Catch and Release

There are a number of very good reasons that we advocate catch and release, especially for steelhead and trout species.The first is quite simple - the more fish that we return to the river, the more fish that will be available to catch tomorrow, next week or even next year. This is especially true of those species that return to the lake after spawning, as they can return to the river year after year. In addition, fish that survive to spawn will increase the population for future catching.

Not sure of the proper way to release a fish? Here are some guidelines:

• handle fish as little as possible and release them quickly
• do not fight fish to exhaustion
• minimize or eliminate the time fish are out of the water
• as little as 30 seconds of air exposure causes delayed mortality of released trout
• consider using only artificial lures - their use is mandatory on some waters
• use barbless hooks if you plan to release most of the fish you catch
• when a fish is deeply hooked, do not try to remove the hook - clip the leader instead
• during the warm summer months when stream temperatures are elevated, do not fish for trout if you plan to release them
• these fish are already stressed and additional handling may kill them
• likewise, do not fish for trout in spring holes when water temperatures are in the mid 70s or higher (especially if you plan to release them)

(Reprinted from NYS Department of Conservation website, Catching and Releasing Trout)