In Oklahoma most of the trout fishing is below reservoirs in tailwaters. The waters are consistantly cold, so we can play the fish until they are resonably calm withi out indangering the fish. My fishing buddies and i fish for trout in cooler weather from late September through March primarly to miss the crowds.
In freezing weather I am not real thrilled about getting my hands or fingerless gloves wet so I use 5 inch forceps to release fish. I need the forceps to get flies out of my box and to hold the fly while tieing it on anyway. There are two minor drawbacks to the forceps
first sometimes the fish isn't as whipped as I have judged it to be and the forceps slip up onto the flies body which shortens the fly's life, and second most of the trout splash water on take off which to this point and the forceps are just long enough to miss the bulk of it.
We fish barbless flies for safety and ease of release
What do you use? Is it woth it to carry an extra tool?