How to Keep Trout From Turning Belly-Up

Words By HOF

It's already mid-summer in the northenn Rockies and Pacific Northwest, and many of our treasured trout waters are already flowing at historically low levels, which increases water temperature and puts each trout we land at risk of death. Here's a quick refresher from our archives, a reminder on how to successfully release trout and keep our fisheries as healthy as they can be.

Catch, release, revive.

The idea is simple, yet practicing catch-and-release successfully isn’t always easy. Fatality is a part of fishing. There’s no avoiding it. Eventually, you’ll release a fish that turns belly-up and there’s nothing you can do about it. However, there’s plenty we can do to minimize these fatalities. To execute a flawless release you’ll need to follow a few proven steps.

Fight Them Fast

From the moment a fish is hooked, it loses strength. Although lengthy fights are fun, fighting and landing a fish quickly increases its chances of survival. Small stream trout are an example.

We’ve all caught three-inch long brook trout on a size-16 Royal Wulff. Most of the time, the hook-set pulls the brookie right out of the water and we see it dancing on the end of our lines. The fish has had no time to fight, and still holds most of its energy.

Once you unhook the fly and drop the little trout back into the stream, it shoots off like a bullet, right back to the boulder you pulled him away from. You can bet that spirited trout will forget he was ever hooked. To the extent you can, you want to fight a fish quickly—any fish, any size—so that it retains enough energy to recover from the fight and swims away strong and healthy.

Take a Walk

Walking downstream or upstream with a hooked fish helps achieve that goal.

Idaho’s Henry’s Fork River is an excellent example of how this comes into play. Some anglers walk upstream or downstream with their fish. In contrast, many fishermen stand their ground on the ‘Fork, holding in one place while fighting a trout; by the time a trout reaches their net, after finally being dragged along the surface, it’s exhausted and gasping. By walking with a trout and keeping the fish on a short line, you can increase tension and tire a fish quickly. And when it’s time to slide the fish over the surface and into a net, it doesn’t skip for 30 feet, against the current. So, remember, following a fish no matter which way it goes, can result in shorter fights and healthier fish when you let them go.

Head Turner

Turning a fish’s head throughout the fight is a greatly underutilized tactic. 

It may be scary to lower your rod parallel to the water, but once you gain confidence, you’ll never fight a fish any other way. This tactic keeps you in control and maximizes the strain on a fish. To do this you’ll have to identify which direction a fish is swimming. If it’s swimming, say, upstream to the right, you’ll point your rod left and pull left, and vice versa for a fish swimming downstream to the left. After few head turns, you’ll feel the fish tiring and should be able to manage it to the bank in a timely fashion.

Net Man

A trustworthy net man increases the number of fish you land, and decreases the time spent playing a fish.

The most effective procedure is having the net man downstream from the hooked-up angler. This gives the angler an opportunity to back up on shore while turning the fish’s head toward shore and, hopefully, right into the net. When executed properly, a fish has no choice but to swim directly into the open net.

In the Bag

Once your fish is in the net, give it a rest, a chance to catch its breath while you catch yours. 

When doing so, always face a trout upstream in clean water (i.e. not in mud), completely submerged. If possible, allow the fish to just swim gently in the net. Watch the tempo of its gills. If the gills flare quickly, give the fish more time to recover. Once the pace slows, and the fish demonstrates it wants out of the net, it’s time to say goodbye. If you want underwater photos you might shoot them now. The fish will be better off if you take photos of it under water, rather than out of it. Keep ‘em wet if you can.

Note: Make sure you carry forcepts or pliers with you while fishing. Those tools greatly expedite the removal of flies (especially small flies) from a trout's mouth. Those tools also prevent you from gripping a fish too tightly and wrenching a fly from its mouth. 

Picture Proof

When preparing for a picture of your fish, be sure to wet your hands. 

A fish’s slime is its immune system’s first layer of defense. By wetting your hands, you are preserving its defense system.

Be sure to have a firm grip on the fish, supporting its tail and “chest” area. Holding fish by the gills is a crime and people will let you know this if they see you holding fish like this. Similarly, don’t lift fish by the tail, as doing so compromises their body structure.

If you must hold a fish out of water, just before doing so make sure your camera equipment is ready to function. I always like to follow the, “one, two, three, lift” technique, so that cameraman and angler are on the same page. While hoisting the fish, keep a net below it, precaution against unpredictable fish flops. Do not keep the fish out of water. If the camera needs an adjustment, place fish in the net and keep it in the water.

Note: Not every fish needs to be photographed. In fact, it’s best not to photograph fish. So, if you must get “proof” reserve it for the best fish. Don’t bother with a 13-incher on the Missouri; don’t bother with the 15-inch brown on the Big Hole; keep the camera at bay when you get a 14-inch brookie at Georgetown. Only photograph truly remarkable fish and when doing so, put the fish’s best interests before your own. Think about how that fish might make another angler feel if they, too, end up with a beast in the net.

Release

There is something special about watching a monster trout—or any fish for that matter—making a strong run from your hands, back to the river.

Gently holding a fish and slowly loosening your hold, while still supporting the fish, translates to a fish that he or she is free. So, make sure that the fish is healthy before releasing your grip; make sure that the fish is choosing to swim away, and that you’re not forcing it to. If you let go of the fish before it’s recovered, it might go belly-up, just out of reach.

Finally

If all steps are followed correctly, reviving a fish should be easy. Many times, the moment you take the fish out of the net, it shoots off like it knows the drill. Other times, a fish is tired and may seem unwilling to leave. We know how badly we all want to throw another cast when the fishing is good, but take the time to fully revive a fish--that animal deserves your attention to detail. Sometimes you may spend a few minutes with a trout or salmon or steelhead. Keep them level in the water, pointed upstream, or broadside in gentle water, and move them gently back and forth. You’ll feel their strength returning. Sending a fish back to home, strong and healthy, is a unique feeling and one that should be treasured, part of the essence of fly fishing.