When is it okay to “hook and cook” rather than “catch and release

By Bob Fabini

Two years ago, I was driving to Yosemite with Lisa, a friend from teenage years, who is like a younger sister. Lisa likes to ask provocative questions, and she questioned my persistence in annoying fish by catching them, just to then let them go. Being long accustomed to her winking provocations, I asked, “would you feel better about my catching them if I killed them?”

I imagine most fly fishermen have had some variation on this conversation. Not wanting to leave it feeling snarky, I explained my underlying philosophy on catch and release, and that there are times when it is okay to “hook and cook.” A recent conversation with a prospective GPFF member set me to thinking on the subject again, so I decided to share some thoughts on the issue.

My wife and I absolutely love fresh fish, so when is it okay to eat your catch? For me, three factors determine whether I keep a fish, besides my just feeling hungry. 1. Keeping a fish has to be legal. Many of us fish regularly in waters that are catch and release only.

2. I must have confidence that my taking a fish won’t negatively impact the resource. For example, I would not keep wild juvenile salmon or steelhead caught while fishing for trout.

3. I have to be able to consume any fish within a few hours or I won’t keep it. The fish has to be fresher than the very freshest fish I can purchase for me to even consider keeping it. When my wife and I were traveling in Alaska decades ago, if we caught a salmon the right size for two, we stopped fishing, built a fire by the river, cooked it up and ate it right then and there. Positively breathtaking!

It also matters whether the fish is wild (naturally reproduced) or planted (hatchery reproduced). I keep the occasional small wild striped bass, maybe two or three per year. But I only keep wild trout if they are in a remote location with very little fishing pressure, and

then, only a minimal number. On the East Coast I keep a few wild bluefish each year when they are found in massive schools. I will happily keep wild jacksmelt caught in the Bay. They are everywhere, and they’re delicious.

Obviously, if you choose to release a fish, you want it to survive. This requires that you treat it with the greatest care and respect. Start with always fishing with barbless hooks. This makes unhooking a simple, quick task. I usually release trout or steelhead without removing them from the water at all. As a result, I have few pictures of the fish I catch (although Grizzly Peak does have a “keep ‘em wet” photo contest to encourage proper handling and release of fish).

I use a net when trout fishing, which allows me to control them underwater so they can be safely released. In other words, nets are not only useful for taking fish out of the water.Stripers, bluefish, and freshwater bass are more robust, and can take being out of the water briefly. I also lift stripers in the Bay or Delta out of the water to avoid having it taken by a seal while unhooking. I’ve had two close calls, and prefer to keep my fingers.

Fish survival is also dependent on temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. Oxygen levels are inversely related to temperature, so high water temperature adversely affects fish survival. For trout, I stop fishing when temperatures reach the high sixties. You, of course, wouldn’t know this unless you carry a thermometer. Put it on your Holiday wish list if you don’t already have one. If the water reaches 65 degrees or more, it is a good time to go small stream fishing at higher altitude.

Of course, I realize everyone has their own personal view on the topic of keeping fish, but I would urge you to adopt some or all of these rules. I grew up in a time when everyone kept every fish. People would return from a trip with coolers filled to overflowing with trout. I remember going deep sea fishing on party boats, and clients leaving the party boat with 100 pounds of fish each. Our resources can no longer support that kind of harvest.

Over the years, I kept fewer and fewer fish, and discovered that it did not interfere with my pleasure in the least. Fly fishing with barbless hooks is the only sport I am aware of where you can be physically connected to one of Mother Nature’s wild creatures, hold it in your hand while admiring its beauty, and then release it to return to the wild. That’s hard to top as far as I’m concerned.

Conservation with trout unlimited’s sam sedillo

Sam Sedillo works for Trout Unlimited in California as the Public Lands Coordinator out of the Truckee TU (TRTU) office. He works on public lands defense, habitat enhancement projects, volunteer operations, fish sampling, and outreach. Trout Unlimited works to conserve, protect, and restore North America’s Trout Salmon, and steelhead. Sam will be presenting on how TU staff are leading projects to conserve, protect, and restore trout and salmon fisheries throughout California and how we all can partner together on the conservation initiatives and efforts in California. Specifically he will be talking about Trout Unlimited’ s current and upcoming work in Northern California centered around trout, salmon and steelhead. TU is excited to be working on projects that both directly benefit the special fish that exist in the state and also provide increased opportunities for anglers to catch these fish. Moreover, Sam will be talking about how to fish two of the rivers that Trout Unlimited is invested in, the Truckee and Little Truckee Rivers.