tough day fishing but managed several in my own flies

[smoking gun]

Tough fishing today up north the water is low and clear I managed 8 or 9 fish big ones on a Wooley bugger and San juan worm pics will follow I had a fish probably over 26 inches released to fight another day all fish ranged from 18 to 26inches.

[MZW]

In for pics!

[smoking gun]

[MZW]

Nice!Looks like fun.

[Kype]

very nice!  she might not though with the fingers in the gills. nice trip

Edited November 29, 2015 by Kype

[Rusty]

Nice fish, but I was really hoping to see your pretty face.  

[rgw]

very nice!  she might not though with the fingers in the gills. nice trip

I was thinking the same thing, hard for a trout to recover from that

[smoking gun]

Nice fish, but I was really hoping to see your pretty face.

who this handsome Greek god Edited November 29, 2015 by smoking gun

[smoking gun]

I was thinking the same thing, hard for a trout to recover from that

she did and she was revived after a epic battle she lives to bend another rod again

[Bucksnbows]

she did and she was revived after a epic battle she lives to bend another rod again

 

I often hesitate to weigh in on these discussions, but sometimes education is best.  Whenever we intend to release a fish of any species, we should never place our fingers in the gills.  It takes time, but those fish will die nearly 100% of the time.  Often days later, but they will die for certain.  If we're reducing them to the creel, then obviously no big deal.  But you mentioned that you were releasing them, so that brings on the comments from those of us in the peanut gallery.  Best to wet your hands, handle them as little as possible, and then release them back to the river/stream/ocean/pond/lake they came from.  The thing with catch and release (C&R) is that many bad fish handling techniques won't cause death for hours or even days, so anglers see that fish swim away just fine and assume they lived.  

 

Just so you don't think I'm just an internet windbag, I've actually read scientific papers on fishing mortality using a variety of controls to determine best practices.  I am a bit of a fly fishing geek after all.           

[Rusty]

who this handsome Greek god?  

 

[Rusty]

I often hesitate to weigh in on these discussions, but sometimes education is best.  Whenever we intend to release a fish of any species, we should never place our fingers in the gills.  It takes time, but those fish will die nearly 100% of the time.  

 

This is how people learn.  

 

And I can vouch for Brian, he knows his stuff when it comes to trout.  He makes the occasional guest appearance in my ecology class.  

[BowhunterNJ]

Just so you don't think I'm just an internet windbag, I've actually read scientific papers on fishing mortality using a variety of controls to determine best practices.  I am a bit of a fly fishing geek after all.           

 

I can confirm, while Brian IS indeed an internet windbag, he isn't JUST an internet windbag! :rofl:

[smoking gun]

Hey I learned something new today I'm used to the salt where you take a knife to the gills or just chuck it in a cooler or bang stick to the skull

[Rusty]

Here's what Brian (Bucksnbows) does for a living.  He knows his poop when it comes to trout. 

 

https://www.njwoodsandwater.com/topic/2886-river-restoration-to-improve-trout-habitat/