Quote:
Originally Posted by Flacker
Yeah it isn't explicitly listed in the regulations anymore. That being said if you don't intend on keeping the fish, I would still recommend crimping barbs.
Anywhere that is zero limit for trout you should have your barbs crimped. Not enforceable anymore, but you don't want to be ripping lips apart trying to release a nice trout.
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Ive been told that another good way to avoid excessively harming fish is to use a rubber landing net and if possible, avoid overhandling the fish. If you do need to handle them, make sure your hands are wet before touching them. From what I understand, the non-rubber nets (nylon or other, stiffer material) and dry hands scrape more of the slime off of the fish which they need to re-generate after release.
I have found that if I use barbless hooks and a wider-bottomed rubber landing net, I can catch and release most fish without even touching them. The wider bottom rubber nets hold their shape the the water with a fish in it, so you can hold the fish in the water, hopefully take out the hook with some hemos and then let them recover in there. Even if you want to pose for a quick photo, you can leave the the fish in the water until you're ready for the shot take it out for a second or two and then put them back in the net in the water until they are ready to swim away on their own.
Not sure if there is any scientific evidence that this reduces mortality rates, but most of the guides on the Bow River tend to use this method, so I've tried to follow suit.