How do you treat your catch

[no-one in particular]

I take pictures purely for this forum, I think people like to see a picture, often it is just the river or sea because I rarely catch anything these days. I think a picture can convey a lot better than what I can put into words. And I like to see the surroundings of where others fish as well, I find that interesting more than the fish sometimes. If no one posted any pictures, how often would be saying, "shame there is no picture"!
I have all these pictures stored in a file somewhere on the computer but I never look at them, occasionally if I need to refer back to something. Left to my own devices I might take a picture of just any exceptional fish I might catch but they would be few.
I think it takes me about 10 seconds to take a picture if it is a fish, the camera is ready by my seat, the fish is on the bank, I pick the camera up and take the shot and put the camera down again.

 

[Philip]

No,not the barbel police Philip,in the days on the barbel boom on the Severn,I saw hundreds of barbel over the years dead,floating down in the flow,this is over several years,but you must remember,I live 140 miles away and only fished maybe 14 days a year on the river,when you fish rivers like the Gt.Ouse,Ivel,Thames,D.Stour,H.Avon and many others with smaller populations one fish dying occasionally through mistreatment has an effect on the species biomass.To be honest I could not give a flying f### what the French do,our rivers are under far more angling pressure than theirs.

Just to add,the chances if a barbel reviving whilst floating off,gasping is virtually nil,now,I don't know how Maj barbel are in the Severn these days,but there is definitely less,if a mile long stretch loses ten fish per annum for any reason there is an effect,if we add to that by the bad returning of fish it could well lead to disastrous consequences for the species..

Barbel on hammered UK rivers that have been captured endlessly or targeted fish under pressure 24/7 and eventually die as old fish at some bolie force fattened weight is hardly a bench mark for how hardy as a species Barbel are.

Maybe if you didi give a flying f### about what happens outside your bubble then you would have a different outlook.

Anyway I am not going to argue wth you about it. As I mentioned earlier I certainly dont condone mistreatment and we have a moral responsibility to treat all the fish we catch with respect. That’s my last word on the Barbel subject.

 

[theartist]

It's worth pointing out that barbel recovery rates vary from river to river, one of the best for strong recovery is also one of the heaviest fished if not the heaviest in regards angling pressure. There's more to their recovery than just the angling element prior to it.

 

[steve2]

On the waters I have fished I have seen few dead fish due to angling, but have seen thousands dead through pollution and oxygen crashes.
I would say that the death rate in fish caused by angling and bad handling is very, very low.
So enjoy your fishing and take care of what you catch, what ever it is.
But don’t get wound up because the odd fish dies and if it worries you that much look elsewhere for your outdoors enjoyment. Bird watching, walking, photography and even golf all get you out of the house for a few hours.

 

[108831]

My attitude to how the French are about returning fish is based on the fact i'm not there,and the fact that angling pressure IS far less Philip,there are few barbel venues in this country that dont get pressured,especially now numbers are down on the vast majority,losses cannot be accepted by poor angling practice,putting fish on lush grass and not an unhooking mat is far less important than returning and recovery is,as is minimising time out of water,I would never think you personally would mistreat any fish,but,we have all seen poor practice happening in this country and there is no excuse as enough footage is out there for anyone to get a rough idea of where to start imo...unlike when we started fishing,when most had to be learnt by experience...

 

[108831]

To me,often I take photos on a mat or landing net on my phone,after a week or two they are deleted,my mates know,100% that I would not ballshit on weights and that I try to ensure weigh slings are zeroed correctly,I could set my phone onto delay and take a picture with me holding said fish,but to get me to go through that rigmarole it would have to be a special fish,so it rarely ever happens,I have hundreds of proper photos,probably a hundred or so saved onto discs or similar,but most are gone shortly after they are shown to those I want to show have seen them...

 

[Philip]

Sorry about this post. I was trying to add a link on the theme of carp being bullet proof to an article on their early introduction. It somehow entwined with a draft of a different post. The article has some interesting things to say about UK carp history.

Nice find. Chris Currie (along with Chris Ball) is a well-respected Carp historian. His findings confirm what I think is fairly well accepted in Carp circles that wild Carp probably originated in the Danube

While it gives a very interesting account of the spread of Carp across the UK it seems to imply (as they all seem to do) that Carp were brought into the uk post last Ice age and spread from there which is why they are considered non-indigenous.

However it would not surprise me if there is more than a chance that Carp were already present in the UK. The reason for this is that I find it hard to understand how more fragile and smaller species like Roach and Dace made their way & survived in the UK rivers systems prior to the last ice age while hardier and bigger Carp did not. It just does not sound logical to me.

The piece mentions about the huge amount of fossil Carp bones found in the Danuabe, which proves their existence there, and it would only take 1 such bone to be found in the UK to put the whole non-indigenous argument to bed once and for all. However as its unlikely anyone is even looking its not likely to happen any time soon.

