It’s Steelhead Time!
It’s Steelhead Time!
Indrek Kongats releasing a Cattaraugus Creek Steelhead. Photo / Indrek Kongats
Autumn leaves have fallen and the first snow is about to fall, signaling it’s time to get out fly fishing for steelhead. Those silver bullets from Lake Ontario and Lake Erie have entered the many tributaries, stretching from Ohio to New York. These tribs make up what’s called the Steelhead Alley, the best steelhead fishing in the east, almost on par with those on the west coast. Streams like the Catt, Eighteen Mile, Sandy, and the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY to name a few.
The lure of steelhead fishing is so strong that sometimes we get carried away with excitement and anticipation. Good conservation practices like catch and release allow us to enjoy that tug at the end of the line year after year. But what is catch and release really? It is a license to hook and land as many fish as humanly possible or is it something else? Is it being done correctly? Statistically speaking a small percentage of catch and released still die unfortunately.
There is a controversy about the proper way to play a fish in order for it to live to fight another day. Catch and release is the norm these days since most anglers prefer not to take fish home for whatever reason. Most fish species are stocked so whether they are caught and released or killed it doesn’t much matter anymore, or does it?
Wild fish are the minority and unfortunately most anglers are not capable of telling a stocked fish from a wild one, unless of course a fin has been clipped. When it comes to fighting a fish, the angler has to assume that he could be fighting a wild fish, therefore care should be taken until a positive ID can be made.
Once the fish is landed, depending on whether it’s a native fish or hatchery fish, a decision is made whether to keep the fish or let it go. How the fish has been handled up to that point becomes a factor in making this decision. The elements that affect the welfare of the fish are: how it is fought, how it’s hooked, and how it is landed.
Fighting a fish is a topic that can be discussed for hours and with some heated moments to boot. Some people believe that the less amount of time that you spend fighting a fish the better off the fish will be. The theory for this argument is that the fish fought over a long period of time will over exert itself, building up large amounts of harmful lactic acid that could eventually kill the fish.
Stress is another factor, in this line of reasoning. The longer you fight the fish the more stressed out it will be. For a large fish, like a steelhead or a salmon, you can actually see a deep red coloration of the fins indicating the fish has been stressed out. The conclusion is that a fish should be brought to the net as quickly as possible for the best chance of survival upon release.
I personally disagree with this theory and feel that it has exactly the opposite effect on the survival of the fish. The faster you land a fish the more stressed out the fish will be. The reasoning behind my theory is that when you horse a fish with heavy tackle, the energy that you apply to bring that fish in is countered by the energy spent by the fish to escape. The fight will indeed be short, but brutal to the fish.
A fish in a river has the advantage over a fish in a lake, likewise a fish with very large pectoral fins, like a permit, has an advantage over a fish with small fins. For example, a steelhead caught in a river will use the current to its advantage to rest and create a resistance to the angler’s pull. Similarly, a permit will use its large fins to create a counter resistance to the angler’s pull. The angler that wants to land the fish quickly, thinking this is best for the fish, is causing the fish to work harder and rest less.
When a fish does not have an opportunity to rest during the fight then the fish well be exhausted early and quickly. Take for instance a boxer. A boxing match lasts 10 rounds with a rest break in between each round. During the round, the boxer is soaked in perspiration and his heart is pumping hard, during the rest period he can catch his breath, cool down, and his heart rate lessens.
The angler that horses the fish in is making that fish work as hard as the boxer but without the bell sounding after the first round. When the fish realizes that it’s in danger, its heart rate goes up, adrenaline is released, and it starts fighting for its life.
Allowing a fish to fight slowly, be it longer, will not exhaust a fish to a point that it won’t make it. Don’t forget the fish has environmental challenges ahead as well once it is released. It must have enough energy left to fight off extremely cold water, strong currents, and natural predators. When a fish is so exhausted that it physically can’t recover, it may have had just enough energy to swim away but will die shortly afterwards. The mortality rate of fish released is 80/20; 20% will die anyway, even though they are thought to have been released unharmed.
You know yourself, when you over-do something and you need a rest, by pacing yourself you can work longer without working harder. When you fight a fish, let the fish rest in between surges. Two amazing things will happen. The fight will last longer and be more enjoyable, and secondly, the fish will have a better chance of survival upon release.
Like a boxer, a fish also needs some attention before it gets back into the ring! Gently massage the fish back into a healthy state by holding it in the current so the river can flow through its gills, if there isn’t enough current move the fish back and forth in the water to simulate the flow. Good catch and release practices lead to good fishing opportunities for us now and in the future!
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Indrek Kongats is an artist, traveler, outdoorsman, and business owner residing in Ellicottville. He operates River Dog Art Gallery in Houghton, NY, and his Breakaway Classic Adventures specializes in adventure travel destinations. Learn more about him at breakawayclassicadventures.com.