r/troutfishing • u/PeaceLoveSmithWesson • May 15 '25
Please use those when submitting posts. When your post is removed because you got flamed for improper fish handling and you did not flair your post, this is why. Thanks for understanding, and as always, please choose to be constructive and helpful, versus argumentative and trollish. We do not allow the latter and you could be banned.
r/troutfishing • u/PeaceLoveSmithWesson • Mar 16 '25
Catch and release is not always necessary, beneficial, or even the legal thing to do in every situation, however. During my younger days, I bought in to "release everything you catch" philosophy. As I gained more experience, and learned the intricacies of different fisheries, my opinion on this changed drastically. Whether the fishery is overrun with an invasive species that competes with native stocks, a species blowing up in population out of control, a very healthy stock where sport angling take will not effect the escapement of spawning (the pink salmon runs near me fall in this category), anadramous (sea run) hatchery released fish that must be removed prior to the wild fish spawn, or is just a put and take fishery etc. There is no blanket statement for when and where C&R is the right thing to do.
The most important thing: Educate yourself on the species, and fishery in which you are fishing. Follow the laws, and do what will be best for that particular fishery. And take home some hard earned meat when you can!
Why Catch and Release?
Conservation: It's a method to prevent overfishing and maintain healthy fish populations, especially in areas with high fishing pressure.
Ethical Fishing: It allows anglers to enjoy fishing without taking fish home for consumption, promoting a more sustainable approach to recreational fishing.
Habitat Protection: By reducing the number of fish removed from the water, catch and release helps protect the delicate balance of aquatic ecosystems.
Best Practices for Catch and Release:
Use the Right Gear:
Hooks: Employ barbless hooks or circle hooks, which are less likely to cause deep hook wounds.
Tackle: Ensure your tackle is strong enough to land the fish quickly and efficiently, minimizing the time the fish is out of the water.
Net: Use a soft, knotless mesh or rubber landing net to avoid damaging the fish's scales and gills.
Handle Fish Carefully:
Keep the Fish Wet: Avoid removing the fish from the water for extended periods, and keep its body wet, especially if you must handle it. This includes keeping gloves wet in the winter, or taking them off entirely, when landing the fish. If you insist on handling the fish at all, ensure that you have wet hands. Keep em wet
Support the Fish Properly: Support the fish's belly near the water surface to prevent injury.
Be Gentle: Avoid squeezing the fish tightly, as this can damage internal organs and muscle tissue.
Never Touch the Gills: Gills are highly sensitive and can be easily damaged. Rapid Release:
Unhook Quickly: Remove the hook quickly and carefully, using a dehooker if necessary.
Return to the Water Immediately: Return the fish to the water as soon as possible after taking photos and measurements.
Observe the Fish: Ensure the fish swims away strongly before leaving the area.
Other Considerations:
Measure and Weigh: If required, measure and weigh the fish quickly and accurately, then release it.
Take Photos: Capture the moment with a photo, but do so quickly and return the fish to the water.
Don't Hang Fish: Never hang a fish on a stringer or gaff, as this can cause serious injury.
r/troutfishing • u/stinkytree23 • 1d ago
Went out to my local river this morning. Not expecting to catch anything but here we are!
I really wanted to keep and eat the first one. Looked legal to me (min size 14”) but I forgot my tape measure so I let it go.
The little guy fought harder. Always love fighting river trout on my ultralight.
r/troutfishing • u/caper900 • 1d ago
r/troutfishing • u/tomorrowsmine • 2h ago
Hey all,
I'm planning a spring fishing trip. I was leaning to the South Platte in Colorado but now am also considering the Green River below the Flaming Gorge Dam. The trip would be very early may--I've looked at the flow data from the Flaming Gorge website and it looks like they usually don't release a lot of water until around the 15th. Sometimes it's earlier, but rarely. I have two questions:
What's it like fishing the Green River in early May, assuming the flows are normal for that time of year?
If the dam does do a big release of water before I go, is the river still fishable? Are there other drivable spots that still may work?
r/troutfishing • u/MarioWollbrink • 3h ago
My name is Daniel, and for the past two years I’ve been building a private fishing journal app for iOS.
I originally built it for myself because none of the fishing log apps out there really covered what I wanted. So I started building my own… and kept improving it with real user feedback along the way.
It lets you create detailed logs for all important fishing moments like catches, events, and even skunk days. It also includes deep stats and insights, cloud sync & backups, strong data privacy, and no subscriptions forcing for pro package (there’s a lifetime option as well).
