handling fish for the first time

[new2it]

You may all laugh, but as a sad new angler I am very nervous about actually handling fish. I know MOST don't bite but cannot get past the stage of just touching the fish. Any ideas on getting over this problem (no, I won't give up yet).

[chesters1]

get an old clean handtowel wet it in the lake and hold the fish with it ,youl soon be handling them like a pro ,the only ones that can hurt???? you are perch (and teeth bearing fish of course) they have small spines on their top fin and a fairly sharp point on their gill cover ,if my mrs isnt phased then no-one will be

if you use small barbless hooks a lot of the time the hook falls out in the landing net so you dont have to touch them at all

 

[ 05 June 2002, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[Nugg]

Im not quite sure what your problem is, if its fear of touching the fish, why not buy a wet fish from a fishmonger and practice bringing it in in the privacy of your back garden, you'll soon get used to handling the fish in the best way for you and the fish. Fish with teeth don't bite unless you are silly enough to put your fingers in its mouth, the thing you have to watch is that you don't rake your flesh across the teeth but thats nothing too drastic if you look after any wound properly, remember there's all sorts of crudd around the waters edge, thats the danger.

[Gaffer]

Hi New2it, welcome to AnglersNet.

 

Firstly, I'm sure you're not the first nor will you be the last person to feel the way you do.

 

My son caught a lovely Bream at the weekend and it would've made a great photo, but he didn't quite have the confidence to handle it, which was a pity.

 

One good thing though is that I had my unhooking mat with me, which alowed me to lay the fish on it to show hiw how to unhook it. As my son tried to handle it, it flapped about, but it was perfectly ok on an unhooking mat. Just a thought.

[Peter Waller]

The old wet hand towel, ahgggggggggggghhhhhhhhh. Chesters, I'm normally 110% in agreement with your postings, even the caustic & a tad wheird ones, which I rather enjoy! But not this time, sorry. Wet hand towels, grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

Surgical rubber gloves might help, but a wet towel, not exactly keen! I used to take a youngster pike fishing, he had the same worry as you. He started off with Tesco Black Household gloves, now he handles fish bare handed with great confidence. Pink Marigolds work well but tend to set you off as a right wooser

 

New2it, once you have had a nice big eel everything will seem easy!

 

[ 06 June 2002, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Hereford_angler]

To tell the truth it is more dangerous to handle a hook rather than a fish (even a pike). As long as you hands are wet and you are confident you will be fine. Oh yeh! and if you are holding a carp, put you thumb just in its mouth, dont worry about teeth, they are deep inside. But doing this will stop em jumping about (useful for picture taking)

 

(dont forget to smile )

[Apache]

This doesn't work on all fish, but if you cover their eyes with a wet towel or landing net mesh, they can't see anything so they tend to lie still untill it is removed.

[John 'BLOCK']

My cousin has a fear of handling fish which annoys him alot. :mad:

We have to go fishing together most of the time.

But now he can unhook the bigger ones in the net on the mat...the smaller the fish generally the more you have to handle it.

Barbless hooks are good they come out easier !!

My cousin is going to, as suggested get a dead trout and practice....then we will eat it !!

If you ever go pike fishing then take someone with you who has experience.....I was spooked when i first caught a pike as i did not know quite how to handle it..but got it sorted....

After the first pike i caught, i got on the Angler's net and read some of the superb articles (of which there many)on how to play,land and unhook pike. (the Leon Roskilly articles are good you can search by author for articles)

Now i take pleasure in using that knowledge to see just how hassel free i can land and unhook the pike before releasing it.

Also the quicker you get that done the more time you have for photo without distressing the fish.

Never be afraid to ask for help 99% of Angler's will be more than gald to help eveen if that means bring their rods out of the water...I know i would and have !

Good luck i'm sure you will crack it !!

[chesters1]

ok mr waller you win ,new2it please use a bone dry towel preferably covered in oil ,caustic soda ,and sharp sand ,rubber gloves of any type havent the grip to hold a escapist fish ,and unless you wear them all day you wont get them on intime to land the thing with already wet hands ,with a wet towel you can safely envelope the critter safely unhook it and release it safely

[Peter Waller]

Okay Mister Chesters Sir, okay, we shall have to agree to disagree on this one I'm afraid! I will agree that a clean towel is better than a dirty one though. But give surgical rubber gloves a go before you knock 'em for six. Dirt cheap and they allow you to fish whilst wearing them.