# Effect of cold air temp on fish



## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

This is from Deneki Outdoors blog. Thought I should share with everyone.

It might be cold out, but we hope thats not keeping you from getting after it this winter. Fly fishing in sub-zero temperatures might take a certain kind of crazy, but it can also be a lot of fun.

With that said, when the air temperature dips below freezing, special care should be taken when releasing fish. Many anglers are unaware that removing fish from the water in freezing temperatures can cause irreparable damage to soft tissues, namely gills and eyes.

Ever been surprised at how quickly your line and guides can freeze in the winter? Than you shouldnt be surprised at how quickly wet gill tissue can freeze when lifted out of the water.

So, get out and have some fun this winter, but please please please limit air exposure when releasing fish!




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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

use barbless hooks...and a landing net....don't need to remove from water or touch.....works good for me


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

It's so hard to cast into the hole in the ice from 30 feet though.


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

ducman491 said:


> It's so hard to cast into the hole in the ice from 30 feet though.


I like the skip and slide method. Works great with a weighted fly.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I fish for sunfish/bluegills in a local public pond a lot over winter, as conditions allow (ice). If you can get a line in the water, even if it's partially iced over, you can catch fish. One of my yearly goals that can be tough to achieve where I live is catch a fish on the fly every month of the calendar year in Ohio. I've only done it a few times. January/February are the toughest months for me because the ponds tend to be iced. The absolute best times to catch fish in the winter months, for me, is when we have a warm spell with a light rain. The pond I like to hit in winter gets clean water runoff during rain, so that warm light rain helps melt ice and I like to fish where that warm runoff flows into the pond. The fish tend to stack up right there, my assumptions are for food and water temps a tick or two higher on the thermometer. Fish small subsurface patterns deep and slow and you'll catch bluegills. Different soft hackle patterns produce really well for me in the winter months.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

wannabflyguy said:


> This is from Deneki Outdoors blog. Thought I should share with everyone.
> 
> With that said, when the air temperature dips below freezing, special care should be taken when releasing fish. Many anglers are unaware that removing fish from the water in freezing temperatures can cause irreparable damage to soft tissues, namely gills and eyes.
> 
> ...


 That's a great point, once a fishes gills ice up he's probably dead. Flymakers got the right idea, probably best not to lift any fish out of the water regardless of air temps.
My New Years resolution---No fish comes out of the water--- unless I'm eating it. 
Good-Luck and Good-Fishing


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

garhtr said:


> That's a great point, once a fishes gills ice up he's probably dead. Flymakers got the right idea, probably best not to lift any fish out of the water regardless of air temps.
> My New Years resolution---No fish comes out of the water--- unless I'm eating it.
> Good-Luck and Good-Fishing


That IS a great point! One that hadn't occurred to me before but I'll pay attention to that while ice fishing this season. 

I'm kind of glad I didn't catch anything last winter. ;-)


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

Its never really a good idea to handle any trout be it 40 degrees or 70 ....Trout have skin not scales ...the acids in your skin mess with theirs and can make them susceptible to disease ....I always land my trout with a net and unless I want a photo they don't come out of the water....a barbless hook and a pair of forceps works great ....a little twist and your done....If I must handle the fish it is with wet hands and I do it as fast as possible .... on warm water fish such as SM ...I'm not real concerned in handling but I don't lip them unless its needed to remove the hook....still barbless....still use a net.....I cant say Ive ever lost a fish to a barbless hook.....but I can say Ive seen barbs cut some big nasty holes ......pinch'um down the slight bump is good enough keep the line tight and its fish on and landed....and he will live to fight another day....I haven't killed a fish beside a few farm pond blue gill in 30yrs......So I'm pretty much a big proponent of catch and release....no trout or SM will see the inside of my grill or feel a knife. I like'um in the river ...............:B


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

It always amazes me that we can do this with trout:






But we can't touch them.


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

Ya I just saw them do something like this on North Woods law last night. they said something about how they are dropped high enough so that they go in nose end first. Still looks like a lot of fish would not survive though to me. Imagine if the guys flying the plane messed up the release timing slightly though D: all those poor fish would go splat on the forest floor


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I found this very interesting.
_Air time is bad. One study by R.A. Ferguson and B.L. Tufts looked at the amount of time a fish is exposed to air after caught, and discovered that every second literally counts. Fish that were exercised but released without being held out of the water had a survival rate of 88 percent. But with 30 seconds air exposure, that dropped to 62 percent, and at one minute, it was a mere 28 percent. Makes sense. Think about those numbers when you go to take that photograph of the big trout you just landed. Try to keep those shots to 10 seconds or less, if at all possible._
Here is the link if anyone is interested in reading the whole article.
Good-Luck and Good Fishing 

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/flytalk/2013/07/three-ways-help-catch-and-release-trout-survive


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## Ttrout (Jan 14, 2015)

Fish hate cold


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## Ttrout (Jan 14, 2015)

Go get them guys


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## Ttrout (Jan 14, 2015)

Fish eat bugs I hate bugs


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