Dave's Blog: Proper catch and release for Steehead

This post properly illustrates how to release steelhead. I have never needed to use a net, Boga grip, or landing glove, to land steelhead while stream fishing. Most steelhead are released quickly and never touched by human hands unless I want to get a picture.
Here is an example of the quick release. I just play out the fish and reach down with my hemostats to unhook it. If the steelhead is not fought to total exhaustion, I never touch the fish. I just unhook it and let it swim off. I never beach or drag a steelhead up onto the bank if I am going to release it.

The following pictures are of how to catch, photograph, and release a steelhead without causing any harm to the fish. In order to CPR properly you will need at least a pair of hip waders or you will have some very wet feet.

This steelhead is played out, and I am reaching for the line. If I am fishing from the bank, I step into the water to land the fish.

Here I am grabbing the end of my line, near the float.

With my line in hand, I start to tuck the rod under my right arm.

I am continuing to tuck the rod under my right arm and getting the fish under control for the picture.

Here I am with my rod tucked under my arm, getting ready to tail the fish.

Here I am tailing the fish. I always wet my hands before tailing a steelhead. This keeps the fish’s protective slim coat unharmed.

Here is the picture. I always take the picture of the fish over the water, with the fish still hooked. This way if the fish flips out of my hands, it lands back in the water, and not on the hard bank. With the fish still hooked, I can grab the line again, re-tail the fish, and get the picture without harming the steelhead. I always hold the fish horizontally, support the fish under the belly, and keep my hands away from its gills.

The camera man will unhook the fish with hemostats. Have the camera man unhook the fish, if possible. It is quicker and easier than having the angler do it.

Back into the water she goes.

She is swimming strong and released a split second after the picture was taken.

Here is another fine steelhead.

The fish is back in the water and I am taking the hook out a split second later. In this shot, the camera man was on a high bank and I could get the hook out more quickly.

See ya later fish. This steelhead was placed in an upright position and swam off like a bolt of lighting seconds after this picture was taken.

Things not to do if you are going to release a steelhead:
DO NOT- Hold a steelhead in a vertical position. Doing this puts a great strain on the spine and internal organs. This could cause a steelhead to die days after being released. It will kill the fish.
DO NOT- Handle a steelhead by the gill plate and do not slip any fish holding devices under the gill plate. Any slip will damage the gills and mean sure death to the steelhead.
DO NOT- Hold a steelhead over land. Dropping a steelhead on hard ground will cause damage to the fish.
DO NOT- Drag a steelhead up onto the bank. A steelhead flipping on the bank can ruin its slime coat, rupture gills, and damage internal organs. Dragging a steelhead up onto the bank will also get it covered with leaves and all kinds of other debris. That makes a picture look terrible.
Here is another fine steelie.

This bruiser slammed a pink jig.

All the fish pictured in the CPR series were caught yesterday afternoon, 01-20-2007. I landed eight steelhead and lost a few to get the pictures. All the fish took various baits and jigs suspended under a float. A big thanks to Dean and Ernie for taking all the pictures and letting me catch all the fish.
Here is an example of a picture that did not turn out so well. For whatever reason, the pic just came out too dark. The Godzilla buck was 38+ inches long and fat. We only took one pic of him and he was released quickly. I have caught 3 steelhead larger than that one, in the past 3 months, but just quick released them so they could come back as 20+ pounders next year.