# Small streams



## Pandamonium77 (Apr 5, 2018)

Hit up some small local streams. Hadn't been stream fishing in over a year. Was worried I'd forgotten everything I learned when I was fishing under another name. Nope, still got it. Fished spinners, marabou, and some soft plastics. Caught little fish and good fish with the biggest being probably 18 inches or so. All were released to fight another day.


----------



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Those trebel hook lures look like they were pretty far down the throat. What is the best way to dislodge them so the fish can live to fight another day?


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I'd say that fish hooked that deep are ready for the frying pan. 

Other than that I would replace the treble hooks with single barb-less hooks and hope that they don't inhale them as deep.


----------



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Looks like a great day! Maybe I'm crazy here, but none of those looked like they were hooked in the gills or so far down the throat that they couldn't reasonably survive. Trebles are pretty easy to pop out without doing lasting damage in many cases.

Of course, just congratulating you on the beautiful browns would be too much to ask. We have to try and find fault with everything posted. 

Keep the pics coming.


----------



## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Personally I flatten the barbs and rarely touch the fish unless necessary and then only with wet hands (to preserve slime). Removing barbless hooks with forceps can be pretty easy.

A fish or two for the fry pan are always welcome.


----------



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Steve G said:


> Personally I flatten the barbs and rarely touch the fish unless necessary and then only with wet hands (to preserve slime). Removing barbless hooks with forceps can be pretty easy.
> 
> A fish or two for the fry pan are always welcome.


I think these are great practices. I am pretty exclusively a fly-fisherman(Who likes to fish nymphs with a bobber, judge me all you want), and try to employ the same practices when handling fish. I don't pinch barbs on flies unless legally required, but haven't ever had much of an issue getting them out.

I have seen plenty of treble-hooks pop out easily with forceps as well. That's all I was getting at. We're quick to offer criticisms(constructive or otherwise) without offering congratulations.


----------



## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

When I hook browns that deep, I like to take them home to a nice warm meal to cheer them up and then, several hours later, release them to the great big reservoir under Orem.

Seriously though, they're just browns (beautiful ones but still technically highly successful invasive species) and it's not that deep. A pair of hemostats and a semi-skilled hand would do those fish just fine. Sometimes I wonder if some of the concerned citizens on here are just a little jelly, if you know what I'm sayin.


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Thanks for the report. I wished others were as generous around here.


----------



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Kwalk3 said:


> Looks like a great day! Maybe I'm crazy here, but none of those looked like they were hooked in the gills or so far down the throat that they couldn't reasonably survive. Trebles are pretty easy to pop out without doing lasting damage in many cases.
> 
> Of course, just congratulating you on the beautiful browns would be too much to ask. We have to try and find fault with everything posted.
> 
> Keep the pics coming.


Where do you see finding fault? The poster mentioned that all fish were released to fight another day so I asked what is the best way to remove a deep treble hook? If he had not mentioned that all fish were released to fight another day, I would not have asked my question.

Now, if I'd written something like: "Why did you release those deeply hooked fish? I bet you ripped their gills out? I bet very few of them survived. Then I'd consider it criticism.

And just to clarify, since you brought it up, trout can bleed to death from just having a nice puncture in the upper roof of their mouth even if the gills are not affected. It happens to fly fishers using streamers and other large hooks and it happens when using wide gap jigs too. Just because a fish swims away doesn't mean it lives.


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> Just because a fish swims away doesn't mean it lives.


That's why I keep all the trout I catch, no matter the size. 
Nothing goes to waste when I'm a hook'n and cook'n.;-)


----------



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

HighNDry said:


> Where do you see finding fault? The poster mentioned that all fish were released to fight another day so I asked what is the best way to remove a deep treble hook? If he had not mentioned that all fish were released to fight another day, I would not have asked my question.
> 
> Now, if I'd written something like: "Why did you release those deeply hooked fish? I bet you ripped their gills out? I bet very few of them survived. Then I'd consider it criticism.
> 
> And just to clarify, since you brought it up, trout can bleed to death from just having a nice puncture in the upper roof of their mouth even if the gills are not affected. It happens to fly fishers using streamers and other large hooks and it happens when using wide gap jigs too. Just because a fish swims away doesn't mean it lives.


It wasn't directed at you alone. There were 2 comments in a row that seemed to be implying that the guy did something wrong by releasing fish hooked so deep.

I'm aware that fish don't always survive. I've been mainly a catch and release fly fisher for most of my life. Good practices should be employed by all to ensure the fish has the best chance of survival. I apparently mistook your comment to be critical when you say that wasn't your intent. My mistake.


----------



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Nice day, Riley.;-)

Looks like the Mepps got some play that day.


----------



## Pandamonium77 (Apr 5, 2018)

Thanks LOAH. Yeah, the plain #2 Gold Mepps was the main weapon today. 

Sorry for the name change. I couldn't recall anything with the correct email/username/password so I had to start from scratch. 

It kinda made me chuckle when folks make comments like some have. I may or may not have been fishing for a minute so I like to think I have a pretty good handle on how to release fish. Those hooks popped right out with some pliers. They hit the lures hard but I've never really had an issue with a lot of fish mortality. You kinda get a hang for removing lures without tearing the hell outta your fish.


----------

