Handling Fish Safely

Fish are covered in a protective slime coating that guards against disease and infection. Poor handling can remove this coating, leave fish vulnerable to injury, and cause lasting harm even if the fish appears to swim away normally.

Good handling protects fish stocks, maintains healthy fisheries and is a matter of respect for the fish and the environment.

Always wet your hands before touching a fish. Dry hands remove slime far more aggressively than wet hands. Avoid using towels, gloves or dry surfaces.

If you are using a landing net, wet that too before the fish enters it.

If the hook is accessible, hold the fish gently in the water and back the hook out carefully. Barbless hooks are much easier to remove and cause less damage.

For small fish, use a disgorger — a small plastic tool that slides down the line and pops the hook out without damage. For deeply hooked fish, cut the line as close to the hook as possible rather than forcing the hook out.

For larger fish (carp especially), always use an unhooking mat. This is a padded, wet surface that protects the fish when it is out of the water.

Many fisheries require an unhooking mat and it is considered essential equipment for carp fishing.

Keep the fish close to the water and close to the ground when photographing. Hold the fish horizontally and support its weight. Never hold a fish vertically by its jaw or grip it tightly.

Keep the fish out of the water for as short a time as possible — aim for under thirty seconds. If the fish is distressed, return it immediately and take your photograph another time.

Lower the fish into the water headfirst and hold it gently upright with both hands below the surface. Wait until the fish is strong enough to swim away under its own power.

If the fish seems sluggish, gently move it forward and back in the water to push water through its gills. On a warm day, find a shaded area with good oxygen levels rather than returning the fish in shallow, sun-warmed water.