Landing fish by yourself

[voltaire]

I've just been fly fishing now since Christmas, and I have just been out a couple of times. If you're fishing by yourself, how do you land the fish to get the hook out? I lifted a few fish out of the water with my rod and grabbed the line and then the fish. Once you are holding the fish, what do you do with your rod? Stick it under your arm? Would a landing net help a lot?

[Byron Zuehlsdorff]

Do use a net myself, as for the rod, the arm, the mouth, it all depends on the moment, where I am etc.....

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Wyo-blizzard

[SilverMallard]

A landing net does make it a lot easier. I tuck the rod under my arm when handling fish.

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Fishing the Ozarks

it's nice not to have to worry about things like this.

I think, though, he may be asking for advice?

I would try not to lift the fishie outta the water by the line. unless of course yer gonna harvest it.

a net would be a worthwhile beginning. use your fingers or hemos to unhook the fish without touching it. I'm assuming we're talking trout here...

mgj

[brookid]

...in most cases and depending on the size of the fish, towards the end of the fight I lift my rod tip just high enough to poke his head out of the water, he'll generally go limp and I slide him towards me.
I then either tuck the rod between the legs or under the arm reach down and cradle the fish in the water, then with my free hand go for the hemos...pop the hook, revive a little if need be, thank him and off he goes...

Brookid

[gadabout]

voltaire,

You didn't mention what kind of fish and what size. It certainly makes a difference. For small trout, I usually bring the fish in close and slip a hand under the belly then gently lift the fish. For larger trout I would use a net. For largemouth bass I would bring them in close then "lip" them. For something like a bluegill I would carefully grab them in such a way as I don't get stuck with dorsal spines.

What you almost never want to do is lift a fish out of the water with the rod. Fishing rods are not designed for that purpose. You will put unnecessary strains on the rod, leader and fish if you do that. A fish in the water effectively has no weight. A fish taken out of water suddenly has weight. There is no need to subject the rod, leader, and the fish's own mouth to that weight.

[Chuck S]

With Trout I usually catch and release so most of the time I reach down with my releaser (Ketchum Release, Runje Releaser, etc) and flick the fish loose without removing from the water or touching. With some of the other fish such as Bass or Catfish, I lip them by grabbing their prominent lip and cradle thier bellies with the other hand while the rod goes underarm. With some such as Carp, I use a net while with most Saltwater I use a Boga Grip to avoid teeth, spines and gill plates.

[WarrenP]

With trout I use a Ketchum Release tool and never touch the fish or lift it from the water. With bass I lip them and then release and with bluegill I use the Ketchum Release tool unless they are large enough to eat and I am keeping gils for supper and then I will hold them in one hand, rod under arm and remove hook and then into creel.

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Warren

[ohiotuber]

I agree with gadabout on this one. I CRINGE when I see a fish lifted out of the water with a rod. It's amazing how easily a seemingly small fish can snap a rod.
Mike

[Satchel]

I had a friend who showed me the slickest thing for landing fish. It's called a Landing Hand. it's basically just a square, open ended piece of landing net cloth with a band around the open end. You simply slip your hand into it and hold the fish. I try and keep the fish in the water too, and this thing gives you EXCELLENT grip on the fish. They just don't slip around. Works on bass, panfish and pike too. Cool thing and less than $20 at my local shop. Check it out.

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These are the idle thoughts that posses a man's mind when he's not able to fish.