For the past month I’ve been enjoying catching planters in the ten mile region of Lewiston Lake. The fish have been hammering size 14 and 12 Sheep Creek Specials. I horse the fish in and try to release them quickly with very little time with their heads out of the water. I love my new Measure Net, and it floats, however with the net down and the tip of the handle floating on the surface.
It was hard for me to believe that I hadn’t been on the lake in nearly two weeks. I spent a weekend in the SF Bay Area attending my 45th high school reunion and a Back to Burton celebration for residents who played or just enjoyed Burton Park in San Carlos.
Releasing Fish: I tried many options this summer to release the small hooks from netted fish. I usually can grab the hook in my hand but I don’t have the leverage on the hook to twist the fish off, even though I use barbless hooks. I used pliers, but I couldn’t keep them closed long enough. I tried a commercial product that worked well, except when the fish was struggling in the net. About 1/4 of the time the tool would break the line before I could get it over the body of the hook (I’m sure this was operator error, so I’m not mentioning the product). I eventually purchased forceps last week so I could grab the hook firmly even though the body of the hook was prematurely damaged. Thankfully I tie my own flies.
It was difficult to release fish, one hand on the line, the other hand with forceps, while the net “fell” downward to its float position. Also, I have a new boat with taller sides so the net caused me to lean over too much for my taste as I netted the fish
New Boat: 1968 Sears (Klamath) Trailorboat…Note the midge husks on the water after the morning hatch
I wanted to keep the fish in the water while using both hands to release the fish. Thus, I created a floating Measure Net for my purposes. I purchased a $1 hexagonal floating noodle from the Dollar General in Weaverville. I cut pieces from the noodle to fit inside the zipper near the frame. I also cut a piece of PVC pipe that happily lodged the net handle firmly. Finally, I filled the PVC handle with pieces of noodle, capped the end, and happily found that it floats “correctly” in the water, keeping the fish in the net (look closely at the top picture to see a fish in the net. Also note that I chose a blue noodle to augment the seat painting scheme.
This combination of Measure Net, Pool Noodle, and PVC pipe allows me to net the fish while sitting in the boat, and to use two hands to release the fish. I also discovered that if I have a loop attachment to my fly (I’m terrible at tying loops to flies), about 80% of the fish eject the hook as they are flopping in the net. I’ll be practicing attaching hooks to loops of monofilament tonight. I’m happy that I was able to find a solution for me, and possibly for some of my future readers (my only readers now don’t fish lol)
Tight Lines