John Buckley
I guide fly fishing catch-and-release wade trips for Trout and Salmon. Catch and release is a practice within fly fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury. Using barbless hooks, it is often possible to release the fish without removing it from the water.
Catch and release was first introduced as a management tool in the state of Michigan in 1952 as an effort to reduce the cost of stocking hatchery-raised trout. Anglers fishing for fun rather than for food accepted the idea of releasing the fish while fishing in so-called "no-kill" zones. Conservationists have advocated catch and release as a way to ensure sustainability and to avoid overfishing of fish stocks. Lee Wulff also promoted catch and release as he observed the Atlantic Salmon population dwindle.
Effective catch and release fishing techniques avoid excessive fish fighting (playing the fish) and handling times, avoid damage to fish skin, scale and slime layers (that leave fish vulnerable to fungal skin infections) by deep nets, dry hands and dry surfaces, and avoid damage to throat ligaments and gills by poor handling techniques.
The use of barbless hooks is an important aspect of catch and release; barbless hooks reduce injury and handling time, increasing fish survival. Frequently, fish caught on barbless hooks can be released without being removed from the water and the hook effortlessly slipped out with a single flick of the forceps or fly. Barbless flies can be purchased from many fly shops or can be created from a fly tied on a barbed hook by crushing the barb flat with needle-nosed pliers. Some anglers avoid barbless hooks because of the erroneous belief that too many fish will be lost (what we call a Long Distance Release). Concentrating on keeping the line tight at all times while fighting fish will keep catch rates with barbless hooks as high as those achieved with barbed hooks.
The effects of catch and release vary from species to species. A number of scientific studies have shown extremely high survival rates for released fish if handled correctly and particularly if caught on barbless flies. Fish caught on flies are usually hooked cleanly in the mouth, minimizing injury and aiding release.
Fly fishing rivers, streams, and brooks for Trout and Salmon is my passion and I hope to be able to share that passion with you. Brook, Rainbow, and Brown Trout as well as Landlocked Salmon inhabit many streams and rivers of Northern New Hampshire where I guide. There are small brooks with aggressive little Brookies; medium sized streams with Brookies and Rainbows; and large rivers with Landlocked Salmon, Brook, Rainbow, and Brown Trout. From stocked fish, to holdovers, to wild fish, New Hampshire has it all!
(Just a note about when to start your youngster fly fishing. There is a certain amount of strength and coordination that is necessary to be able to learn how to fly cast and present a fly. We have found youth under the age of thirteen generally do not have sufficient strength or coordination to enable them to learn how to cast and present a fly properly. Trying to start your youth too soon can sour them on this fantastic sport. If you feel your youngster is ready for fly fishing, the best course of action to take is provide them with a well taught 2 hour lesson prior to taking them on-stream. I would suggest you contact either Jan or Nate at the North Country Angler in North Conway [603.356.6000], they are both particularly good at teaching young anglers the fly casting skills need to be successful.)
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