Trout fishing is a favorite pastime for people worldwide. Whether you’re fly fishing in a river or troll fishing on a lake, there are many different ways that you can fish for trout. But once you catch them, how do you hold trout?
Hold a trout with both hands to maintain a good grip without squeezing them too much. Have your front hand near their pectoral fin and your back hand where the body meets the tail. This position will give you adequate control over the trout while you hold it.
The remainder of this article will describe how to hold and handle trout, how to keep the trout safe when you’re holding them, and how to handle trout without hurting yourself.
How Do You Hold and Handle Trout?
Hold and handle trout with care and brevity. The quicker you release the trout, the better, as you reduce any chance that the fish will get hurt or die while you’re holding and handling them.
Let’s look at some ways you can do this.
How To Handle Trout
Handling trout should center on quickly getting the fish off your hook and back into the water. If you must handle them for a little longer to admire their beauty or capture it on camera, then make sure you do it correctly. Here are a few things to keep in mind when handling a trout:
- Never stick your fingers in their gills.
- Do not squeeze them hard when handling them.
- Use both hands to maintain a proper hold on them.
Here is a YouTube video from fly fishing expert Fly Fishing Ninja that shows you how to safely handle a trout:
How Do You Grab a Fish Properly?
Grabbing a fish properly involves using a net and keeping the trout in the water for as long as possible. You should never squeeze the fish or pick it up by the gills when you are holding it.
“Grabbing” is perhaps the wrong way to describe how you should pick a fish up when you catch it. Instead, you should lightly cradle the fish and keep them as close to the water as possible when removing the hook or looking at them.
Should You Hold a Trout by the Mouth?
You should not hold a trout by the mouth under any circumstances. Holding a trout by its mouth causes them unnecessary pain and is not the proper way to hold a fish.
There are much more humane ways of holding a trout that puts both you and the fish under less stress. Some things to keep in mind about holding a trout by the mouth include:
- Trout do not have strong jaws—dangling them by your fingers can easily injure them.
- Holding a fish by the mouth puts you in danger of being bitten by the trout.
How To Hold a Trout When Taking Pictures
If you need to get that perfect shot of your prize trout, you should ensure that you are holding the fish correctly when taking pictures. You can do this easily by following a few easy tips:
- Be sure that your hands or gloves are slightly wet.
- Try to keep the fish in the water before and during the photo as much as possible.
- Hold them gently with both hands underneath their body.
- Get the trout back into the water as quickly as possible after you take the picture.
- Never squeeze the fish’s body.
Does Holding Fish Hurt Them?
Fishing for trout is a fun experience that should be painless for both angler and the trout they catch. But does holding fish hurt them?
Holding fish hurts them if done the wrong way. Make sure you follow the proper steps and can hold fish without causing injury. Keep your grip as loose as possible and hold behind their pectoral fins to avoid causing harm to the fish.
The fish will indeed be in some discomfort from the hook and the anxiety of being captured. Still, it’s crucial to minimize any unnecessary pain. Let’s look at how we can make the catch and release as painless as possible.
How To Hold a Trout When Removing the Hook
When you are taking the trout off the hook, you should take all the proper steps to reduce the risk of injuring the trout. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are holding a trout to remove the hook:
- Never squeeze the fish.
- Keep your hands on the hook, not on their lip, if possible.
- Keep the fish in the water using a net.
Why Do You Wet Your Hands Before Touching Trout?
You wet your hands before touching trout to avoid damaging their skin. Trout don’t have large scales like other fish, so you must get your hands wet before handling them to minimize the damage you do to their delicate skin.
Can You Hold a Trout With Gloves?
You can hold a trout with gloves. It is essential to know that if you wear gloves, you will still want to get them wet before touching the trout. Wetting your gloves ensures that you aren’t rubbing off their protective coating.
Not only can you hold a trout with gloves, but unless you are a very experienced fishing expert, it is probably in your best interest to do so. It will speed up handling them by giving you the confidence and safety to do so quickly.
Can Trout Hurt You?
One thing anglers love about trout is their ability to entertain when catching them. They are feisty fish that love to assert themselves when in danger. But can trout hurt you?
Trout can hurt you if you get too close or mishandle them. They have small but sharp teeth and can exhibit aggression, especially when provoked or under stress.
There are some things to keep in mind to prevent any trout-related injuries:
- Never put your fingers in their mouth.
- Keep the interaction as brief and gentle as possible.
- Use a net to capture them.
Can You Hold a Trout by Its Mouth?
You cannot hold a trout by its mouth safely. There is a risk to both you and the fish by doing so. Trout have teeth, and they won’t hesitate to use them on you if you grab them by the mouth.
Instead, it would help if you handled the trout gently and with two hands, as explained throughout this article. This method will prevent injury to the fish and yourself.
Can Fish Fins Cut You?
Fish fins can cut you. Depending on the fish, these cuts can be quite severe. However, trout fins are not nearly as dangerous as some other fish you may handle when angling.
Some fins with much sharper dorsal fins include the following:
- Walleye
- Bass
- Northern Pike
- Perch
Final Thoughts
Holding a trout is something that you should do with care and compassion, as they are sensitive creatures that you can easily injure. Fishing responsibly will ensure that future generations enjoy the sport as much as you do by protecting our limited resources.
Luckily, there is a simple way that you can hold trout while ensuring they safely make it back into the wild. This article should give you the tools to catch and release trout safely.