#CPRsavesfish

What's this all about?
CPR saves fish is a campaign to highlight angling and the importance of conservation. The hashtag #CPRsavesfish has been placed across a number of bridges and high footfall locations across the country to engage the public around the pursuit of conservation focused angling. ‘CPR’ stands for ‘Catch, Photo, Release’ and refers to a method of angling where a fish is caught and subsequently returned unharmed back into the water. This angling technique is proven to contribute to the maintenance of healthy fish stocks and ensures future generations can continue to enjoy the recreational and economic benefits of the fisheries resource.

WHY CATCH PHOTO RELEASE

#CPRsavesfish
No matter what species you fish for Catch and Release plays an important role. Careful handling and release is just as important when returning undersize fish as when you adopt a no kill approach to angling.
Playing the Fish
Playing the Fish Playing a fish in the following way will help its...
Removing the Hook
Removing the Hook Wet your hands and keep the fish in the water...
Release and Revive
Release and Revive Once the hook is out, a quick photo has been...
Photograph your catch
Photograph your catch If you must have a photo of your catch, why...
Landing your fish
Landing your fish Research has shown that limiting your fishes exposure to air...
Fishing tackle
Fishing tackle The angling method used can have a significant bearing on...

Catch, Photo, Release

Best practice and how to
18 Jul2017
It came from the deeps – releasing gassed up fish Often deep trolled fish come up experiencing a version of the bends, or barotrauma. This happens when the fish is brought to the surface faster than its body and swim bladder can adjust resulting in the fishing getting "gassed up".  The body can be visibly bloated and sometimes the swim bladder might be visible in…
12 Jul2017
Catch and release for coarse fish Coarse anglers have been catch and and releasing their catch for over 100 years. Their members have innovated a number of tools for making unhooking fish easier and safer for fish. [caption id="attachment_384" align="alignnone" width="432"] Caught, Photo'd, Ready for release[/caption] With coarse fish all the normal advice applies, appropriate rod and reel to avoid exhausting…
12 Jul2017
Catch and release for sharks, skates and rays In Ireland it is rare for anglers to kill sharks, skates are protected by law and may not be killed, and most rays are voluntarily released. Use barbless or circle hooks for easier release of sharks, skates and rays. Don't use stainless steel hooks. Use the right rear so you can play the fish quickly…
12 Jul2017
Catch and release for trout Most fisheries have a bag limit that reflects the angling pressure that the fishery can sustain. However, where this is not specified anglers are requested to exercise constraint. Please consider ‘catch and release’ to ensure for the future of the sport. Even where a limit offers the opportunity to take as many as four trout…
12 Jul2017
Catch and release for pike In brief; when landed (large knotless mesh nets), the fish should be laid flat preferably on a protective mat and the hooks removed with a suitable tool such as long handled artery forceps or a long nosed pliers. Anglers may find it useful to wear protective gloves. Sometimes it can be easier to release the…
12 Jul2017
Catch and Release for Atlantic salmon In addition to mandatory catch and release for all salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40 cm) in those rivers set out here, anglers can play an important part in the protection of future stocks by returning salmon in rivers where insufficient salmon are surviving to spawn. The practice of catch and release has been…

Live Release of Wild Atlantic Salmon

Best practice guidelines
This video offers anglers the opportunity to watch good live release technique and offers clear advice in a variety of situations.

SPREADING THE #CPRSAVESFISH MESSAGE

IT'S OUT THERE

First Casts

HOW TO GET STARTED IN FISHING
If you are interested in getting started in fishing but didn't know where to start, you're in luck. Getting started in fishing can be as easy as taking a trip to a friendly fishery or visiting your local tackle shop
Guides and Instructors
Charter fishing
Angling clubs
Stocked fisheries
Seek further guidance

Professional help is at hand for those who want to make the most of a learning experience. Angling guides and casting instructors are invaluable to beginner anglers. They help to take a lot of frustration out of the early days for the novice – fast tracking the important fish catch part while giving plenty of tips and pointers on techniques and tactics. Everyone should take at least one day out with a guide or instructor…

And yes. We have an island wide list of these guys and gals too: http://fishinginireland.info/guides/index.htm

Seek further guidance
Hop aboard and try your luck

There are over 100 fishing charter boats at ports all the way from Louth, to Wexford across the south coast to Kerry and all the way up to Donegal. Many organise short charters or evening trips that are perfect for small groups or individual who want give angling a go. Most of our charter skipper are cheery types only too happy to advise and help a novice angler. The only catch here is that they are all based on the coast…

Find a charter boat: http://fishinginireland.info/tackleshops/index.htm

Hop aboard and try your luck
Join the club

There are literally hundreds of fishing clubs all over this green and rainy island. No matter if you are interested in pike, coarse, trout, salmon or sea you’ll find a club to suit you. There are far too many to list here but what we can do is point you to the federations and associations that the clubs belong to. Get in touch with them and they’ll tell you where your nearest angling club is…

Join the club
Jump in a lake

OK. Not really. But you could call into a stocked lake and say hello. Most of the stocked lakes have fishing gear for hire and fish willing to be caught. Just for you. There is a good distribution of stocked or “put and take” fisheries across Ireland. Some have rainbow trout, other coarse fish like bream, rudd, tench and carp. Other have a mix of the two (or five, but who’s counting?).

We have a good listing of the stocked lakes around Ireland here: http://fishinginireland.info/trout/putandtake.htm

Jump in a lake