WET HANDS
If you must handle a fish to remove 
the hook i.e. when you catch a 
large fish that you want to release 
back into the wild, try to remove 
the hook while it is still in the 
net. Keeping the fish in the water 
increases its chances of survival 
especially if it's been through a 
long hard fight. If taking photos 
before release, coordinate the crew 
to get the camera ready and clear 
any gear before the fish is lifted 
into the boat so the fish spends 
minimal time out of the water.
Wet your hands to handle the fish 
and do not use a rag. Wet hands are 
gentler on the fish as fabric even 
when wet can still remove slime. 
Minimising the time the fish is out 
of the water is the second most 
important facet of fish survival. 
Number one is don’t remove the 
slime and number three is release 
fish as quickly as possible. It may 
even be best to teach your mates 
how to use your phone/camera 
before you need photos so no time 
is wasted pressing buttons and 
giving instructions while the fish is 
slowly dying from lack of oxygen.
Also, best practice when 
returning fish is to cradle the fish 
gently in the water supporting 
it under the chin/head and 
holding the tail to help revive it 
with water flowing through its 
gills. Never throw undersized or 
large fish back into the water.
Remember, when handling fish 
for release with your hands don’t 
put your fingers in the fish’s gills. 
The gill filaments are delicate 
and easily damaged from fingers 
pressing into them or ripping them 
if the fish squirms in your grip. It 
may swim off strongly however 
it will eventually die out of sight. 
It can be difficult to control a 
stroppy fish however do your 
best to release with less handling, 
minimal time out of the water 
and without touching the red gill 
filaments under the gill plate.
There are many small things we 
can do to make a difference to 
the number of fish we harm and 
if everyone plays their part we 
can make a positive impact on the 
fishery for future generations.
When handling fish for release, support 
the fish well and ensure you do not put 
your fingers in the fish’s gills and risk 
damaging the red gill filaments. 
Feature
34  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE

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