Catch and Release Fishing

Fishing is a sport, but it has become less about survival and more about fun in recent decades. There is an issue of fish becoming depleted and many anglers are now employing the practice of catch and release fishing. Catch and release fishing is a great theory, but many people are doing it incorrectly and as a result many fish are dying. A few steps should be followed when trying to catch and release a fish. Once you get the hang of how to do it correctly, you will be able to enjoy your hobby and keep the population of fish full in your favorite stream or lake.

The best place to start is with the hooks. A fish that has a hole through its mouth is going to be more likely to survive than a fish with a hole in its lung or gill. If you happen to hook a fish in the gut, the best thing to do is to cut off the hook as much as you can then release the fish. Many times the hook will dissolve and the fish will spit it out, but they can also live with a rusted hook hanging from them. Whatever you do, do not tug on your line to pull a hook out or you will severely hurt the fish. If you are able to easily remove the hook, use a pair of needle nose pliers. The process of pulling the hook out is easier if you remove the barbs from the hooks, but try not to wiggle while you pull the hook out.

Fish are obviously unable to survive outside of the water. Therefore, the longer that it takes you to release them, the more it becomes as if you are suffocating them. The way that a fish is gripped when out of the water will make a big difference. For instance, avoid touch a fish’s body with your bare hands. The fish have a slimy protective coat that will be stripped if you touch them with your hands. If you have to touch a fish, make sure that your hands are wet. You may want to wear gloves to protect your hands from cuts or permeating fish smells.

Part of the fun in fishing is to “play out” the fish. The struggle can be what some anglers wait all day to do. Fish are like humans; when they “work out,” they build up lactic acid. When you are fighting a fish, they are fighting too. Just like when someone works his or her body out and it feels sore, a fish experiences the same thing. The build up of lactic acid can be toxic to a fish even days later. Therefore, if you are going to practice catch and release, try to keep the struggle to a minimum.

Try not to let a fish flop around when you catch them. A fish that flops around can bruise or damage its internal organs, causing them to die later from the injuries that are incurred. You can also revive a fish if you need to do so. A fish is likely to run out of oxygen and pass out, so to speak. In order to revive a fish, you place the fish in the water with their belly down and gently grasp their tail. Start to slowly move their tail back and forth until they give you the signal that they are ready to take off into the water. Sometimes you will need to repeat the process more than once, but don’t let a fish go until they are ready. A fish that is not ready to swim could get carried away and swept into rocks or embankment and cause serious injury.

More than anything, when you are practicing catch and release, have everything ready to go. Make sure that your camera, pliers, and gloves are in reaching distance. Try to take the precautions necessary to preserve fish and one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Tropical Fish Aquarium

Tropical fish are beautiful and are brilliant for keeping at home provided that they have the right habitat. When thinking of keeping tropical fish always remember to have a suitable home for them, a large enough tank, clean fresh water, a tank that resembles their natural habitat and plenty of food. When fish are happy then they are likely to live longer so making sure that you fish has all those things mentioned then you are already on your way to being a great fish keeper.

There are several types of fish that you can have in your tropical fish aquarium. You can keep smaller fish such as Neon’s, Tetras, Angel fish, Guppies and Gourami’s or you can keep larger fish for example cichlids or Malawi’s. When it comes to cichlids and Malawi's there are different types of fish that fall into these categories. Cichlids are well known to be like cannibals, there are fish such as Oscars, black belts, jaguars, parrots and Jack Dempsey’s to name a few. The list goes on. Malawi cichlids have fish like Black Doral’s, blue nose, chidunga and luhuchi to name a few.

Tropical fish aquariums are made up with freshwater. The water needs to be completely purified, no salt or chlorine in the water. The best thing to do is set up your tank about four weeks before purchasing any fish and let the bacteria cycle, this will give your fish the best start in your tank. You get what is known as new tank syndrome, if you put your fish in the tank too soon. The bacteria has not had enough time to build up and the fish suffer. The bacteria is extremely important as this is what gets rid of the fish waste and if there is not enough bacteria the waste gathers and becomes toxic to the fish. This is also why a lot of learning needs to be done. Never use fresh water always take out boiled tank water to clean your filter so that you don’t destroy the good bacteria! When cleaning the gravel in your tropical aquarium always remember to have some water prepared a few weeks beforehand. Fill up a bucket of water and leave some chlorine solution in it. This will also help to protect your fish.

A tropical fish aquarium is an absolutely stunning piece of furniture for any home but it does require constant attention, so you have to make sure that you know what is involved before getting into fish keeping. If you are ready for the challenge and you can keep your tank clean and your fish happy, then there is no reason why you can't be a great fish keeper, good luck!