For the most part, I think its safe to say we're mostly Catch and Release fishermen here. And its something I've embraced since I was a little kid just learning to fish. Release what you catch and let them grow in number and size to enjoy later.

But now, I'm catching and hooking way more fish than I ever have with western gear, and it has me thinking about some of the things I've read about the mortality rate of fish even after good C&R practices, that possibly ~15% die afterbeing released....and possibly more.


With western gear, I'd need to have fished multiple days for that 10-15% to actually reach a whole number of fish, but now it seems I regularly reach that whole number of fish on one outings worth of fishing using a tenkara rod, even if its just a few hours on the water after work.

Do any of you think about stopping after a certain number of fish?
Should we begin to?
Are good C&R practices just the beginning of this story and should we impose a self-directed "land-limit"? (as opposed to a bag-limi)

For me personally, I know I've been seriously reconsidering continuing to fish past 10 or so landed fish.

I fish with barbless and when I can, play the fish for a little bit and then see if give the fish enough slack to shake himself loose. My sucess rate here is relatively low though.

Got the idea from when I used to do that a lot when fishing for tarpon on a fly, as all I wanted was to hook one, fight it for a minute or two, watch a couple spectacular jumps and then be free of a 30-60min burden. Tarpon though are a bit more dependable to "long-line" release in this manner since they jump\shake a whole bunch more than a trout.

I really hope this isnt coming across as me bragging about the number of fish I catch or anything like that. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who catch way more fish than I do. I'm really just interested in this question and what insight some of you others have.

My partner Rob @ Tenkara Guides has some very interesting research on C&R practices here is a link to his research: http://tenkaraguides.com/the-science-of ... d-release/

Hope that is of some help.

John

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Tenkara Guides LLC

Don't sound like bragging to me just a question. I think it a question every fishermen has to answer for himself but for me I don't count fish anymore stoped that years ago after listening to some guys go on about numbers I stop when I'm done, can't say how I know that I just get to where I would rather set on a rock and look at what God has given me to enjoy and I'm done. I may stay longer I might even cast a few more times but I don't care if I catch fish or not. I'm done. It may be my age there was a time when there was not enough fish to catch and there is not one thing wrong with that. I love to watch a just starting out angler wear them out. But somewhere through the 50+ years of fishing something changed I'm no better for it still just the same ol East TN boy that loves to fish just what I count as a good day on the water changed.

Tom

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Wilderness Tarpon 120
and a Tenkara USA Amago
Good Combo!!!

Fish until water, food and Cigars are gone, go back to camp and prepare for the next days fishing and repeat.............

@John /TenkaraGuides
Thanks for making that explicit. I already did include that link above in the "15%..." underlined text, but maybe I should have highlighted it a bit more by not including it inline with the text.
Either way, thats what got me thinking about asking this question in the first place.


@Tom /tntom
I'm with you on the not counting fish for counting purposes. Most of the time I dont even remember how many I've caught other than a ballpark figure. Like you as well, most of these days, I know when I'm "done" with the day, but I do know there are a lot of people who are into numbers. I guess the jumping off point I was getting at here is if we (we as in the fishing community as a whole) should be advocating MORE than simple C&R ethics, but stopping at a reasonable landing-limit.

The other reason why I've been thinking about this, is due to a local stream we have here near Denver. It has such an amazing bug population, myself and others (jason klass in particular) have commented how we've wondered why there isnt a larger average size of fish on this river. Surely some people do keep fish here, but for the most part, I've wondered if due to its proximity to town, the population is just stiffled/killed off at a juvenile age from the amount of pressure this stream sees. Its really the only other explanation I have at this point.

I am like George Costanza from Seinfeld when he leaves a NY Yankees meeting on a high note after a funny joke all laughed at. If you watched Seinfeld you would know. Once I catch one fish, I am outta there.

Actually, to be truthful, I have never had a trip yet that I have fished for a long time. Longest was a 2 hour event with Daniel on a hard fishing day during a time of day not great for catching fish. Since then most my sessions remain an hour here, and hour there.

So for me, I just leave when I have to as I hear a nagging chirp in my ear (get home buddy or else).

I did have one pond session where every cast I had a bluegill on the line and it almost became boring but at the same time, not, if you know what I mean. With trout the most I caught on my 1 hour session was 3 and I left feeling all Costanza that day.

But, if I ever get one of those dream all day fishings under my belt and actually catch many fish, I will stop probably when my growing belly would prefer to be at camp with my wife cooking a good campout meal and kicking back with a bottle of vino. Qty would not stop me for sure.

tj

EDIT... add another one for me.... after catching a nice little rainbow tonight I let her go, cast two more times, and in those times lost my 5X tippet and fly, no snag, just lost it. Must of been my knot. So, I went home. MO-Skeet-Os were all over me and it was about time anyway so just nudged me to leave. hehehe

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TJ, Show-man-ship is what I believe they called it on that sienfeld episode.
I agree with TNTom on this one. But at the same time I will sometimes fish for a while and really catch quite a few. There is so much I really enjoy about the places I visit to fish. My favorite part is usually staying out till right before dark and seeing the shift from day to night animals. When you look back on your last fishing trip ask yourself how much of your trip was really about fishing.

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Tenkara Mushroom

In streams where their is a lot of small fish (that being about all their is), under 8", I do not worry about the number of fish I am releasing. Their recovery time is so much quicker, I do not believe it is a mortality issue. Sure there is stress, but with good Catch and Release practice I don't feel it affects the population over all.

Where I am catching larger fish, over 10", I try to keep moving. I catch a fish in a hole or run and then move one. Stressing one fish in a pool or area that may hold up to 5 trout is enough of playing the odds for me. I don't believe I am killing any fish (or few and far between) with my Catch and Release practices, but I do believe that they get stressed. I do not want to cause stress on the whole group of fish I come across. Playing with one of the group is enough. Especially when considering how many other fisherman may come upon that river that day.

Please be sure to be willing to take more time resting the fish with its nose in the current, the larger the fish is. I practice: the bigger the fish, the less time you have for pictures, and the longer you must spend reviving it. The bigger they are the older they are, and we all recover slower the older we get.

Enjoy the fishing

I agree 100% on a reasonable landing-limit (I am talking about trout esp wild trout, and I think you are also). Never thought of it quite that way but if we love the sport we should be willing to impose some rules on our self over and above the state law to take care of the fish that give us so much joy. As a old coach of mine used to say "act like you've been there" I enjoy fishing for all fish but it seems to wild trout need to be cared for a little more than most. I don't think you could harm the bluegill in my area if you fished them 27-7

Tom

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Wilderness Tarpon 120
and a Tenkara USA Amago
Good Combo!!!

I think if your worried about the 15% mortality rate with catch and release then, you might want to think about the health of the river your fishing. Most of the rivers and streams that I fish have bag limits of 6-10 trout/day, losing a couple to overstress, is still a lot better than actually taking home that much fish each day. plus when fish and game come up with their bag limits they take into account "inadvertant mortality" whether it be from catch and release practices or from trapesing through the reds during the spawn. I think that if i was worried about my catch and release mortality affecting the quality of the fish numbers in a certain river, I just wouldnt fish that river. even catch and release only, streams and rivers have mortality rates factored in. personally i dont go home until I cant possibly slog my waders through one more inch of stream

interesting thought though, and something that we all may need to think of on the highly pressured waters out there. hope fish and game doesnt ban tenkara because its just so darn effective haha

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