don't fish commercials but if I was spoken to like that by the bailiff I would have told him where to stick his fishing, some bailiffs do a good job others are idiots and just jobworths.

It always puzzles me when some of these grossly overstocked fisheries have rules based on fish welfare.

The problem is you may be being very carefull, letting the fish calm down in the water before carefully lifting out.
There are though many anglers who lift the fish straight out of the water while it is still very lively and flipping about.
When this happens a hook is easily ripped from the mouth causing damage to the fish.
You only have to look at the mouths on even small fish to see how often it happens.
So while I dont allways use a net for smaller fish I am as carefull as I can be and certainly simpathise with the fishery rule.

not mentioning any names,but a well known fishery near kiderminster some years ago my son and i were fishing a competition and my son put his pole on the ground at his side,the owner came flying round the lake on a quad and smashed his pole,his answer was it shouldnt have been there not his fault pack up go away and dont come back

11alan111 said:

not mentioning any names,but a well known fishery near kiderminster

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I would have if it was my tackle.

Would a small pan net for small fish be the answer if the fisheries allow them?

11alan111 said:

not mentioning any names,but a well known fishery near kiderminster some years ago my son and i were fishing a competition and my son put his pole on the ground at his side,the owner came flying round the lake on a quad and smashed his pole,his answer was it shouldnt have been there not his fault pack up go away and dont come back

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In that case I would be watching the bids going up on my ebay account for the sale of a quad bike, to buy the best pole money could buy should the law fail me in that way, call it re compensation for damage caused to my property on his land while invited (not trespassing), least they could afford me without any apology offered or insurances met.