Properly handling a fish for release means keeping it in the water as much as possible, supporting it gently by its natural handle, and never squeezing, dropping, or over-handling it. In this How 2 Tuesday I answer an Instagram question about fish-handling and lay out the principles that protect fish you plan to release. The whole point of catch and release is a healthy fishery, so I cover which fish you can hold by the mouth or tail, why you should never stick fingers in the gills or squeeze a fish, how to get a great photo with the fish still dripping, and why the best handling of all is no handling at all.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Keep it in the water as much as possible, fight it to the boat quickly, and support it by its natural handle without squeezing. Lift it just above the surface for a fast photo, dripping water, then put it right back. Do not drop it on the deck, do not put fingers in the gills, and once you have your pictures, release the rest untouched by sliding your hand down the leader and shaking out the fly. Quick fights and minimal handling give the fish the best chance.
For a fish you intend to release, yes, if you touch the gills. On larger fish like a barracuda you can slip a finger or two just inside the gill plate without touching the gills to control the fish, but going further damages the gills and can also get your finger bitten off on toothy species. For most release fish, skip the gills entirely and use the mouth or tail handle instead, depending on the species.
Match the hold to the species. You can grip a tarpon, redfish, or snook by the mouth, but never a mackerel, jack crevalle, or barracuda, because of their teeth. Many fish have a firm tail handle above a boomerang tail, like a permit, mackerel, or wahoo. A cobia sits calmly supported in a landing net. For small fish like bonefish, baby tarpon, and mackerel, cradle them gently under the belly rather than squeezing.
Because time out of the water and rough handling are what kill released fish. The best photos have the fish held just above the surface, even partly in the water, dripping wet, which both protects the fish and looks better. Keeping it in or near the water also means that if it kicks free, it lands back in the water like a jump rather than slamming onto the deck, which is often the most damaging thing that can happen.
Once you have the photos you need, leave the fish in the water, slide your hand down the leader with your pliers or hemostats, grab the fly, and shake it out so the fish is never touched by human hands. That is the best possible handling. It is even better if you fought the fish quickly, because a fast fight plus a no-touch release leaves the fish far less stressed and far more likely to swim off healthy.
Squeezing can crush internal organs and break ribs, you can literally see it when an inexperienced angler grips so hard the fish's eyes bulge. Dropping a fish onto the hard deck of a boat can injure it badly, often the most damage it takes all day. Cradle, do not squeeze, and hold the fish low over the water so any escape ends in a harmless splash rather than a fall onto the deck.
There is a safe hold for every fish, but it is not the same hold for all of them. I run through mouth holds, tail handles, and the net trick for cobia, and which fish will bite you if you try the wrong one, in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Keeping a fish in or just above the water protects it and produces better photos, with water dripping off a fish that never gets slammed on the deck. I explain why a dropped fish takes the worst damage of the day in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The single best thing you can do for fish you catch in numbers is to stop touching them, sliding down the leader and shaking out the fly after a quick fight. I make the case for fast fights and no-touch releases in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Catch and release only works if the fish actually survives. Keep them wet, cradle instead of squeeze, never drop them, and let most of them go untouched, and you give every fish the best chance to swim off and keep the fishery healthy.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
fish handling · catch and release · bonefish · tarpon · permit · redfish · barracuda · cobia · fish photography · conservation · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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