Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-24
.ALBOTT DENMEAD, law en-
forcement officer Of the United
States Bureau of Fisheries, In


forcement officer Of the United
States Bureau of Fisheries, In
q radio address for this column
said there Is much difference of opin-
ion on whether fish caught on hook
and line and returned to the water
will survive. He said the answer is
! not easy and is important, for many
States base their laws or daily limits
on the theory that few fish SO captured
and returned to the water live.
The theory that a majority Of the
fish hooked and returned to the water
die cannot be supported by evidence.
he said, and added that while it Is true
many fish returned to the water even
tually succumb. it is generally because
Of improper handling.
"Of course, a brook trout that IS
caught on a small barbed hook baited
with a worm. and the hook has pene-
trated deeply enough to draw blood, Is
doomed So also is the trout that Is
not deeply hooked but is lifted out OF
dry hands and thrown back into the
stream" Denmead told his listeners.
THE destruction of small fish hooked
i In a large percentage of cases is
not necessary, and can and should
be prevented, said Denmead, continu-
ing: IF one fishes for trout with bait,
which he has q perfect right to DO
without criticism from his more scien-
tific brother, the fly fisherman, he can
easily prevent destruction Of many un-
dersized trout by the use OF large
hook and large bait. By such means
many a small trout is lifted entirely out
Of the water without hooking at all and
dropped back unframed. Incidentally
the larger bait is more attractive to
the bigger fish and produces better
results.
Naturally, the fish commissioner who
receives reports Of dozens OF small dead
trout lining the banks at the end OF the
first day Of the open season Is dis
tressed, and attempts by law to remedy
the evil. One State, Maryland, has
tried to meet this condition by provid-
ing a daily limit of 10 trout, all fish
taken to be counted, but all under
inches must be returned to the water.
Other States, not having any size limit,
count all fish captured in the daily
limit These two methods do not en-
tirely meet the situation. In the first
instance, the angler may take only three
trout over the finch limit, and the
other seven, If improperly handled and
returned to the water, will die. In the
second, he may throw back the little
ones for various reasons, which will
die If improperly handled. The answer
Is, educate the fishing public to arti-
ficial fly fishing and the use Of larger
hooks and larger bats, and to carefully
handle small fish when returning them
to the water. A program of education
on how to handle and release properly
an understood fish, whether 1t be trout,
black bass, or one Of the many denizens
of salt water, would certainly be better
method of conserving the species and
improve our fishing"
In concluding Denmead said: IT Won
der how many know how to remove
fish hook that has been accidentally
sunk into some part Of the human an
stomy over the barb? The proper
method Is to turn the hook until the
point is toward the surface, then force
the hook out through the flesh and
skin point first, then take your pliers
and clip of the point of the hook with
the barb. It is then an easy matter to
remove the barbless shaft by the way
It entered without tearing the flesh. This
method Is less painful and the wound
heals more quickly. Every angler should
carry pair Of pliers that will cut wire"
A IL anglers have been disappointed
IA this week, whether they have been
whipping the trout streams or fish
ing for the white perch in the Potomac