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Press Release 19th December ’06
ATTENTION ANGLERS! Fantastic prize for the first Spring Salmon caught and released in 2007
The angler who catches and releases the first Spring salmon of 2007 will win the fantastic prize of a voucher for €500 for his / her local tackle shop and €1,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.
There is also a €250 prize for the angler who takes the best catch and release photo before the 17th March, so bring your camera! Send your photos to paul.bourke@cfb.ie
The fisheries boards urge all anglers to practice ‘Catch and Release’ in order to sustain future stocks of Irish Salmon.
Photo
courtesy of Kevin Crowley, Western Regional Fisheries Board
Notes to Editor
CATCH AND RELEASE GUIDELINES
Angler catch and release studies have shown that with appropriate capture and handling techniques a high proportion of salmon will survive to spawn. Mortality rates of released fish can drop dramatically when anglers follow a few simple but important guidelines.
- Equipment
Proper catch and release really starts before the fish is even landed. A well equipped and prepared angler will have all the necessary tools at hand in order to catch, land and release the fish with minimum stress. Anglers should have the following with them:
- Single, barbless hooks
- Pliers, Scissors, Long-Nosed Forceps
- A large diameter, knotless landing net
- Tape measure
- Fishing Tackle
Salmon caught on small, barbless hooks have a much better chance of survival than those caught on large, baited doubles or trebles. Barbed hooks can have the barb pinched with a pliers to allow the salmon to be released more easily. The fishing tackle should be of sufficient strength taking account of the prevailing conditions and the possible size of the fish that might be caught.
- Use single, barbless hooks
- Do not use worms, baited hooks or lures with double or treble hooks
- Use a line of sufficient strength
- Playing the Fish
Bring the fish in firmly and quickly to the side of the boat or bank, avoiding over exhaustion - the more exhausted a fish is, the lower its chance of survival.
- Avoid exhausting the fish
- In a river, move the salmon out of the main flow into quieter water
- Bring it quickly to the bank or boat
- Landing the fish
Research has shown that exposing a salmon to air for even a short period can significantly reduce its chances of survival. It is also essential to protect the scales from damage as these form part of the salmon’s defence against disease and parasites.
- Keep the salmon in the water at all times, even when taking photographs
- Use a large diameter landing net with a soft, knotless mesh
- Always use wet hands when handling a fish
- Do not use a tailer or gaff, and do not beach a fish as these methods can result in scale loss, injury and subsequent fungal infection
- Removing the Hook
- Wet your hands and keep the fish in the water
- Take care not to squeeze the fish or hold it by the gills
- If necessary, support the fish from beneath and remove the hook by hand or with the use of a long-nosed forceps
- If the hook has become deeply embedded cut the line as close to the hook as possible. Fish released in this way do survive
6. Releasing and Reviving the Fish
- Support the fish in the water facing into the current and give it sufficient time to recover
- Hold the fish gently until it is capable of swimming away
- Avoid weighing the fish. The weight of a fish can be estimated from its length using the table below. A tape measure, wading stick or your rod can be used to take the approximate length while keeping the fish in the water
FURTHER INFORMATION
Copies of a 20 minute video on ‘Catch and Release – The Future in your Hands’ is available free of charge (while stocks last) from the Central Fisheries Board, Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.
Telephone: +353-(0)1-8842600 or Email: info@cfb.ie with “Catch & Release” in the subject title.