On that note I really should book myself a weeks holiday down in Lyme Regis armed with a rock hammer and a lucky rabbits foot…

 

[John Aston]

It does seem unlikely , perhaps. but if a UK indigenous species like barbel had to be introduced to rivers like the Severn and Wye , perhaps not so much . Even on my local patch I can think of several streams which are perfect grayling habitat , but where they have never been found. So maybe not so unlikely after all ? Zander too are uncontestably recent arrivals , as are ide and cats

 

[Steve Arnold]

The fishing photograph is a source of endless amusement , and the pose adopted can tell you a great deal about the angler , and the impression he is trying to create for his adoring public.

- Type 1 is my favourite. Bloke holding (often inexpertly )the huge fish he obviously never expected to catch , and grinning from ear to ear into camera . Genuine , and delightful

- Type 2 - serious angler reverently holding big fish . Holds fish at angle and adopts unsmiling , humble bragging pose to show just how serious he is , and how much 'hard work ' he has put in at his 'rock hard' and unnamed water . Angler feels duty bound to show his latest success to lesser beings

- Type 3 is a variation of 2 . Humility now off the scale as angler holds fish at waist height and inclines his head so much to his carp/barbel/pike/other trendy fish that the viewer can only see his bald spot

- Type 4 - we're good at aping the Americans and more fly and lure anglers now adopt this pose, first seen in stuff like US flyfishing catalogues . Outrageously good looking angler , twenty or thirty something , always wearing expensive shades, standing mid river , showing off his or her expensive dentistry by clamping designer fly/lure rod between said gnashers and grinning like a half wit. Large fish - trout/perch usually - being held up to camera, with water artistically still dripping off the catch. As a fly and lure angler myself I do struggle to carry off this hipster chic look , on account of being a sixty something fat ba**rd with uneven teeth and a bad back

Our narcissism seems to know no bounds in these days of Go Pros and Drones . Images are all for most - but I'd rather read 500 well crafted words about a catch than enduring the usual blizzard of images . I'm in a minority I guess, as many of us seem to have developed the attention span of ants in this brave new world . TLDR ....

I very rarely take pictures of fish any more . I can't see the point - I recall the thrill of capture, write it up in my diary if it's special and that is enough . I might take a picture of a nice perch or a pretty brownie if they are especially photogenic . But I haven't taken a picture of our prettiest fish of all , grayling, for years as every second counts in getting them returned quickly.

Your post did make me smile!

My wife tells me the only photos she will see me smiling in is when holding a big fish!

I hope I come across as a "Type 1" on your posing psychological assessment score when I post a selfy - as a recent returner to coarse angling I really am surprised when I catch a "specimen" fish! Many of the photos I post on this forum now have the anglers face cropped out, it's the fish that is the star - not a cheesy grin!

Hope the photos are generally appreciated though, for me that is what I like to see on forums. Don't want anyone getting embarrassed by putting up their fishy photos, please!

We can all laugh at ourselves when sharing our occasional good fortune!

 

[mikench]

Titleist no 7 have feelings too!? How would you like to be clubbed, putt into a dark hole and frequently lost in the rough.

 

[steve2]

The fishing photograph is a source of endless amusement , and the pose adopted can tell you a great deal about the angler , and the impression he is trying to create for his adoring public.

- Type 1 is my favourite. Bloke holding (often inexpertly )the huge fish he obviously never expected to catch , and grinning from ear to ear into camera . Genuine , and delightful

- Type 2 - serious angler reverently holding big fish . Holds fish at angle and adopts unsmiling , humble bragging pose to show just how serious he is , and how much 'hard work ' he has put in at his 'rock hard' and unnamed water . Angler feels duty bound to show his latest success to lesser beings

- Type 3 is a variation of 2 . Humility now off the scale as angler holds fish at waist height and inclines his head so much to his carp/barbel/pike/other trendy fish that the viewer can only see his bald spot

- Type 4 - we're good at aping the Americans and more fly and lure anglers now adopt this pose, first seen in stuff like US flyfishing catalogues . Outrageously good looking angler , twenty or thirty something , always wearing expensive shades, standing mid river , showing off his or her expensive dentistry by clamping designer fly/lure rod between said gnashers and grinning like a half wit. Large fish - trout/perch usually - being held up to camera, with water artistically still dripping off the catch. As a fly and lure angler myself I do struggle to carry off this hipster chic look , on account of being a sixty something fat ba**rd with uneven teeth and a bad back

Our narcissism seems to know no bounds in these days of Go Pros and Drones . Images are all for most - but I'd rather read 500 well crafted words about a catch than enduring the usual blizzard of images . I'm in a minority I guess, as many of us seem to have developed the attention span of ants in this brave new world . TLDR ....

I very rarely take pictures of fish any more . I can't see the point - I recall the thrill of capture, write it up in my diary if it's special and that is enough . I might take a picture of a nice perch or a pretty brownie if they are especially photogenic . But I haven't taken a picture of our prettiest fish of all , grayling, for years as every second counts in getting them returned quickly.

