Several have asked whether to re-expose – catch and release (C&R-fishing) – when angling. And, if you master the technology that applies not only to ice fishing but to all fishing, says Helge Jonsson who is chairman of Långå FVOF.
According to the rules, all fish that do not reach the minimum size must be released unharmed. This also applies to fish below the minimum size that have been damaged. It must be killed and put back into the water to be part of the cycle that feeds on fish and aquatic organisms.. But what is it then that applies in other respects?
What you get or do not get when you fish is determined by Långåfisket's rules and by good personal judgment, ethics and personal responsibility. It is allowed to catch and keep fish of approved size for today's meal. Of course, one and the other may accompany to the freezer, but those who buy fishing licenses in Långåfisket should not engage in ‘household fishing’. It is about sensible sport fishing that is practiced by conscious and responsible anglers. At the same time, this means that those who have already caught a suitable number can continue to fish but then put the other fish back. Unharmed! Provided you know that technique, says Per-Ola Persson, Långåfiskets River Keeper and quality manager on the board.
That's the point of C&R-fishing, you put back the fish you want to leave to have the chance to meet it as even bigger next time!
It is quite possible to re-release fish caught on ice fishing, says Helge Jonsson, but it requires a great deal of care and a careful handling of the caught fish. Fish that bite on worms or maggots do not have time to detect in time that there is a hard hook, which it immediately feels when fishing with a fly. This means that the fish swallows the bait, which gets stuck a bit down the throat, in the pharynx, and attaches there. If one also “wears out” the fish out of the water through the ice hole, the injuries are usually severe and the fish get bleeding in the throat. When it then ends up on the ice, it is exposed to cold and often cold winds that dry out the mucus layer, among other things on the eyes and there is a risk that the fish will go blind. The odds that the fish will be able to be put back and survive after such an event are small.
What to do instead then?
Avoid worms and maggots as baits. There are artificial baits (down and art materials) which gives the fisherman decent chances to loosen and put the fish back. Carefully drill the fish against the ice hole and pull it slowly, all the time with good contact, towards the surface. Decide if it is a fish you want to keep, then pick it up and kill it immediately. Do you want to put it back, then you grab the hook in the fish's mouth down in the water, preferably with a peang, loosely loosens the hook and forces the fish to back through the ice hole, back to freedom again.
Unfortunately, it is often seen that fishermen leave the catch dying on the ice! It is never allowed!
In principle, this applies to all fish and all ‘precious fishing’’ that is, fishing for trout, char, grayling and whitefish. Pike, perch and lake should of course be respected in the same way, but in general it is not as common to want to put those fish back. In addition, there are also the delicacies that are welcome to go directly to the dining table.