Handle Me with Care
Winter has truly set in here in New Hampshire. It snowed at least a couple of inches on three of the past seven days, and the temperature has held well below 20. It’s the perfect time of year to stay busy tying some of my favorite early season flies for fly fishing in New Hampshire.
Weather like this keeps me off the water because I don’t like to harm the fish. While you can still catch nice fish in these conditions, the potential danger to the fish seriously outweighs my desire to get out. If you haven’t read it yet, Fulling Mill and Keep Fish Wet recently collaborated on this topic, and published an informative piece on how fish respond to being caught in the winter. You can check it out here. If you do decide to go winter fishing, you should be extremely thoughtful about where, what the conditions are, and how you handle the fish.
The issue of fish handling extends well beyond the winter, however. It has a serious effect on catch and release mortality. If you’re unfamiliar with ethical catch and release practices, Keep Fish Wet has some excellent resources to help you learn. Whether spring, summer fall or winter, you should follow these recommendations closely. Look out for a more detailed blog post on this in the coming months.
Despite not being a poet, here I am with another poem. This piece was inspired by watching countless anglers mishandle fish throughout recent seasons. I’m not here to point fingers and place blame, but rather to encourage EVERYONE to take the time to learn responsible and ethical catch and release practices. The future of our fisheries in New Hampshire (and everywhere) are counting on it.
Handle Me with Care
I’m not a rock. Don’t chuck me with such abandon.
I’m not toothpaste. Don’t squeeze me so hard.
Please, handle me with care.
I’m not a stuffed animal. Don’t hand me to your child.
I’m not a lawn ornament. Don’t leave me in the grass.
I’m not a dog toy. Don’t let them lick me.
Please, handle me with care.
I don’t breathe air. That’s you.
You already took five photos. Do you really need 17?
Please, handle me with care.
Even if you don’t have access to a GoPro, you can get some killer images of fish while still holding them safely in the water. This one was shot with a cell phone and the fish never left the water once. Not every image needs to be a grip and grin, so let’s try and get creative. If nothing else, do it for the fish!
With any luck, conditions will be improving in the next month or so. In the meantime, I’ll be busy on the vise and getting my boat prepped for the season. If you’re interested in getting out this year, now’s a great time to reach out and book.
Tight lines,
Dom
