Wet your hands and keep the fish in the water Handling of the fish should be minimized
When necessary the fish should be supported from beneath and the hook gently removed either by hand or by means of long-nosed forceps or other approprate tool
If a hook is deeply embedded and cannot be removed, the leader should be cut close to the hook, as fish released with the hook attached will generally survive
Take extra care with loose scaled fish such as fresh run salmon, sea trout and some marine species. as they are more prone to scale loss, injury and subsequent fungal infection
Care must be taken not to squeeze the fish or hold it by the gills
Never suspend a fish, especially a large fish, by its tail or gill cover, always cradle or give adequate support to fish
Dan Clabby unhooking his fine trout, estimated well into double figures, and taken on opening day on Lower Lough Corrib, 15 Feb 2017
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