You forgot the one where the anglers leaves the fish in net for some time while changing into their sponsors tee shirt and arranges the sponsors tackle so that appears in the photo.
The other one I have never understood is why do many lure anglers take photos of the fish still attached to the lure, Is it because they are so shocked to catch on a lure that they need proof.

 

[bullet]

You forgot the one where the anglers leaves the fish in net for some time while changing into their sponsors tee shirt and arranges the sponsors tackle so that appears in the photo.
The other one I have never understood is why do many lure anglers take photos of the fish still attached to the lure, Is it because they are so shocked to catch on a lure that they need proof.

Yes

 

[nottskev]

On that note I really should book myself a weeks holiday down in Lyme Regis armed with a rock hammer and a lucky rabbits foot…

Beware of the mysterious lone woman staring out to sea from the Cobb. You could wake up in a postmodern novel.

 

[Keith M]

The fishing photograph is a source of endless amusement , and the pose adopted can tell you a great deal about the angler , and the impression he is trying to create for his adoring public.

- Type 1 is my favourite. Bloke holding (often inexpertly )the huge fish he obviously never expected to catch , and grinning from ear to ear into camera . Genuine , and delightful

- Type 2 - serious angler reverently holding big fish . Holds fish at angle and adopts unsmiling , humble bragging pose to show just how serious he is , and how much 'hard work ' he has put in at his 'rock hard' and unnamed water . Angler feels duty bound to show his latest success to lesser beings

- Type 3 is a variation of 2 . Humility now off the scale as angler holds fish at waist height and inclines his head so much to his carp/barbel/pike/other trendy fish that the viewer can only see his bald spot

- Type 4 - we're good at aping the Americans and more fly and lure anglers now adopt this pose, first seen in stuff like US flyfishing catalogues . Outrageously good looking angler , twenty or thirty something , always wearing expensive shades, standing mid river , showing off his or her expensive dentistry by clamping designer fly/lure rod between said gnashers and grinning like a half wit. Large fish - trout/perch usually - being held up to camera, with water artistically still dripping off the catch. As a fly and lure angler myself I do struggle to carry off this hipster chic look , on account of being a sixty something fat ba**rd with uneven teeth and a bad back

Our narcissism seems to know no bounds in these days of Go Pros and Drones . Images are all for most - but I'd rather read 500 well crafted words about a catch than enduring the usual blizzard of images . I'm in a minority I guess, as many of us seem to have developed the attention span of ants in this brave new world . TLDR ....

I very rarely take pictures of fish any more . I can't see the point - I recall the thrill of capture, write it up in my diary if it's special and that is enough . I might take a picture of a nice perch or a pretty brownie if they are especially photogenic . But I haven't taken a picture of our prettiest fish of all , grayling, for years as every second counts in getting them returned quickly.

I dont think you mentioned the type of photos of a fish with something to show its scale laying next to it on an unhooking mat or soft grass, and without the captor being in the shot at all?

Keith

 

[Philip]

Beware of the mysterious lone woman staring out to sea from the Cobb. You could wake up in a postmodern novel.

...I'll ask her to join me....theres a bivvy and a crate of beer just out of shot....

 

[dorsetsteve]

You forgot the one where the anglers leaves the fish in net for some time while changing into their sponsors tee shirt and arranges the sponsors tackle so that appears in the photo.
The other one I have never understood is why do many lure anglers take photos of the fish still attached to the lure, Is it because they are so shocked to catch on a lure that they need proof.

I’m sure it’s a tongue in cheek comment but it’s about sponsorship and free stuff. It’s no different to people who post on bait manufacturers pages, saying this was caught on wonder bait X. The lure being still attached is “proof” of how well it works. When you consider a Rapala is about the same cost as a bag of Boilies the connection makes sense.

For the record, some of my most productive days fishing have been on lures. Many a day I’ve walked round a lake and had a few Pike in an hour or two much to the confusion of the deadbaiters that have sat there all day blanking, of corse it can go the other way as well, that’s fishing.

 

[steve2]

Like you I have spent many days lure fishing but don't think I have ever taken a pic with the lure still attached to the fish. Don't think I have ever taken a pic of any fish that still attached to a hook. But then I don't have a sponsor to satisfy.

 

[dorsetsteve]

Like you I have spent many days lure fishing but don't think I have ever taken a pic with the lure still attached to the fish. Don't think I have ever taken a pic of any fish that still attached to a hook. But then I don't have a sponsor to satisfy.

Me either. I’d certainly take a picture like that though if Rapala offered me a big box of lures as payment.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I was trying to find a way to write about how I treat the fish I catch and quite simply I'd have to say . . . simply with respect.

Regrdless of size or species (although I have never deliberately targeted Barbel) In my carp days I did use antisptic and always an unhooking mat or craddle.

Even small fish deserve to be treated with care and respect in my view.

Most of my flies have crushed barbs to help unhooking in the water and only a very few trout are visited by my priest as I don't eat trout myself but a few friends do.