Kalamalka Fly Fishers Club - Catching More Fish And Bigger Fish

Are you interested in catching more fish and bigger fish?

Adopt catch & release!

Why we need catch & release
1. Every year there are more anglers with better equipment.
2. Every year more fish habitat is threatened or destroyed.
3. every year over fishing reduces fish populations faster than hatches can grow them.

And here is some of the research
- For lakes and streams from New York, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Texas to Michigan and even Alaska, size or bag limits do not prevent depletion of fish in popular waters.
- Larger faster-growing fish are killed first. Fewer fish and smaller fish are the result.
- While catch-and -release cannot correct seriously polluted and degraded waters, for most species, from largemouth bass to billfish, fishing quality improves- often dramatically.
- Contrary to earlier ideas, limited fill even can help build bigger and more numerous panfish, bluegill.
- All anglers, whether they spin, bait or fly can preserve more and larger fish future generations by practicing catch-and-release.
- Catch-and -release fishing regulations can be strictly non-kill or they can be combined with size and bag limits.

What the experts say.....
- Scientists from Idaho to New York to Wisconsin,
"Mortality with catch and release is very low!" Some avoid catch and release because they think " most released fish die". This simply is not true. Research on waters from Idaho to New York to Maine has repeatedly shown that " 95% of all fish hooked on artificial flies and lures live to be caught again another day". This includes bass, trout, salmon, pike, walleye and panfish. By contrast, with live or even dead natural bait, fish mortality is higher ( near 50%), although many fish still survive.

American Sport Fishing Institute, 1987:
"An ethical angler realizes that fishing is fun. Fishing pleasure is not measured by the heft of the stringer, but by the angling difficulty offered by particular fish caught - and often released - in an aesthetically pleasing environment."

Lee Wulf, 1984:
" Once upon a time, our wild trout fishing may have been the best in the world. Too many fish and the quality slumped. The private streams of the world where fishing was limited to a few and the take low enough to give quality fishing far surpassed it and represented good management. NO-KILL was America's answer to give the public of our country even finer fishing than the richest people of the world."

Roderick Haig-Brown, 1974:
"The fisherman's enormous advantage in the matter of bag limits is that he can limit his killing without appreciably limiting his sport..."

Why the FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS supports catch and release:
For over 35 years, The Federation of Fly Fishers has made " limit your kill, don't kill your limit" the major theme of their conservation effort. The Federation of Fly Fishers and other fish conservation organizations enthusiastically support " catch and release" because it works in many different situations. This is not just our opinion. As noted, dozens of scientific studies have been carried out. These studies include trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, muskie, walleye, Atlantic salmon, steelhead and even bluegill. Based on these studies, more and more conservation-minded anglers of both fresh and saltwater fish have embraced this simple, but very effective practice.

Saltwater Catch and Release:
With the growing number of anglers using our marine environs and the increasing regulations on size and bag limits, the future of our fisheries depend more-than-ever, on our conscience efforts.
Use barbless or circle style hooks. Circle hooks tend to hook the fish in the hinge area of the jaw, making it easier to release the fish.
Many marine fishes are dangerous due to their size or perilous bite. The use of pliers or dehooker will aid in safely removing the hook.
When fishing depths over 20 feet, you should bring the fish up slowly to the boat. A fish brought from depths will often suffer from over inflation of swim bladder. Bringing the fish up slowly prevents it from diving in deep water, prevents possible suffocation and allows the fish to decompress ( adjust to the change in water pressure). If you reel in a fish too quickly, it will die. With large fish, particularly in salt water, cutting the leader often is the best way to release a fish before it is exhausted.
Sharks are a menace in salt water. if one approaches while you are playing a fish, back off the drag and let the fish run freely. It may be necessary to let the fish escape by increasing the drag and breaking the line or tippet.

