Serious Fun @ JFFC Sept 2018 | Page 70

Fishing with friends or a guide who understand how to handle and photograph fish allows you to capture the moment while still respecting the fish.

Avoid contact with dry and abrasive surfaces

Dry or abrasive surfaces remove the protective slime coating that covers a fish’s body. This slime serves to protect the sensitive skin of fish from infections. If this layer is compromised during handling, the fish has a significantly higher chance of contracting a disease which may eventually result in mortality.

To avoid contact with dry/abrasive surfaces consider the following when handling fish:

•Land and handle fish in or over the water: By keeping the fish in or over deep

enough water when landing and handling it, the chances of it contacting the

dry ground or boat surface are minimised.

•Only use wet un-gloved hands to handle fish: Gloves, even when wet will

remove slime from a fish. While the fish is recovering in the net, remove your

gloves and wet your hands before handling the fish. As seen in this video , the

effects of handling fish with gloves will not be seen immediately and fish will

appear to swim off strong and healthy. If this is what removing the protective

coating does to a Brook trout in a clean and controlled environment, can you

imagine the effects that the corrosive Vaal river water has on Yellows who

have been handled in this way. Please, please, please, remove your gloves

before handling fish.

•Use non-abrasive landing devices: Always use fish friendly landing nets

and never drag or place fish onto rocks or the bankside.

70 SERIOUSFUN@JFFC SEPT 2018