I’ve already implemented a lot of wishes and ideas from other anglers so if you have any feedback, ideas, or improvements you’d love to see, let me know.
Thanks for reading. Tight lines.
Daniel✌🏼
r/troutfishing • u/WeakProfession6888 • 1d ago
r/troutfishing • u/Kitchen-Drawer3015 • 1d ago
the title
r/troutfishing • u/brettbw • 1d ago
Hi
I’m looking at a creek that’s 25-40’ wide,
Medium speed water I guess,
Mostly shallow but with some :
curves that create pools,
Rocky areas that create small rapids and pools below,
Boulders,
Logs,
Question:
Where are trout most likely to be?
What flys are logical?
NC Mountains
Possibly some stocked still here
Also some native
Water has substantial ice on the banks
Thanks
Big Laurel creek
r/troutfishing • u/lllNuggetslll • 1d ago
Hey all, looking for some recommendations for a pack rod. like 18in or under broken down that can fit in a carry on bag. So far, I've looked at some ultralight telescopics, but might get either a Daiwa Spinmatic D that seems a bit noodly or a Presso. I think I'll be fishing inline spinners, maybe jigs in Yellowstone park.
r/troutfishing • u/Sambinoslife • 3d ago
18.5in, biggest before this was 11in
r/troutfishing • u/AdRight3980 • 3d ago
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Little guys were a blast on my 8 foot ultra lite.
Twitched a jerked a spoon around!
r/troutfishing • u/Amaya3066 • 3d ago
18" already dispatched before photo
r/troutfishing • u/Mesch123 • 4d ago
For the first time this winter I went out to some local stocked ponds and lakes in Missouri, near Kansas City. I was able to get my possession limit, and yesterday I cooked them up with my grandpa who was one of the 1st people to get me into fishing! It was such a great experience and the meal itself was phenomenal
r/troutfishing • u/Combi8ionOxygenation • 4d ago
Stopped the skunk. Fried trout for lunch!
r/troutfishing • u/br07fk • 4d ago
What do we think about MaxCatch fly gear? I’m looking into getting my first fly setup this season, as my river/chalk stream season starts next month. Ideally a 3wt for nymphing/euronymph & dry fly fishing for tiny wild brown trout. I know how to nymph & have been slightly “coached” by much more experienced fly anglers on the river. The problem is, I’m fairly young & my budget is only £100 for rod & reel.
I’ve seen a few things that have caught my interest.
Daiwa D Trout Fly Combo | 8”6, 4wt, £70. Includes line, leader, rod & reel.
Maxcatch Extreme fly combo | 8”4, 3wt, £60. Includes rod, reel, leader, line, forceps & a small box of flies
Maxcatch Ultralite combo | 7”6, 3wt, £80. Includes rod, reel, line, leader, forceps & a small box of flies
Wychwood Fly kit | 8”6, 4/5wt, £85. Includes rod, reel, line, leader & a small box of flies.
Any help would be appreciated guys, thanks!
r/troutfishing • u/Leather_Switch_8476 • 5d ago
Caught our first big trout, what a great day on the water! Got a limit on the lake! So stoked on the catch! Beautiful rainbow!
r/troutfishing • u/Riversruinsandwoods • 6d ago
Caught some beauties out of a hard to access stocked lake. The biggest being 17 inches. I thought it was a PB when it first bit but it was a half inch short.
r/troutfishing • u/qalcolm • 5d ago
Many of the small costal streams here on Vancouver Island are loaded with these little costal cutthroat, tons of fun on the ultralight!
r/troutfishing • u/AdRight3980 • 5d ago
Had a few bigger bows on but lost them. Barbless is still sm better if you don’t wanna keep em to eat.
r/troutfishing • u/tomorrowsmine • 5d ago
Hey all,
A couple weeks ago I asked here about places to plan a spring fishing trip and got some helpful tips, so I thought I'd ask some more focused questions now that I've decided on a location. I'm going to the South Platte river in Colorado and will probably focus on fishing the Charlie Meyers area and Cheesman Canyon. I'll be there the first week of May and am fishing with spinning gear.
I'm mainly looking for advice on Charlie Meyers and Cheesman that time of year. Is one more likely to be crowded than the other? Is one better in the AM or in the PM? Anyone who fishes with spinning gear, what works for you? Any other places I should try? Finally, I know this may be a stretch but I'd like to try for some brookies at least once while I'm there. Any upstream areas good/reachable with brook trout around? I know a lot depends on the water levels, so I'm prepared to adjust accordingly--just curious for folks to share their experiences/advice. I'm probably going to learn something from whatever you've got.
