Releasing Atlantic salmon Grilse a win-win?

[salmonthink]

From rivers in Russia to those in Canada, scientists have found with tagged Atlantic salmon that anglers have caught and released the same grilse and salmon several times. Would like to hear any stories from any of you who found evidence of grilse that have been caught more than once. With science now showing that grilse help divert predators from larger salmon during migration, and grilse being more likely to explore for new spawning habitat, wouldn't that make it a win-win situation to release grilse? Better for salmon numbers, better for the anglers?

[flyfishfairwx]

From rivers in Russia to those in Canada, scientists have found with tagged Atlantic salmon that anglers have caught and released the same grilse and salmon several times. Would like to hear any stories from any of you who found evidence of grilse that have been caught more than once. With science now showing that grilse help divert predators from larger salmon during migration, and grilse being more likely to explore for new spawning habitat, wouldn't that make it a win-win situation to release grilse? Better for salmon numbers, better for the anglers?

Agreed, and this is a good reason to have an international "NO KILL" law, and a no treble law, for Atlantics, what they take in Russia and Finland etc directly affects what returns to this side of the Atlantic, and same for what we take..

PS I just threw in the no Treble because I do not like them for fishing.. trout and Salmon..

[Draggerman]

I agree all atlantic salmon fishing should be catch and release.

[DG]

I cannot speak for Atlantics, but I have caught the same steelhead more than once on a few occasions, and know of fish that were caught by more than one person.

My feeling is that if you let a fish go, odds are it will survive and you might catch it again. If you take it home and eat it, odds are you won't catch it again.