Bringing a fish in
Keep the rod tip up, at roughly 10 or 11 o'clock. The bend in the rod acts as a cushion, soaking up the fish's sudden tugs. Wind steadily, and don't try to drag the fish in like a bucket on a rope.
If the fish pulls hard, let it. Your reel has a drag: a little slip clutch, usually a dial on the front or back of the reel, that lets line slide out under strong pressure instead of snapping. Set it before you fish so you can pull line off the reel firmly by hand, but not too easily. When the fish tires, it will come towards you.
For anything bigger than your hand, a landing net (the original "scoop") makes life easier for both of you. Choose one with soft, knotless rubber mesh, which is gentler on fins and slime. Sink the net in the water, then guide the fish over it with the rod and lift. Don't chase the fish with the net; let it come to you.
Gentle handling in five moves
Have your forceps or disgorger within reach before you even cast. Then follow these.
Wet your hands
Dry hands rub off the fish's protective slime, its natural raincoat against infection. Dip them first, every time.
Keep it close to the water
Unhook the fish in the net, in the shallows or just above the surface. Gills only work in water, so every second in the air counts.
Support, don't squeeze
Cradle the fish's belly lightly. Never squeeze it, and keep fingers away from the gills, the delicate red feathery bits behind the head.
Unhook calmly
Grip the hook's bend with forceps and ease it back the way it went in. If it's swallowed deeply, snip the line close; that's often kinder than digging.
Let it swim off
Hold the fish upright in the water, facing into any current, until it kicks away on its own. You'll feel the moment it's ready.
A line worth remembering
"Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once."
The American angler and conservationist Lee Wulff wrote that in the late 1930s, and it helped turn catch and release from an odd idea into a widely shared habit.
Why catch and release works
Fish handled gently, quickly and with wet hands usually recover well and go straight back to feeding. Barbless hooks help a great deal: without the little backwards spike, the hook slides out in seconds. If you only have barbed hooks, you can squash the barb flat with pliers.
Want a photo? Get the camera ready before you lift the fish, hold it low over the water or the net, snap, and return it. Groups such as Keep Fish Wet share science-based handling advice and are worth a browse.
Keeping a fish to eat is legal in many places, but only within the rules. Most waters set a minimum size and a bag limit: the number of fish you may keep per day. Many fisheries are catch and release only. Read the sign by the water or the fishery's rules before you start.
Leave it better than you found it
Take all your line, hooks and packaging home. Discarded fishing line can tangle birds and wildlife for years. If you spot someone else's, pick it up too. Anglers who look after their water get to enjoy it longest.
Lesson 4 recap
That's the whole course. Tick these off and you're ready for the water.