Nine Ways To Reduce Fish Mortality

Do not fight your fish to exhaustion:
Use the leader and rod to get your fish landed. Even with light gear, "hustle" your fish in. Cold water fish in warm conditions often die if exhausted. Consider cutting the line if you can't land the fish quickly.
Land your fish carefully:
When in the boat, float tube, or for large fish, use a net to reduce time. Because net fibers ( especially nylon ) can damage eyes and remove protective slime from a fish's body, small fish should be landed by hand by hand. Do not allow a fish to flop in shallow water or on the rocks. But do not drag a fish with its mouth open.
Handle your fish carefully:
Minimize the time any fish is out of the water. The longer a fish is out of the water, the greater the chance it will die. Ideally keep your fish in the water, especially large fish, where lifting and handling could lead to injury. Keep your fingers out of the gills and eyes of any fish and never squeeze fish throat or body cavity regions; vital organs may be fatally injured. Stomach pumps to determine the fish's feeding habit are not recommended for most anglers.
Use barbless hooks:
With barbless hooks, it is easier fish and there is less tissue damage. For larger fish ( like steelhead ), barbless hooks are especially important. Use a needle nose pliers or forceps to bend down barbs.
Use bronzed hooks:
Bronzed, instead of nickel, stainless steel or gold-plated hooks dissolve if left in fish. If you break a fish off, or cut the leader when a fish has been hooked deeply, bronzed hooks will corrode/dissolve more quickly.
Get a catch and release tool:
To release a fish without touching it, get an inexpensive device called a catch & release tool. Basically a cup hook is attached to the end of a wooden dowel handle. You grab the line about 18 inches from the hooked fish and the tool slides the hook down to the lure or fly. By pulling upward on the bend of the hook, it is disengaged and the fish goes free, without being touched or even removed from the water.
Record your trophy with care:
If you wish to photograph a fish, do it quickly. ideally get someone else to take the picture or hold the fish. Keep the fish in the water by cradling it, or by keeping it in a net beneath the water. If you weigh a fish, the best way is to weigh the fish in a net.
Release your fish correctly:
Never "throw" a fish back. Gently return it to low velocity, shallow water; particularly after a prolonged fight. If you release the fish in shallow water you can recover it if it is not able to swim. Muskies, Inc. tells us that an exhausted and stressed fish may not be able to adjust to the pressure of deep or fast moving water.
Revive your fish if necessary:
Revive an exhausted fish by pointing its head into slow current until the gills are working normally and the fish gains enough strength to support itself. Continue until the fish is able to swim away. The fish will often surge out of your hands when recovered. If the fish seems disoriented, sometimes a slight push with the rod tip or pole will stimulate it to move off.

Pass this information to a friend, get the word out or if your organization wants more information contact FFF at ( 406) 585-7592, FFF Oregon Council, PO box 40276, Eugene, OR 97404
For the widest possible exposure, information from this web page is also published at the FFF website: www.fedflyfishers.org

Why we need catch & release 1. Every year there are more anglers with better equipment. 2. Every year more fish habitat is threatened or destroyed. 3. every year over fishing reduces fish populations faster than hatches can grow them.

American Sport Fishing Institute, 1987: "An ethical angler realizes that fishing is fun. Fishing pleasure is not measured by the heft of the stringer, but by the angling difficulty offered by particular fish caught - and often released - in an aesthetically pleasing environment."

Roderick Haig-Brown, 1974: "The fisherman's enormous advantage in the matter of bag limits is that he can limit his killing without appreciably limiting his sport..."

Nine Ways To Reduce Fish Mortality

Do not fight your fish to exhaustion: Use the leader and rod to get your fish landed. Even with light gear, "hustle" your fish in. Cold water fish in warm conditions often die if exhausted. Consider cutting the line if you can't land the fish quickly.

Use barbless hooks: With barbless hooks, it is easier fish and there is less tissue damage. For larger fish ( like steelhead ), barbless hooks are especially important. Use a needle nose pliers or forceps to bend down barbs.

Use bronzed hooks: Bronzed, instead of nickel, stainless steel or gold-plated hooks dissolve if left in fish. If you break a fish off, or cut the leader when a fish has been hooked deeply, bronzed hooks will corrode/dissolve more quickly.

Record your trophy with care: If you wish to photograph a fish, do it quickly. ideally get someone else to take the picture or hold the fish. Keep the fish in the water by cradling it, or by keeping it in a net beneath the water. If you weigh a fish, the best way is to weigh the fish in a net.

Why we need catch & release
1. Every year there are more anglers with better equipment.
2. Every year more fish habitat is threatened or destroyed.
3. every year over fishing reduces fish populations faster than hatches can grow them.

American Sport Fishing Institute, 1987:
"An ethical angler realizes that fishing is fun. Fishing pleasure is not measured by the heft of the stringer, but by the angling difficulty offered by particular fish caught - and often released - in an aesthetically pleasing environment."

Roderick Haig-Brown, 1974:
"The fisherman's enormous advantage in the matter of bag limits is that he can limit his killing without appreciably limiting his sport..."

Do not fight your fish to exhaustion:
Use the leader and rod to get your fish landed. Even with light gear, "hustle" your fish in. Cold water fish in warm conditions often die if exhausted. Consider cutting the line if you can't land the fish quickly.

Use barbless hooks:
With barbless hooks, it is easier fish and there is less tissue damage. For larger fish ( like steelhead ), barbless hooks are especially important. Use a needle nose pliers or forceps to bend down barbs.

Use bronzed hooks:
Bronzed, instead of nickel, stainless steel or gold-plated hooks dissolve if left in fish. If you break a fish off, or cut the leader when a fish has been hooked deeply, bronzed hooks will corrode/dissolve more quickly.

Record your trophy with care:
If you wish to photograph a fish, do it quickly. ideally get someone else to take the picture or hold the fish. Keep the fish in the water by cradling it, or by keeping it in a net beneath the water. If you weigh a fish, the best way is to weigh the fish in a net.