The Importance of Catch and Release

Dear Readers,

I was just thinking if I would write about this issue in some magazine, but I reckon this is the best way to deliver the message. As I have previously written, catch and release fishing (C&R) is quite a new thing in Finland, and coarse fish are mostly regarded as trash. Well, here is a series of photos to point out how C&R can be sustainable when done in the right way. This photo series is about the same carp caught in three consecutive years. The fish has been putting on weight every year.

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2011

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2012.

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2013

I already wrote in my earlier blog about the ESSENTIAL TACKLE considering fish welfare. C&R is not a religion about tossing the fish back in the water, it is about the best practice getting the fish back into the water. I really insist that all people doing C&R or selective fishing should pay attention to fish welfare. For instance, a lot of Finnish pike anglers don't have an unhooking mat. That is totally wrong. The boat floor is not the right place to handle a fish. Without the protection of the unhooking mat, the fish will loose a lot of its mucus layer. The mucus layer is really important for the fish, as it protects the fish from infections and parasites. 

What I always bring with me when I am fishing (fish welfare tackle):

- Big knotless landing net (Prologic XLNT)

- Landing mat (Prologic Inflatable with small walls)

- Weight sling (Prologic)

- Forceps & disgorger

- Camera tripod (and a lot of technical gimmicks to get the photo taken really fast)

These things are not lightweight. But it is the price you have to pay for fish welfare. If you are not ready to carry several kilos of fish welfare tackle, you should not be fishing at all. After all, it should be about fish welfare, not fisherman welfare. 

Sweat & tears (no blood) - C&R done properly!

Valuation of the Catch

Spring has been delayed a bit, as we still had more snow. I am getting frustrated, as I remember that early May has always started my stillwater season. Let's see if the ice is going to melt in the next three weeks...

Anyway, on with my ramblings. I have been asking myself questions about what should we value in our carp catches. I think when considering just the fish and it's value, it can be divided into three things: weight, looks and the strength of the fish. Take away any of these three values, and you can easily understand what my point is. If you get a monster fish, that fights well, but looks like... well... a monster (in a bad sense), you won't be satisfied with the catch. I have seen numerous pictures of carp that shouldn't have been photographed at all. 

If you catch a nice-looking small fighter, you wish it had been bigger? What about if your carp record, beautifully formed would just wobble into the net, without putting up a scrap...

It's not rocket science, but I reckon people tend to value these things differently. My valuation is biased to having good fighting carp on the end of my line. If I just want to hold something heavy in my hands, I think I'll try to lift my car... Don't get me wrong, of course I love catching big carp.

I think I caught the hardest fighting carp ever last summer. It was the same night I had a double run... But anyway, I woke up to my alarm. When I got to my pod, the carp had ripped easily 50 m of line from my spool. I lifted the rod and set on the drag. The carp just went on... I put on more drag force and tried to increase the pressure with my forefinger...  The carp just went on.

After I had taken the rod into my hands, the fish took 50 m of line before it stopped! And I had my 0,40 mm mono screaming for mercy all the time! After it stopped it had me fighting for every meter of line. At the time I had it in my landing net, I was completely exhausted. My shoulders were sore and numb. The fish was about 8,5 kg. But it had been the toughest of them all. Trust me, I will remember that fish until the day I die.

Common carp tend to put a harder fight than mirrors or leathers. All released with the hope of seeing again someday...