The Troutbitten Podcast, Episode 2 is available everywhere that you find and listen to your podcasts.
** Note ** The Podcast Player and links to your favorite providers appear below
How to Handle a Trout
Fish cold water, fight ’em fast, handle gently, release quickly. In this second edition of the Troutbitten podcast, my friends Bill, Austin, Trevor and Josh join me to discuss a most important topic: safe catch and release practices, from hooking a trout to letting it go. Because if the goal of catch and release is to put a trout back and catch it again, then we want to ensure that the health of the fish remains intact.
Some of the catch and release best practices might seem like common sense. But the truth is, handling a trout without harming it isn’t necessarily intuitive. It takes some forethought and preparation. You need the right tools — the right skills. And it takes a good understanding of how trout are built — how they are a little more sensitive than other species. It helps to understand the trout and learn its habits, if you plan to release the fish without harming it.
There’s a lot of nuance to topics like this. And we cover the details around these key principles: Fish cold water, fight ’em fast, handle gently, release quickly.
At every level of experience, we’re always learning and trying to improve or share ideas about the fish we chase. The Troutbitten guys joining me are full of ideas, and they share some great thoughts about how to handle a trout.
Lastly, we discuss how experience is the only teacher. We acknowledge that mistakes inevitably happen. We’ve all killed trout accidentally, and it’s part of the learning process. But education is the best preparation for releasing a trout safely. And hopefully, it’s podcasts and shared information, like this, that gives anglers the confidence to go fishing and enjoy their time on the water.
Here are a few key supporting articles from Troutbitten.
READ: Troutbitten | How to Hold a Trout
READ: Troutbitten | Their Heart in Your Hands
READ: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too Far?
READ: Troutbitten | If You Have to Revive a Trout, It’s Probably Too Late
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fighting Fish
Listen with the player above, or . . .
Find the Troutbitten podcast on any of these services:
— Apple Podcasts
— Spotify
— Google Podcasts
— Amazon Music
— iHeartRadio
— Stitcher
— Pocketcast
— Podcast Addict
— Castro
— Podchaser
— Deezer
— Castbox
— Podfriend
— Player FM
— Podcast Index
— Listen Notes
— Overcast
Also, find the dedicated Troutbitten Podcast page at . . .
Thank You!
Support and enthusiasm for the Troutbitten Podcast has been unexpected and overwhelmingly positive. Thank you so much for your kind words and support. Your downloads, subscriptions to the podcast and five star reviews quickly placed the Troutbitten Podcast as the most popular fly fishing podcast on the iTunes charts. That was unexpected. These kinds of stats help garner financial support from the industry and keep these podcasts coming. So thank you for your interest and for making this possible.
Fish hard, friends.
** Donate ** If you enjoy this article, please consider a donation. Your support is what keeps this Troutbitten project funded. Scroll below to find the Donate Button. And thank you.
Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
I love that pod cast. Great topics good info. Thanks
Cheers, Terry. Thanks for listening.
Dom
The only thing missing from this excellent discussion was the quickest and safest way to measure that whiskey(20+”) or namer(24+”) – and do it accurately (ie with a tape or ruler).
We use marks on the net, mostly.
The combined input of the TB crew is so natural and authentic and enlightening; makes these podcasts shine beyond expectation! More of this!
One of the absolute critical pieces of trout handling advice was in regards to nets. Bigger hoop size and longer handle certainly helps quicken the fight. But the best advice, hands down, in this podcast was the importance of a FLOATING net! Fishpond/Nomad are at the pricey range of floating nets and worth every penny. However if you are new to the sport and working on a tight budget there are a number of different companies that offer inexpensive floating nets; many of the models have a folding, long-reach handle.
I have spent many years using my original Nomad but in an attempt to go to a bigger hoop size and longer handle I made the big mistake of purchasing a SINKING net. Just one fish was all it took to prove how critical net buoyancy is for gentle handling of the catch. I then picked up a slightly over-size, long (folding) handled floating net that produce a bit more hydraulic drag on the sweep but it becomes the perfect trout pen for even the largest fish.
Right on.