inthedrift wrote:
There is a ton of interest in the fly fishing world right now about catching muskies, and it's great to see that people are putting in the time to actually catch them. I have to say though, that it really bothers me to see fish being mishandled.
In this thread alone, there are pics of muskies that have been rolled in gravel and clearly not handled appropriately. I don't fault anyone for wanting a picture of a fish they worked so hard to catch, but the well being of the fish should be priority #1 when they are brought to hand.
I have to ask (beg) that if you are going to do this, go about it the right way. Get jaw spreaders and long nose pliers (you will need them), leave the fish alone when water temps are high (above 80) and they have a very hard time recovering, hold them correctly, and keep them in the water if you are going to photo them. They may look big and tough, but in reality, they aren't. It takes a long time to grow a 40" musky, and it would be a shame to see one go belly up over something thats avoidable.
I don't want to start an argument (though I probably will), but with all the interest in fly fishing for muskies, I think it needed to be said.