Trout on ice...a bad thing?

[WyomingMoose]

[quote NICH]I find it interesting that know one has brought up the fact that ICE AND SNOW are highly abrasive. Remember getting white washed when you were a kid after the snow has had a couple days to melt? Remember how it hurt like hell and scratched the skin? I think anyone really being honest with their selves will realize it's not going to help the fish out so why do it. It also has a lot to due with the snow conditions, lately with the warm temps, slush and how much water can be around your hole it's probably not a real biggie.

And like mentioned the "gilling" of fish that are "released unharmed" is what really pisses me off and makes for a stupid argument on the "gillers'' side.

Oh and before y'all beat up on the fly fisherman take into consideration that I swing both ways... Fly on the soft water and often bait on the hard deck.[/quote]

The reason the ice likely hurts you is because your skin is not covered in slime. Nor is it covered in thousands of tiny scales. This is a lesson in friction. The reason I believe that trout are fine if you let them sit on the ice or slide them accross the ice is that the friction is so minimal it is hard for me to see much damage being done. That is why they slide.

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Not trying to get a rise out of anyone but fish mortality is part of fishing - just do your best to save the fish you don't want to keep and fish on.
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