How do I get over my fear of touching live fish?
- Thread starter sixstringsteve
- Start date
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
The red ones are much more accurate....
just pulling your leg, they work great for getting bait hooks out.
LT.
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Los Alamos, New Mexico
Six,
While I dont share your fear I do understand the enjoyment of a hobby and hating certin parts of the same hobby. I have seen my grandfather get injured by fish as well. Since I saw the catfish tear up my grandfathers hands i have carried needle nose pliers in my tackle box. I will hold the fish by the mouth with a gloved hand and remove the hook with a pair of needle nose pliers or vise a versa. This keeps my hands safe, fish safe, and would prevent you from touching a live fish.
I hope this is helpful to you. One of my favorite hobbies is hunting. However, I really dont care for the gutting the animal. Again, i use gloves to help protect my hands and make clean up a little easier.
LT.
While I dont share your fear I do understand the enjoyment of a hobby and hating certin parts of the same hobby. I have seen my grandfather get injured by fish as well. Since I saw the catfish tear up my grandfathers hands i have carried needle nose pliers in my tackle box. I will hold the fish by the mouth with a gloved hand and remove the hook with a pair of needle nose pliers or vise a versa. This keeps my hands safe, fish safe, and would prevent you from touching a live fish.
I hope this is helpful to you. One of my favorite hobbies is hunting. However, I really dont care for the gutting the animal. Again, i use gloves to help protect my hands and make clean up a little easier.
LT.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Cool. Lots of good stuff here. The more I think about it and the more videos I watch about fishing the less fear I have. I think a lot of my fear came from ignorance, and not knowing the proper way to handle a fish. I know I'm going to have a hard time killing the fish (even harder than gutting it), but it's something I need to get over.
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
+1 for needle nose pliers. I keep a multi-tool on my belt, which has needle nose pliers. Always handy when you need them. I'm not afraid to touch a live fish, but I don't like trying to grab the hook with my fingers when the fish is trying to flop out of my grasp. Call it being cautious about getting hooked. For something like a bass that has a large mouth and teeth that are not bad, I'll just put my thumb in their mouth and pick them up that way - it's how I learned to fish.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've got some of those medical clampy things. I'm heading up AF Canyon tonight. I'll see if I can catch a fish. If I do, then I'll have no choice but to remove it from the hook.
LT.
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Los Alamos, New Mexico
I have never fished the San Juan. I did do a 100 mile trip on the San Juan in a canoe (sp).
LT.
ID Bronco
Registered User
- Location
- Idaho Falls, ID
I did not read this entire thread, it got long fast! I fish two to three times a week and it has replaced my rockcrawling habit. Anyone want to buy an early bronco?
Fly fishing is the only way to go for me. Not in a snobby way like bait fishermen are heathens, but for the challenge. Fly fishing is tough at first. It keeps you active the whole time, you have to try different things, you have to read water much better and the flies, nymphs, leaches, ect aren't normally swallowed by the fish. There is a very high survival rate on catch and release.
You still touch fish (I'm with muleskinner on this one) but for those who hate fishing because its boring and lame (I was in that camp two years ago with spinning rods) take a good look at fly fishing. It is a great time. Wading, casting, matching the hatch are all thought provoking, physically demanding which makes it really fun.
Learning how from someone who is good at fly fishing is a key to success. The learning curve can be long if you don't have help.
Also USE A NET! Fish don't flop around as much when in a net and you will land many more fish than without one. Also get a measuring net so you don't have to guess (exagerate) the size of the fish.
Fly fishing is the only way to go for me. Not in a snobby way like bait fishermen are heathens, but for the challenge. Fly fishing is tough at first. It keeps you active the whole time, you have to try different things, you have to read water much better and the flies, nymphs, leaches, ect aren't normally swallowed by the fish. There is a very high survival rate on catch and release.
You still touch fish (I'm with muleskinner on this one) but for those who hate fishing because its boring and lame (I was in that camp two years ago with spinning rods) take a good look at fly fishing. It is a great time. Wading, casting, matching the hatch are all thought provoking, physically demanding which makes it really fun.