Weight/Length Conversion Chart
Weight/Length Conversion Table
|
Length |
Length |
Approx Weight |
Approx Weight |
|
|
(cm) |
(inches) |
(Kg) |
(lbs) |
(oz) |
|
47 |
18.5 |
1.16 |
2 |
9 |
|
48 |
18.9 |
1.23 |
2 |
11 |
|
49 |
19.3 |
1.31 |
2 |
14 |
|
50 |
19.7 |
1.39 |
3 |
1 |
|
51 |
20.0 |
1.48 |
3 |
4 |
|
52 |
20.5 |
1.56 |
3 |
7 |
|
53 |
20.9 |
1.65 |
3 |
10 |
|
54 |
21.3 |
1.75 |
3 |
14 |
|
55 |
21.7 |
1.85 |
4 |
1 |
|
56 |
22.0 |
1.95 |
4 |
5 |
|
57 |
22.4 |
2.05 |
4 |
8 |
|
58 |
22.8 |
2.16 |
4 |
12 |
|
59 |
23.2 |
2.27 |
5 |
1 |
|
60 |
23.6 |
2.39 |
5 |
4 |
|
61 |
24.0 |
2.51 |
5 |
8 |
|
62 |
24.4 |
2.63 |
5 |
13 |
|
63 |
24.8 |
2.76 |
6 |
1 |
|
64 |
25.2 |
2.89 |
6 |
6 |
|
65 |
25.6 |
3.03 |
6 |
11 |
|
66 |
26.0 |
3.17 |
7 |
0 |
|
67 |
26.4 |
3.31 |
7 |
5 |
|
68 |
26.8 |
3.46 |
7 |
10 |
|
69 |
27.2 |
3.62 |
8 |
0 |
|
70 |
27.6 |
3.77 |
8 |
5 |
|
71 |
28.0 |
3.94 |
8 |
11 |
|
72 |
28.3 |
4.10 |
9 |
0 |
|
73 |
28.7 |
4.27 |
9 |
7 |
|
74 |
29.1 |
4.45 |
9 |
13 |
|
75 |
29.5 |
4.63 |
10 |
3 |
|
76 |
29.9 |
4.82 |
10 |
10 |
|
77 |
30.3 |
5.01 |
11 |
0 |
|
78 |
30.7 |
5.20 |
11 |
7 |
|
79 |
31.1 |
5.40 |
11 |
14 |
|
80 |
31.5 |
5.61 |
12 |
6 |
|
81 |
31.9 |
5.82 |
12 |
13 |
|
82 |
32.3 |
6.03 |
13 |
5 |
|
83 |
32.7 |
6.25 |
13 |
12 |
|
84 |
33.1 |
6.40 |
14 |
5 |
|
85 |
33.5 |
6.71 |
14 |
13 |
|
86 |
33.9 |
6.95 |
15 |
5 |
|
87 |
34.3 |
7.19 |
15 |
14 |
|
88 |
34.6 |
7.44 |
16 |
6 |
|
89 |
35.0 |
7.69 |
16 |
15 |
|
90 |
35.4 |
7.95 |
17 |
8 |
|
91 |
35.8 |
8.21 |
18 |
1 |
|
92 |
36.2 |
8.48 |
18 |
11 |
|
93 |
36.6 |
8.76 |
19 |
5 |
|
94 |
37.0 |
9.04 |
19 |
15 |
|
95 |
37.4 |
9.33 |
20 |
9 |
|
96 |
37.8 |
9.62 |
21 |
3 |
|
97 |
38.2 |
9.92 |
21 |
14 |
|
98 |
38.6 |
10.23 |
22 |
9 |
|
99 |
39.0 |
10.54 |
23 |
4 |
|
100 |
39.4 |
10.86 |
23 |
15 |
|
101 |
39.8 |
11.19 |
24 |
10 |
|
102 |
40.2 |
11.52 |
25 |
6 |
|
103 |
40.6 |
11.86 |
26 |
2 |
|
104 |
40.9 |
12.20 |
26 |
14 |
|
105 |
41.3 |
12.55 |
27 |
11 |
|
106 |
41.7 |
12.91 |
28 |
7 |
|
107 |
42.1 |
13.27 |
29 |
4 |
|
108 |
42.5 |
13.64 |
30 |
1 |
|
109 |
42.9 |
14.02 |
30 |
14 |
The weights given in this table in pounds (lbs) and ounces (oz) have been rounded to the nearest ounce.
Source: Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation.
