Let´s say that you are out fishing and you are catching some fish that you want to keep. What is the first thing that you do with the fish? And how about those smaller fish or the ones that you don´t feel like keeping? Well, here are som tips on what you should do and what to think about when handeling fish.
Fish that are “going in the box” for dinner should first of all be handled quickly and in a humane way.
1. After landing the fish you make the decision to keep or release the fish. If you decide to keep it the best way to kill the the fish is by giving it a solid knock on the head and then cut it´s throat. By doing it this way you make it less painfull and less stressfull for the fish. It is very important to let the fish bleed out, since that will give you far much better quality of the meat.
2. Another thing to have in mind is to always keep the fish cool ( not in direct sunlight )
3. Gut the fish shortly after catching it.
Fish that are to be released after landing should be handled with respect and without unnecessary time out of the water.
1. Land the fish in a way that suits the size and species of the fish, by hand or net. For halibut we recommend the flying gaff ( the big hook on a rope )
2. Wet your hands before touching the fish and always support it´s belly.
3. Really big fish like cod over 10 kg or halibut over 1 meter that you wish to put back are best of when left in the surface. Since no fish is made for lifting it is important to understand that: the bigger the fish, the higher the risk of causing it harm when you lift it out of the water.
4. Bring pliers to make it easier to take the hook out. ( it can be hard to do it with just your hands sometimes )
We hope that you have some use for these tips during your next visit to Norway!