Sandbagged!

Sandbagged!
Photograph by Steve Barnett

Saturday 24 May 2014

Victim Support?


Here's a fish that at first glance is not in great condition and to be avoided by any angler as we don't want to catch sickly fish.  However, this is an exception that proves the rule.  The poor condition is due to this fish having difficulty in feeding (I believe so anyway).  Why can it not sustain itself?  It was once a fine brown trout now it is losing condition before its time.  What has gone wrong?  Check out just in front of that pectoral fin.  Can you see that pale beige line coming from the corner of the mouth?  It's fishing line!  It's been there a long time judging by the algae growing on it...

I want to catch this poor fish and take the hook out of its mouth, remove the impediment completely and let this fish have a go at regaining its condition through the summer.  Can I catch it?  Not unless I find it feeding at the surface first...



Regular Rod

4 comments:

  1. A very worthy quest Rod...good luck!

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  2. I dont think you are correct in saying the line/fly ( which I cannot see ) is stopping the fish feeding causing it to lose condition. Unless of course you think the throat is partly closed by the hook and you cant be thinking that.

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    Replies
    1. I'm thinking that very likely the hook is a big, barbed, bait hook and that it is well back in the trout's throat and has indeed caused trouble for this fish. I also believe that the line is quite thick and that either a tangle or some other knot in the (hand) line caused the fish to be able to break loose, with the eventual consequences you can see in the photograph. I haven't seen the fish for a few days now and doubt that I'll ever get chance to find out the real truth of the matter...

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