Info needed – best way to return fish after weighing

[TF_Serious Sam]

I’ve noticed there’s a trend lately at matches rather than tippling / lowering fish back into the water after weighing to basically throw them back, whipping the weigh bag up and whipping it out the way so they all splash down.

To me this looked awful and I’ve been grinding my teeth seeing this done at our own club matches but someone has just told me that this is the recommended way of doing it by some fishery owners as it’s better for the fish to receive the shock and they all swim off.

Hell of a shock though some are hitting the water from after about a 6 foot drop (!)

I’m seeing bags of silvers and bags of carp returned in this way – what are your opinions ? am I worrying about nothing ?

[TF_Paddy]

No, I agree with you.
I try to ask people to lower the net (of any description) into the water first and then gently release the fish.
When they are dropped from any height it looks shocking – totall disregard for the fish if you ask me.

[TF_MarkT]

It’s the idiots that run these fisheries without any knowledge of how too who are to blame. They just let people get away with it and untill they do something they will carry on doing it.

Fish shouldn’t be treated like that end of!

[TF_wightangler]

have to totally agree with you serious sam.
disturbing ‘trend’ needs active and vociferous discouraging.

[TF_Nigel.]

Ridiculous!~naughty

Look after the fish, they are delicate creatures, try and transfer them as smoothly as you can from keepnet to weight net, either pull the bottom ring though or swim them up, anything rather than gambol them down!

And return them from the weigh net by putting them into the water and dropping one side of the weigh net and lifting, how simple can it be!

[TF_Waveney One]

Apart from the obvious lazy angler who doesn’t care about fish welfare as far as ‘giving them a shock’ treatment blame the TV. There, especially sea game fish in warm climes, fish are often returned in an aggressive manner to get water through the gills.

Now this may well be correct when returning a game sea fish that has given its all and needs reviving. BUT it is one fish at a time and the fish is put back head first not tail first or even worse landing on its side and the lateral line from a great height!

People need to be educated or banned!

I saw a club weigh in on a commercial put 50lb + of carp into a weigh net and onto a skimmer and a roach both around a pound mark! It isn’t just ignorance it is more of an ‘I just don’t give a damn!’ attitude. Fish live in weightless environment. Having 50lb of carp tipped onto them must have been like having ten elephants dumped on top of one of us!

[Anonymous]

I see it happen quite often on the matches I fish and I think it’s a disgrace that people do it. No respect for the fish whatsoever. If i’m returning fish from in the weigh sling i put the sling into the water and pour the fish out so there is no drop whatsoever. That way i know the fish will live to fight another day. Even if the bank is high I will get down to the water even if it’s muddy and I hate mud!

[Author]

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