UNHOOKING YOUR FISH.
A professional approach!
By David John Lovell.
Most of the anglers I meet on the bank simply puts the required unhooking mat in a required spot with little thought of prepared organisation. Here, I will explain my approach and take you to a more professional level.
Firstly, I place a small groundsheet for both protection and to lay out the tools on a dry surface free from the wet grass. A large umbrella is pegged in position to offer protection from the rain, this is particularly important for the camera, which is placed on a tripod once a fish has been placed on the unhooking mat/sling for a photograph. The tools consist of curved forceps, weigh scales, anti bacteria solution to treat the fish, paying special attention to the hook pin prick in the mouth area of the taken fish, and, very important, a pot of cool lake water to keep the fish wet and comfortable.
The process is as follows, place the fish on the unhooking mat and then remove the hook using the forceps and treat the fish. Secure it within the mat via the zip, or, as I do, fold one flap over the fish and trap the flap only with a large object, (I use a large bait bucket) and this allows me to quickly get my camera from the shelter. Once back I simply remove the bucket and then weigh and photograph the fish, cooling the fish with a handful of water as required, this helps to calm the fish. The fish is then carried back to the water in the mat and given time to recover a little before release. The fish will go when it is ready, usually quite quickly.
The important thing is to be efficient and work like when dealing with the task of unhooking fish such as carp, don't panic, they can survive for a reasonable time out of water, though make sure to wet the fish.
