It’s the time of the season when water temperatures in the bigger water start to rise above safe levels for trout fishing, and both the trout and those that pursue them are moving their game into the colder water of the headwater streams. I see posts on some of the Facebook groups that make me smile and others that make me cringe. There’s nothing more upsetting than seeing a trout laid out on a rock or on the ground, held in a dry hand or covered with dirt and leaves. In some pictures there is no water in sight. Natural mortality can be very high in a small stream due to drought, flooding, anchor ice and natural predation. We certainly don’t need to add to the list of problems they face to survive with poor handling. A 7or 8” long brook trout might be a 5 year old fish, and is one of hundreds in its brood to survive to that size. Wet your hands, fish barbless, keep the fish in a net in the water until you have your camera or camera man ready, compose the shot and lift the fish enough to get a pic and lower back into the water quickly. Repeat if you need to. If the fish slips out of your hand it will wind up falling back into the water instead of flopping around on the ground or a rock. Wild trout are beautiful and fragile creatures that deserve our respect and careful handling practices. Leave healthy fish and footprints behind, take home pictures, memories and the satisfaction that the stream and its fish are as healthy as they were before you went there ….. #ItsAboutTheFish #PAWild www.ramsayflies.com
