It would seem that more and more people are indeed talking about the benefits of C&R and are practicing it to a certain degree. There is also a strong army of new age anglers practicing C&R full-time and would never even think to keep a Murray Cod, no matter what size. It is all these caring anglers whom are practicing C&R, wether full-time or not are in fact the pioneers of a new era of recreational angling and are contributing to the sustainability of the Murray Cod. But more importantly they are leading by example and will be the mentors for all future anglers to come. The C&R methodology is in fact quite catchy and many anglers get a great kick out of it when releasing a fish that would normally been destined for the kitchen table.

      Wanting to becoming a C&R angler is a great thing but it can only be worth doing if it is done properly with the health and the care of the fish in mind. There are a number of ways to perform this well and it's all about releasing your catch (no matter what size) back into the water in the best possible condition that an angler can. With a little guidance, a few tools and a little experience, you will find that learning C&R techniques will not take long at all.

      As good as C&R is for the betterment of our fish stocks, it pure and simply is not a guarantee that all your fish will swim away in tip top shape every time. You will find this particularly true with both large and small fish. Small fish will suffer understandably from an uncaring retrieve and inconsiderate handling and all manner of other reasons simply due to the small size. The smaller the fish the more careful you will need to be. The same is to be said when big fish are involved as the bigger they are the more careful you need to be as just by their sheer weight makes them extremely difficult to handle.

      Bigger fish will be more susceptible to not surviving the capture as they can fight hard and long if not brought into the net early using adequate gear. If a fish is left to fight for a longer period than necessary it will build up the lactic acid to very dangerous levels giving it less chance to recover. Their internal air bladder also poses a problem as well which impedes the fish from swimming and tends to keep the fish afloat unable to dive.

Old pictures like these hopefully will be a thing of the past.

     This all sounds quite daunting and although it's a very real problem it actually does not happen all that often and if cared for correctly you may be lucky enough not to experience it. The big unknown is, do our released fish survive after they seem to swim off healthy? Good question. The reality is, we don't really know but it's heartening not to hear a lot of stories of floating fish in our rivers. These occurrences seem few and far between so one would surmise that the greater majority do survive. There has been many reports of the same fish being caught more than once and from the same location. If this becomes the norm then there is no doubt that the benefits of catch and release fishing is a worthwhile cause.

      It's better to do something that you feel is right rather than not do it because a minority say it doesn't work. Get into catch & release fishing, be part of the next generation of caring anglers hoping to contribute to the sustainability of our fisheries and also leave a healthy recreational fishery for the next generation to come. This does not mean an angler can not take a feed of fish home as long the recreational fishing rules for the area you are fishing are followed and only take what you need. Limit your catch, not catch your limit.

      But most of all enjoy your fishing and treat your catch humanely.