Thread: Catch Any Trout Today?

Rotoiti tonight, blowing a gale and then a bloody thunderstorm and pissing rain, no fish, home by 7:30

Caught and released yesterday.


What do you think caused the damage to the tail?

60cm in length and only 2lb+. Doesn't look as though it will last much longer.....

Originally Posted by Pauli

Caught and released yesterday.
Attachment 47081

What do you think caused the damage to the tail?

60cm in length and only 2lb+. Doesn't look as though it will last much longer.....

Unsure about the tail but that release technique has more than certainly sealed its fate.

How do you know?
Are you a genius or something?

Yeah James are you?


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Originally Posted by Sean

How do you know?
Are you a genius or something?

A couple of fairly basic biological facts make it a rather simple conclusion @Sean.
I'm no genius but I have learnt that it is often good practice to take onboard the learnings of others, especially those invested in the quality and perceived ethics of NZ fishing. You will struggle to find any NZPGA professional who would endorse most of the release techniques pictured in this thread and many would offer far less polite instruction on the how to's of catch and release after repeated technique suggestions.
I cringe every time I see a fish sitting on the bank only to be released with a less than best chance possibility of survival. It's a respect thing I suppose.

There's one particular stretch on a hidden away stream that I've caught the same fish at least twice - and that's after taking a photo, reviving it and letting it go!

NZPGA professionals have a vested interest in 'protecting' their beats - I don't.

Anyway, back to the original question. Flood damage, a (very) large eel bite?

@Pauli I have seen eels attack trout before,or another theory that jack you caught looks to be "spent" maybe a bigger jack gave him a hiding.

Crucial when jigging to let the fish come up slowly, otherwise the pressure difference kills them, buggers there ballast? I use very light gear jigging. Nothing worse than a belly up release fish floating away from the boat

Originally Posted by Pauli

There's one particular stretch on a hidden away stream that I've caught the same fish at least twice - and that's after taking a photo, reviving it and letting it go!

NZPGA professionals have a vested interest in 'protecting' their beats - I don't.

Anyway, back to the original question. Flood damage, a (very) large eel bite?

OK then, more bluntly, thats a shit way to release a trout. They're not designed to be out of the water, let alone left on a shingle bank.
There is screeds of information available on how to release fish of all types with proven successful techniques. Got visit your local angers association (as they won't try and steel all your spots) or Google "how to release trout".
You'd be surprised that you will not find anything there that suggests leaving a fish on a bank is anything other than detrimental to its successful release. It really takes very little additional effort to do a much better job.

As for the marks the photo isn't that great. Eels will certainly have a go at a trout but leave a fairly distinctive "v" shape (see above photo between dorsal and adipose). That more looks like an abrasion and as you noted the fish is not in good nick so could even be disease. Ive been advised that eels will latch onto a hens vent when spawning and literally suck out the eggs.

Shit Kiwi that's enough to stop one swimming in rivers!

Originally Posted by Pauli

There's one particular stretch on a hidden away stream that I've caught the same fish at least twice - and that's after taking a photo, reviving it and letting it go!

NZPGA professionals have a vested interest in 'protecting' their beats - I don't.

Anyway, back to the original question. Flood damage, a (very) large eel bite?

I too have caught the same fish twice. The ones that amaze me a the sml ones that attack a lure not much smaller than them and engulf it, I'm sure we all try to release as humanly and quickly as possible, most I see do swim off.

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Originally Posted by Maca49

Shit Kiwi that's enough to stop one swimming in rivers!

Dont want your vent sucked?

yea that brown is skinny,
I think browns spawn in the autumn, and rainbow's in the spring, might explain its condition, its also been a hot summer,

Originally Posted by Gibo

Dont want your vent sucked?

Nah he does Gibo but just not by an eel. I hear tell he favours Bobby calves.