Releasing a trout is not enough. How you play, handle and revive the fish decides whether it survives. These practices come from conservation groups and fisheries guidance.
A trout is covered in a protective slime layer that guards against infection and parasites. Fighting a fish hard also builds up stress that the fish must recover from. Careless handling, long fights and time out of the water all reduce a released fish's chances of surviving.
That is why many anglers treat release as a skill, not a formality. The guidance below comes from organizations such as the Madison River Foundation, and the rules on your water can add to or change it. See licenses and regulations for how to check.
Choose the right tackle for the size of fish. Gear that is too light drags out the fight, which is especially harmful in warm water. Check the water temperature, not just the air temperature. Trout are cold-water fish, and in warm summers with low, unshaded flow, catching them can be harmful, even lethal. If the water is warm, fish another time or another place.
Use barbless hooks. They come out more easily and cause less damage, and you can pinch the barbs of ordinary flies flat with hemostats.
Land fish quickly, because a long fight adds stress. Apply side pressure instead of pulling straight back, and steer the fish into slack water where it can be netted. A rod suited to the water, with tippet strong enough to match, helps you finish the fight sooner. Our guide to tippet sizing covers that side.
Use a net for anything beyond a very small trout. Choose a fine rubber mesh, which is gentler on fins and tails, and avoid knotted nylon or string. Keep the fish and the net in the water while you remove the hook, and have forceps or hemostats ready before you start.
Wet your hands before touching the fish. Dry or hot hands strip protective slime. Avoid squeezing, avoid putting fingers near the gills and never lay a fish on grass, gravel or rough surfaces. Support the body with two hands for larger trout, holding behind the head and under the tail.
Keep the fish in the water as much as you can. A commonly cited ideal is less than ten seconds out of water, and certainly not minutes. A useful test is that if the water has stopped dripping off the fish, it has been out too long. For photos, get the camera ready first, lift the fish briefly and put it back to recover before taking another shot. Better yet, take pictures with the fish in the net, still partly in the water.
If the hook comes out easily, back it out and let the fish go. If it is lodged deeply, such as in the throat, cut the leader close to the hook and leave it, since it will often work its way out. Pulling on a deeply set hook can do more harm than leaving it.
To release, face the trout into the current in clear, flowing water, support it gently and hold it until it swims away on its own. Do not move it back and forth. A fish that cannot hold itself upright needs more time.
Print it, memorize it or tape it to your net:
Good intentions do not always lead to good handling. These are mistakes to avoid:
The best release practice is sometimes to quit. If water is warm and trout are visibly stressed, fighting fish makes the problem worse. If you land several fish that need long recovery, or if fish are not swimming off strongly, it is time to rest the water or go elsewhere. Anglers who put the health of the fishery ahead of one more catch help keep streams worth fishing for everyone.
If you fish with children or friends who are new to the sport, model the habits you want them to copy. Wet your hands out loud, tell them why you are keeping the fish in the net and let them hold the fish gently under your guidance while it stays in the water. Good habits formed in the first season usually last. A guide can coach all of this on a trip, and it is part of how we plan our days.
Fish handling is a good thing to practice with a guide watching. Our guided trips are planned around it, and the kit program will include nets and tools that help. Beginners can also start with the beginner guide.
Dry hands remove the fish's protective slime layer, which helps guard against infection.
As little as possible. A commonly cited ideal is less than ten seconds, and if water stops dripping off the fish it has been out too long.
They are recommended because they come out more easily and cause less damage. Some waters require them, so check your regulations.
Cut the leader close to the hook and leave the hook in place. It will often work its way out.
Tell us what you want to fish, or learn, and we will reply with what is available or planned.