Releasing tomorrow’s catch

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I had some time yesterday to run down to the dam to see what fishing was like at the outlets. The outflows from Shepherd of the Hills Trout Hatchery below Table Rock Dam attract creatures big and small these autumn days . . . and a few trout, too. The trout are lured to the smell of the hatchery and the oxygen-rich water that flows from its belly — and anglers are lured by the large number of distracted trout, crowded gill to gill in the flow.

I’ve fished for salmon in the feeder streams of Michigan. Chinooks, Cohos and Pinks make their way up to waters where they started their track of life. They crowd into deep, dark holes during the daylight, unused to the brightness and cramped quarters of the rivercompated to the depth and vastness of the open Lake Michigan. Running a hook with a little material adhered to the shank through the bunch is effective to accomplish one of two things — to hook a salmon in the mouth or to hook a salmon somewhere else.

It’s the same fishing the outlets on Taney. On my 20-minute break, I observed 13 rainbows hooked, three of which were fouled-hooked somewhere other than the mouth or the vicinity thereof. Two of the foul-hooked trout were pulled in quickly; the other incident I took exception with.

The gentleman who hooked the rainbow was fishing well away from the fast, shallow flow of the outlet in water to the angler’s mid-thigh. The fish made one long run downstream in which he followed, walking and fighting. He didn’t prolong the fight too long but netted his catch and motioned to another gentleman upstream. They met halfway with the trout in net. It was clear the catcher wanted to measure the rainbow to see whether it was keeping size — it was apparent to me from the bank that it was short by two or three inches. His helper evidently had a 20-inch mark on his rod. They held the trout up, swinging and stretching it to no avail. They wanted to weigh the thing. My temperature was rising. A new scale was pulled from a vest, unwrapped and the trout gilled to the hook. I counted . . . 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds. How long does it take to weigh a fish?!

All total, this poor rainbow was out of the water almost 10 minutes. Not once was it put back in the water to breathe. The catcher released the fish, turned and headed back to his place in line. His helper, seeing the trout was motionless, bumped it a couple of times with his body, then picked it up. He worked with it for maybe two minutes, working it back and forth in the water. As he finally released it, I followed his eyes downstream, as if the trout was floating aimlessly in the slow current, again motionless. I can’t imagine it lived after being held out of the water for so long.

This rainbow, fat and healthy in spawning colors — red, orange, gold, green and white, had survived numerous hooksets and nets, handlings and even a heron or two. Now to fall to an act of vanity was a disgrace. How many more trout lay at the bottom of the lake because of carelessness and ignorance? I’m sure by their faces of delight in catching it, these two guys didn’t mean to kill that trout–but they did. Did they learn by their experience? I sincerely hope so.

I don’t like doing negative pieces, and I’m sure I will get a few negative — possibly hateful — emails. But most of my readers have possibly seen the same happen on their streams and lakes (or haven’t) and can sympathize with my turmoil. We all need to protect and preserve our precious resourse by education, example and speaking out.