New Videos on “How to Release Fish” Released

The Maine Professional Guides Association has developed a series of videos designed to demonstrate catch and release techniques; the press release is below. Much of the video was shot on a Maine Outdoors Family Fishing Trip last September and provides a really good view of that trip on an almost perfect early fall morning (it was really windy). These videos will be shown at various public events and can be found online at the Maine Professional Guides Association’s YouTube channel.

New Videos on “How to Release Fish” Released

The Maine Professional Guides Association and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have teamed up to put together a series of videos of catch and release techniques. This project is in response to the fact that, over the past few years, the catch and release ethic has increased significantly in the angling community but the knowledge needed to successfully release a fish alive has not grown at the same rate. These five videos, featuring Environmental Educator Emily MacCabe and ten year old fishing enthusiast Emily Douglas, are intended to teach anglers of all ages and experience levels the best fish handling practices for every step of a fishing trip.

•             “Gear and Tackle” provides a run-through of the basic gear that should be brought along on any fishing trip to ensure that fish are caught and released as simply as possible.

•             “Setting the Hook” illustrates the basic rod movements needed to catch the hook firmly in the fish’s mouth and ensure that it stays on the line.

•             “Playing and Landing a Fish” teaches how to successfully bring the fish on a line out of the lake and into a boat or onto the shore.

•             “Catch and Release a Fish” shows how to safely and ethically handle and release a fish, including how to remove the hook, how to properly hold a fish and support its weight, and how to gently release the fish back into the water.

•             “Keeping a Fish” demonstrates how to kill a fish, and outlines things to consider when deciding whether or not to keep a fish.

                The Maine Professional Guides Association is grateful for the support of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and LL Bean for this effort.