Redfish and Alturas Lakes

[DowntownBrowns]

I post pictures on here, but you certainly won't find any of me violating the law by holding protected Bull Trout out of the water.



And you'll certainly never hear me tell stories about how we were specifically targeting protected fish (pretty sure that's a citeable offense, too) then mishandling them in an effort to get that perfect photo. Yes, those fish were improperly handled. There's a section in the Idaho F&G regulations manual that displays the do's and don'ts of releasing fish properly to give the fish the best chance at survival after being caught, and from what I can see in the photos and gather from the previous posts, everything I underlined occurred.

• Do not handle fish with dry hands.
• Do not squeeze the fish.
• Do not touch the gills or hold fish by gill covers.
• Leave the fish in the water while removing the
hook; needlenose pliers or forceps are helpful.
• If the hook cannot be easily removed, cut the
leader. The hook will rust out rapidly.
• If the fish is exhausted, hold it in a swimming
position in the water and move it back and forth
gently until you release it.
• Avoid excessive and unnecessary handling of the
fish, and avoid removing fish from water.
• Avoid laying fish on a hard surface.

I'm not saying Coyotespinner or the other people in the photos are knuckleheads or meant to do anything unethical, it's probably just a case of being uninformed. I have no problem with non-residents coming over to Idaho to fish, but do yourself and everyone else right by familiarizing yourself with the regulations beforehand.

You can still get pictures of fish without taking them out of the water.

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