Learning how from someone who is good at fly fishing is a key to success. The learning curve can be long if you don't have help.
Also USE A NET! Fish don't flop around as much when in a net and you will land many more fish than without one. Also get a measuring net so you don't have to guess (exagerate) the size of the fish.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've tried fly fishing and it is definitely challenging and very enjoyable. I've got a fly rod and I've been about 3 times. i need to go with someone who knows what they're doing so I can learn from a veteran. Even though I've never caught anything fly fishing, it seems to keep my attention more than bait fishing. i like how active and involved it is.
I just picked up a rubber net. Great idea about the measuring net, i didn't know those existed.
I just picked up a rubber net. Great idea about the measuring net, i didn't know those existed.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
A few more questions about fish prep:
I read that the most humane ways to kill fish are to stick a knife in its brain between the eyes, or to deliver a blow to its brain between the eyes. Has anyone whacked the fish in the head with a baton rather than trying to hold a slimy fish and whack it on a rock? I think that'd be easier for me in the beginning, until I get used to it.
Also, when you're at the lake or river, and you've caught a fish and you want to eat it while you're camping, what is the proper way to dispose of the guts? Can I bury them? Or should I pack them out in a bag and throw them away later? Is it ok to rinse the gutted fish in the stream, or does that make the water source nasty?
I read that the most humane ways to kill fish are to stick a knife in its brain between the eyes, or to deliver a blow to its brain between the eyes. Has anyone whacked the fish in the head with a baton rather than trying to hold a slimy fish and whack it on a rock? I think that'd be easier for me in the beginning, until I get used to it.
Also, when you're at the lake or river, and you've caught a fish and you want to eat it while you're camping, what is the proper way to dispose of the guts? Can I bury them? Or should I pack them out in a bag and throw them away later? Is it ok to rinse the gutted fish in the stream, or does that make the water source nasty?
- Location
- Stinkwater
Salmon are way too big to swing against a rock, a little truncheon is exactly how we'd put them out. No reason that couldn't work on trout or whatever.
Fish guts are A Thing. Look at the regulations for the body of water you're fishing and sometimes they'll tell you specifically how to dispose of them. Short of that, I wing it - in a high traffic area I'll bury them or otherwise throw them away, in a remote place I might pitch them back in the water.
Sent from RIGHT BEHIND YOU (so pls excuse typos)
Fish guts are A Thing. Look at the regulations for the body of water you're fishing and sometimes they'll tell you specifically how to dispose of them. Short of that, I wing it - in a high traffic area I'll bury them or otherwise throw them away, in a remote place I might pitch them back in the water.
Sent from RIGHT BEHIND YOU (so pls excuse typos)
sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
Throw them back. The other fish will appreciate the food. 
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
ID Bronco
Registered User
- Location
- Idaho Falls, ID
On Satruday after my 50'th ish fish I thought about you being scared of them. I giggled a little. Just get used to it, it is very fun when you get better at it. Early Idaho spring creek fly fishing is awesome! I love wading and having success.
Go more, you will learn to love it.
Go more, you will learn to love it.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to getting over it and enjoying every minute of it. I'm going fishing Thursday night. I'm optimistic that I'll catch something, then I'll have to remove it from the hook. After watching a ton of YouTube videos, I'm not so petrified. We'll see what happens when it comes time to actually do it.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Throw them back. The other fish will appreciate the food.
Is that acceptable? Do fish eat other fish's guts?
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Usually you get over that by the time you're out of high school... Heh
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Well, I went fishing this weekend and we caught a lot of trout. I was nervous, but I touched one and removed it from the hook. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined, but I still have some trepedation. I just need to do it more.
We ate the trout for dinner, it was great!
We ate the trout for dinner, it was great!
DaveB
Long Jeep Fan
- Location
- Holladay, Utah
ID Bronco
Registered User
- Location
- Idaho Falls, ID
