I'm on a minimalist kick and replaced my vest with a Fishpond San Juan chest pack that I really like. I asked the vendor who sold me the vest where I hook on my net and he didn't really have an answer, other than to say he doesn't use a net. Instead he "tails 'em." By that he meant that he brings the trout in close, grabs it by the tail and releases the hook. It made me wonder if this is what's best for the fish as I'd guess it means it needs to be more exhausted and subdued. Anyway, I was intrigued by the notion of less equipment but concerned about the impact on fish. Any thoughts on this? Does anyone else "tail 'em" and is there a technique that works well?
if i dont have a net which i really never do unless cappy has his, i will grab the tail so i can handle the fish, take the pic, then release it. but again if its a fisty fish good luck hold onto the tail. those buggers got some strength in those tails, so as far as it being better on the fish, i dont think it would be, just undoing the hook and releasing it is good, but i think you might have a better chance in hurtin the fish if you hold it by the tail. a net craddles the fish, you can keep the fish in the water in the net while you take the hook out. it can revive a lil bit while in the net in the water. you then can take it out take your pic if needed then off it goes. one more thing inorder to handle a fish by its tail you have to get it pretty wore out. so i am for the net, one that is good to use on trout, that wont mess up its slim coat.
my 2 cents
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
I have watched Matt do that too. I am a net guy myelf and Santa may be upgrading me to a Brodin. It's got a rubber net which supposedly is benificial in many ways. The one I am looking at is 18" and that's a decent jump from 15".
I bought a San Juan chest pack myself last spring and no longer use a a vest. The pack is small and light and holds everything I need for a Sierra trip or a day at Putah. As to the net, I have one with the magnetic release and just hook the clips to the snap on the waist strap of the pack. It ends to hang a bit in front of my leg at times, but the arrangement works fine.
I've gone to the Fish Pond Guide Pack and wear it as a waist pack on my side. Holds plenty and it's out of the way. (I use to just keep gear in the wader pouch or inside my waders).
I also went the route of using a net. My net(nice cherrywood catch and release net from Cabelas) hooks up to the pack and also hangs on my side and stays out of the way until I need it.
I moved to a net since I believed that it would help me get the fish in more quickly and help minimize the actual handling of the fish. I didn't really like grabbing the fish by the tail or any other parts since I felt I was doing more harm than good.
I then added a walking stick to use when the flows are up and the wading is a bit trickier.
As I was making these additions, I kept thinking to myself ("what the heck are you doing ? ") as I was moving away from being more of a minimalist to becoming a pack rat. I wasn't quite sure that I would be comfortable with all the add ons.
Well it all works for me now and I actually don't find the additions cumbersome.
With all that being said however, I will have the tendency to lean towards minimalization whenever possible depending on conditions and time of year.
I fish without a net. I just can't deal with a piece of equipment swining around on my back. I have not had any problems landing or releasing fish thus far. I don't tail fish. Most of the time I don't even touch the fish I have caught. I simply pinch the fly and shake it loose. Although I did catch a larger fish last week that I worked to shallow water, removed the hook, craddled it in the current and off it went. If nets have less of an impact on fish, I will certainly learn to deal with the net swinging around.
Hi Steve, I also use a San Juan chest pack. I've decked it out with tippet dispencer, folatant holders, nippers, hemo's,etc. Two medium sized fly boxes, shot. a couple of leaders, etc. I usually combine it with a small backpack in which I carry food, water, rain gear( when neccessary ) fleece top and gloves for winter and more boxes of flies. I made a small incision in the center of the padded shoulder strap and zip-tied a net release clip. I looked high and low for a compact lightweight net to hang on it and found one at Sports Authority in Brentwood. It's a pretty sweet set up. I can fish all day with the backpack on or stash it and fish with just the San Juan on. I doubt I'll wear a vest again any time soon. Tight Lines, Viking
I'm all for nets except when fishing for huge fish. When the fish are massive (like salmon/steelhead) you can just tail them. I use a net with a 17" X 10" hoop size. I've never landed a trout that wouldn't fit in it. The net is 24" long overall, so to to keep the net from swinging around too bad, I hook it to my back with the handle down.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
I use a Ketchum Release. Easy and fast with barbless hooks. A bit slower with barbed hooks. Takes a little practice to get the hang of it. I carry mine on a zinger. Don't ever have to touch the fish let alone take them out of the water.
By the way, I'm new to the board. Been watching for a while. Great group you all have here.
As far as the net swinging around i always hated that. I tried putting the net under the small backpack I carry, And it no longer catches on anything. A magentic release is a must !
An alternate to the magnetic release,(which I have never tried) is a Gear Keeper net release that I have.
It allows you to lock the net in place while you are out walking the brush. This device prevents the net from jumping out into a bush while you are walking, getting hung up, and then having the net either wing back at your back side at 40 mph letting you know that your net was hung up or it stops the net from yanking you to an abrupt stop.
When you aren't walking the brush, you unlock it which then allows the net to be drawn out on the keeper's cord when necessary. The net then will automatically retract when you let it go.
It's amazing what fishing related items you can find when looking through the Cabelas catalog.
I do what ever the fish wants to do....if the fish is tired I keep him in the water remove the hook and revieve him in the white part of the curent ...better oxygen...If the fish is got fight and wants to flop around I might net him or I might reach down and remove the hook and let him dart away....It all depends on what the fish wants....I will admit when it comes to planters Iam a little less careful..less than 5% of the putah planters make it through winter..they get caught, eaten or just die.. As far as nets go I carry a 4 ft lond guide net with rubber netting...I spend most of my days on the water guiding....I will stuff it in my wade belt and let it wack me in the head ...big nets hold big fish...
When Iam on foot I pack a lot of stuff cause Iam on the water all day...quick trips I only bring a few Items and hit the water...so the amount of stuff I carry will as vary...
