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~Fish
Handling
& Processing~
We've received a couple requests to include native Steelhead
handling and release procedures and how to process hatchery
Steelhead. This page is setup as a reference only. Send us your comments or suggestions to our
email.
Here is a
link to the Idaho Fish
and Game website where you can find Idaho's general fishing
and
Steelhead regulations.
Lets
start with a Steelhead that is intended to be released:
Steelhead are very strong and resilient, even so, they need to
be handled with extreme care.
All Steelhead that have an adipose fin must be released
immediately unharmed. When a hatchery Steelhead is going
to be released it needs to be treated the same as a native
Steelhead. Here are the regulations and releasing procedure from
the IDF&G.
All
Steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released
immediately to preserve wild Steelhead that are listed as
Threatened under the Endangered Species Act
RELEASING FISH
Releasing fish is a good way to increase
your enjoyment and prolong your fishing. Many miles of rivers
and streams in Idaho have CATCH-AND-RELEASE rules. Other bodies
of water have rules which require the release of certain sizes
of fish or have reduced bag limits. These rules have been very
successful in providing better fishing for larger trout and
bass. All anglers can increase fish survival by releasing fish
properly through the following procedures:
• Do not handle fish with dry hands.
• Do not squeeze the fish.
• Do not touch the gills or hold fish by
gill covers.
• Leave the fish in the water while
removing the hook; needlenose pliers or
forceps are helpful.
• If the hook cannot be easily removed,
cut the leader. The hook will rust out
rapidly.
• If the fish is exhausted, hold it in a
swimming position in the water and
move it back and forth gently
until you release it.
• Avoid excessive and unnecessary handling
of the fish, and avoid removing
fish from water.
• Avoid laying fish on a hard surface.
These regulations and procedures still leave room for
interpretation and accidental fish abuse. Over the years we've
seen fish hauled up on rocks, dropped in boats, played too long,
not played long enough, improperly handled and more. Clearwater
Steelhead are bigger than most other fish and are commonly
mishandled. Here are some additional suggestions that we would
like to offer that pertain to Steelhead.
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Use a Steelhead friendly net. Use a large
diameter net that has a soft mesh or rubber basket.
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When handling a Steelhead use a fish hand
to reduce the chance that fish will slip out of your hand.
Grasp the fish tightly at the base of the tail.
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The entire Clearwater River is barbless
hook only, so hooks typically fall right out once the fish
is in the net. Try to buy barbless hooks instead of buying
barbed and then crimping.
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When water temperatures are above 60
degrees Fahrenheit it is important to land the fish as fast
as possible. The warmer the water is, the less oxygen there
is in it. Fish that are played out for extreme periods of
time in warm water suffer from lactic acid build up and are
more prone to dying after release.
-
In cold water it is better to play a fish
out a little longer so the fish doesn't thrash around so
much in the net.
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When bank fishing it is important to
either net the fish or tail it. Never bring a wild fish up
on the bank.
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Never remove a late season hen from the
water. When a large fish is removed from the water the lack
of water pressure against the fish will allow the weight of
the fish and the eggs to damage the membrane in the skein.
The membrane that holds the eggs together and provides the
nutrients necessary for egg development is torn and
significantly decrease the hatch rate of eggs.
Anglers frequently under estimate
the strength of a B-run Steelhead. Never attempt to lift and
photograph a fish if you don't know what you are doing. On
our website you can see that we have pictures of live Steelhead.
Per Idaho law all Steelhead that are not going to be harvested
must be release immediately unharmed. As all of our clients can
attest too, we have the utmost respect for all Steelhead and
handle them with extreme care. To ensure that all fish are
handled with care these are the procedures that we use to get a
quick picture; While the fish is being played the camera is
taken out and turned on. Once the fish is landed the guide
removes the hook and revives the fish in the net. The camera is
focused and ready for the picture. With a fish hand on,
the base of the tail is held tightly and the belly of the fish
is supported near the pectoral fins. The guide lifts the fish
from the net and a quick picture is taken. The fish is placed in
the water and released.
