seatroot
Active Member
Ness, Spey, Nairn, Findhorn, Alness, Connon, Carron, Brahan, Beauly
Posts: 12
|
Post by seatroot on Oct 7, 2007 17:55:03 GMT
I hooked a silver cock fish yesterday at about 8lb.
He didn't put up much of a fight and was duly landed after 5 - 10 mins. He was lip hooked and removing the hook was fairly easy, however whilst I was removing the hook he struggled and bounced of the bank.
Any way I placed him in the recovery position for releasing for about a minute when I noticed a fair amount of blood coming out through the gills as he opened and closed his mouth. Perhaps the fly was deeper in and had moved or he had injured himself when he bounced.
My question is should I have released him with blood flowing from his gills.
|
|
robbie
Active Member
Posts: 882
|
Post by robbie on Oct 7, 2007 18:56:10 GMT
I will let the ghillies and old hands answer that one for you. However situations like this always take the shine off what was a great day, do you not think? Robbie
|
|
|
Post by salmonking on Oct 7, 2007 19:17:37 GMT
Hi,,if the blood was coming from the wound the hook had made and as you say lip hooked,i would have no problem returning the fish,,its a difficult one to judge all the same,,congrats on a nice fish.
|
|
|
Post by sinkingtip on Oct 7, 2007 19:29:25 GMT
Hi SS - I think you probably did the right thing. As SK says, if it was blood from just the hookhold then it shouldn't prove mortal. You mention "a fair amount of blood" - it might not have been as much as you thought - you how there is a 'magnification' element in water (sorry boffins - don't know the scientific jargon for this ) - difficult to call. Anyhow - well done for hooking, playing and returning a fish In admiration STip
|
|
salmo
Advisory Board
Posts: 1,814
|
Post by salmo on Oct 20, 2007 9:03:35 GMT
salmonshrimp,
You probably did the right thing because the dispersion of blood in water does make it look worse as STip says.
However, I would have attempted to hold the fish in the 'recovery' position for as long as possible to see if the clotting process was working, but I know how fresh 8lb fish can just take off once you put his snout back in the river.
salmo
|
|
fruity
Active Member
Posts: 425
|
Post by fruity on Oct 20, 2007 9:19:11 GMT
If the fish can swim away then let it go. If, even after ten minutes supporting it within a good current and moving it back and forth to get some water through its gills, its head constantly has to be pushed back into the current etc - then knock it.
|
|
salmo
Advisory Board
Posts: 1,814
|
Post by salmo on Oct 20, 2007 10:38:11 GMT
I had a similar dilemna a couple of seasons back on the Dee just below Park bridge. I caught a fresh 7lb odd fish and it fought so hard that the fish's jaw became completely detached at the scissors.
The ghillie was downstream with the other rods so there was noone to give advice. There was a bit of blood but I judged it correct to dispatch the fish due to the state of his jaw.
Of course when the fish was dead and laid down on the pebbles behind me it looked fairly healthy. I got no end of stick from the rest of the party until I showed them the broken jaw. The brass tube fly was left with a pretty distinctive bend as well.
salmo
|
|
fruity
Active Member
Posts: 425
|
Post by fruity on Oct 20, 2007 10:58:11 GMT
I once read a paper in which a severely damaged fish, thought to be seal which caused the hole, was seen to make a redd and spawn successfully. For me that was good enough to prove their resilience.
|
|
fruity
Active Member
Posts: 425
|
Post by fruity on Oct 20, 2007 13:29:30 GMT
It was remarked upon because they were so astonished that a hen with a deep gash/hole in the belly (near anal vent) could live (the wound had healed somewhat), let alone spawn successfully. They checked with whoever and it was considered the wound was a classic seal wound.
|
|