Show A B y tad kown g old cherished beliefs ore are worn like old school ties but the person who discards tradition will be a better belter fisherman claims bill wolf iconoclast among our modern outdoor writers if youre of the wet your hands before unhooking a small fish 1 school you had better go back to school the truth is that wet hands probably injure more hooked fish than any other factor except bait taken deep in the throat A wet hand increases the difficulty fi cu lt y 0 of f holdin holding g a fish the angler applies more pressure and is a apt p t to injure vital internal organs A dry hand helps hold a squirming fish with less pressure As part of an experiment conducted by the new mexico department part ment of fisheries to determine the chances of survival of undersized fish released after bein being g caught four anglers took then freed trout of that number only 4 43 43 3 per cent died sixty were caught on flies and wed were handled with care three died 51 were taken on barbed flies and no special care was used in removing them from the hook three died 60 were taken on bait and moderate a t e care was exe exercised r c f se d two died 61 were caught with bait and were allowed to lie in the sand and dirt a few minutes before removed from the hooks two died As a result of these experiments it was wa s assur assumed ried that released fish will survive under normal conditions if ave average rage care is exercised and no vital organ is injured |