F ollow
these procedures to harvest hatchery Steelhead.
It is important to properly process
a harvested fish to ensure that it is not wasted. A fish's color
is best when it is still alive or right after it is killed. So
if you want to get a picture, take it right away. Once the
picture is taken, put the fish back in the net at the edge of
the boat and cut the gills. By cutting the gills the fish will
bleed out minimizing the "fishy" taste and reducing the chance
of spoiling. While the fish is bleeding out, 1 or 2 minutes,
fill out your harvest tag. The angler may not fish until the tag
is filled out and can not fish anymore if the daily limit has
been retained. The person who hooks the fish is responsible for
tagging the fish on their tag, it is not the person who brings
it to the net. It is best to gut the fish right away, but if it
isn't convenient, place the fish in a cooler on ice and gut as
soon as possible. When gutting the fish use extreme caution not
to cut the gall bladder located between the pectoral fins
attached to the liver. Use a knife and spoon to clean out the
kidney track along the back bone. Use a spoon to press the blood
our of the veins that run along the ribs. Be careful not to cut
yourself. Pack the fish in ice until you can eat it or put it in
a freezer. The fish should be consumed or frozen within 48 hours
of harvest. Per Idaho law, all Steelhead must remain intact
during transportation. Once at home the fish can be filleted and
packaged. If making the fish into steaks it is best to put the
fish in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes to firm it up. To cut
the fish into steaks, use a band saw or an 18-23 tooth hand saw.
The tail section of the Steelhead makes a great piece to bake. All of
the fish should be wrapped in clear wrap, vacuumed sealed, and
frozen. When thawing the fish, place clean paper towel under the
fish in the refrigerator. It will take two days to thaw, change
the paper towel each day.
RIVER ETIQUETTE: Over the past couple weeks we have seen some
rude behavior from both private party boats and guide boats.
This is a big SMALL river. When someone does something rude,
word travels fast. Some of the stuff that has been going on is
just plain common sense. If someone "CORKS" you, take the higher
road, say something POLITELY to let them know what they did
wasn't cool and continue on with your day. If it is a guide boat
that corking people, take a picture or write down the boat
description, get the outfitter initials off the boat, ask them
for their name, and try to get the sticker number. Call the
Idaho Outfitters Guides and Licensing Board and report them. If
it is a private boat get their boat description and registration
number, and spread the word. They will black-list them selves
very quickly.
We are all out here to have fun and catch fish, but not at the
expense of other people.
1) Don't
Low Hole - If you want to fish a run, either go 150 yards down
stream and start or wait for the boat in the run to work their
way down.
2) When in
Rome do as the Romans - If someone is in a run that you want to
fish and they are side-drifting, then side-drift with them -
Don't CORK them by starting to back-down plugs. If you want to
fish it that bad WAIT for them to move on.
3) Boat
anglers should give Bank anglers (fly fishermen included) their
space. But at the same time, Bank anglers don't need to try to
lob their gear into a boat to make their point.
4) Do not
anchor in the middle of the runs and stay there all day. We all
have a right to fish through runs, both guides and private
boaters. If you anchor up and are blocking the run, you will
only cause tension out on the river. If you want to anchor and
eat lunch that is one thing, but staying in the same place all
day on anchor while tying up the run is another. A great example
of this is at 5-mile, there have been a couple boats that get
out there at dark-o-thirty, anchor right in the middle of the
run and then wonder why they are catching crap from other boats
and not catching many fish. The only exception to this rule is
the pipeline outside the hatchery, and if your idea of Steelhead
fishing is to sit in town all day at the "pipe" by all means
anchor away, you are missing the big picture of coming to
the Clearwater.
5) Give
each other some room. Make an effort to see where bank anglers
and boat anglers are fishing and try to avoid running over their
water.
Here is a
link to Poppy's Etiquette page,
http://www.redshedflyshop.com/ETHICS.html
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