Originally Posted by
Byron haugh
A quote from a 2005 study of the effect of catch-and-release on trout:
"The impact of mortality caused by catch-and-release practices is often underestimated byboth anglers and fishery managers. From a review of 118 catch-and-release studies (Appendix1), which, in total, involved over 120,000 fish, the average mortality associated with catch-and-release angling was 16.2%. Thus, while many anglers may assume that by practising catch-and-release they are having no impact on the fish population, a significant number of released fishmay die."
I think whatever we can
do to minimize unintended damage to caught and released trout is welcome. From using barbless hooks, keeping trout in the water as long as possible, and, yes, using fish friendly nets as well.