OK, this is NOT a technical piece on the intricacies of lighting, F-stops, and exposure.

As the native steelhead season goes into full swing, I just wanted to highlight some pointers on taking C&R fish pics that will keep would-be posters from getting into flame wars if they decide to share with the rest of the board. I will try to include examples of good technique, and purposely avoid re-posting bad examples because the guys that originally posted them typically got a thorough flaming the first time around.


1) Keep that camera handy (worn by a neckstrap, tucked in shirt/jacket pocket) where it's EASILY accessible, especially for all you young bucks that like to fish your zippers alone. That way you won't be fumbling for an eternity while your freshly landed nate is gasping from fatigue. Besides, a camera that is too securely tucked away stands little chance of on-the-water use.

2) Ask yourself, "Is it worth taking the pic?" If conditions pose either a danger to you or the fish in order to get that hero shot.... PASS! It's just not worth it... especially when you are fishing alone. It's very tempting to drag a fish high into the shallows (or heaven forbid, right up onto the gravel) so that it doesn't swim off while you struggle to get the shot composed. Don't worry, in due time a better opportunity will come to get that perfect shot.

3) If you must drag a fish into the shallows, don't slide it any higher up the bank than there is water to support the fish. If at all possible, choose an area with some clean flow, not a muddy bank. The fish is stressed, and it needs clean well-oxygenated water.... not a trip to a mud pit. Besides, muddy water in the background detracts from the natural beauty of the fish and makes for a less than stellar photo.


4) Keep that fish in the water! Not sure about Oregon, but here in WA you can't legally lift a fish completely out of the water (no Sparkey flames, please). I know many of you will do it anyway, based on your "better" judgment, and that's fine... just be prepared to deal with the consequences if you get popped afield or post a pic on the board.




5) If you feel compelled to lift a fish, just keep a few things in mind. Don't heft it by the gills for obvious reasons. Similarly, don't "tail" it and heft it out of the water by the "wrist" in the vanquished-vertical-hang-down pose like all the Atlantic salmon dudes are so prone to do. You will cause serious damage to nerves and blood vessels along the spine as all the vertebrae go pop-pop-pop.

Think about where you are lifting the fish and what might happen if you inadvertently drop it. Over water versus over rocks/boat deck makes a HUGE difference in how hard the landing will be, as does dropping from a few inches versus 4-5 feet high. Capiche?




The fish is stressed and needs oxygen.... that means minimizing "air-time" to no more than a few seconds at a time. The average guy is notorious for under-estimating how long a fish has been held out of water, especially while they pose there waiting for their buddy to figure out how the hell to work the camera, then cluelessly smiling between shots while waiting for the flash to re-charge. Remember the fish is suffocating the entire time.... and that's immediately after it's just run the equivalent of a 3 minute mile!

Keep the fish's head in the water until the very instant the photographer is ready to snap the pic. (And yes, this applies to the fish-in-the-water shot as well). Then it's just a simple matter of lift and click. If the flash needs time to re-charge or you need to re-compose the shot, simply drop the fish's head back into the water while you are waiting so it has a little time to "re-charge" it's oxygen supply too.



In the end the picture tells all!

If the fish has "drip-dried" and lost the mirror-like sheen of it's slime-coat, you've held it out of the water WAY too long. You've all seen this kind of pic.... broken, irregular reflections off the slime-coat, revealing the countour of every last scale on the fish..... not a single drip falling from the fin tips. It's the typical dead-on-the-meat-hook shot.

You know you're in the ballpark for acceptable "air-time" when water is still dripping/flowing from it's head/belly/fins or from your hands.... the more the better.


Dripping:


Flowing:


Now get out there with that digi-cam, and bring it on home.

Looking forward to an awesome pic parade over the next couple months!

And yes.... I realize there are two pics in that last post that are NOT steelhead. They just happened to be great examples of the points I was trying to make.

Thanks.

I couldn't agree more with your tips. Too many times I have witnessed CnR by others that is ridiculous just for them to get a pic.
That time on the Wynoochee...the Satsop...and heaven forbid a 'S' river last week.

thanks for sharing in details for others to learn.

Doc,

Excellant tips.

BTW the IFish photos are not coming through on my end. Did Bob mention before that they won't upload on this site?

Very good tips for this time of year. These are the greatest fish in the world, and therefore need to be treated so.

In most cases when fishing alone, it is NOT worth the pic. Pics of fish laying on the gravel with your boots in the picture are lame.

There are ways of taking good pics =) Snap it one handed while it is laying in the water... =) Anyways, FnP, At this current time, it is not illegal to remove a fish from the water on any river with wild steelhead retention, not condoning it, just simply a slight correction =)

Good tips Doc.....although I could use some tips on lighting, F-stops, and exposure. Photos should always be taken WHILE reviving the fish.

I was lucky enough to catch fish every day this week (except for today ) but I only busted the camera out one time for fish pictures. Most times the situation does not allow for it while fishing alone.

Ike

Is anybody else having this problem?

They show up fine on my screen.

ADDENDUM:
OK, I just tried logging in using Internet Explorer and the pics from the Ifish board do not show up. When I am logged in using NetScape, they show up just fine... go figure.

Excellent tips Doc!

The IFish pics don't show up for me either but when I printed your post out, to be placed on the db and referanced later, the pics printed out fine. Go figure?

Guilty just yesterday:


An example of a poorly composed photo with the mud, rod, net and oar tip all distracting from a nice bright buck. The pics poorly composed mainly because I wanted to get the buck into clean water ASAP and thus was not able to properly set up a good pic. In retrospect I should of cut him loose in deep fast water without the net. Fortunately he did bolt strongly away moments later .

Agreed wholeheartedly! Mainly because in order to take a picture when alone you have to fight the fish to complete exaustion. When alone, once confirmed it's not a hatchery hen full of eggs, I usually just lower my rod tip and let the barbless hook fall free and then watch them meander away!

I would add though that your comment would also apply to when fishing from a boat as my above example would suggest.

Thanks Doc.
I've tried to drasticly improve my Photo/C&R techniques over the last year thanks to the constructive criticizim of some of the guys here.
I think Bob should "Stick" this thread to the top of the board.
Thanks again!

Great post Doc. I'm on IE and this post is missing pics but the Ifish post comes in fine. I blame Bob.

Great post and great pics.

Great post Doc!

Doc,
Great post!!! Those pics are super sharp!!! Are those pics from the Optio, if so res setting? Also, the first two pics were they resized, they are killer pics. Leave it to an eye doc to know all the right camera angles.
Winterun

Doc, is that steelhead, the one that started out to be a little one, then changed into a spawner, then grew into that nice chormer by the time you got it in???

F5, Isn't that the way it works? It's a tiny spawner when you hook it, by the time you fight it, it's not bad... Then as you land it, it turns chrome (How the stories change as tiem progresses =) And by the time you have a chance to brag it up, it was a world record chrome bright hen... That went 54 x 32.5 and you let it go without a pic =)

Nice.

The pic of that particular steelhead is on the other "jiggy" thread. And for the record, yes, when I first hooked that thing, it just kind of did the rolly headshake thing in one place as it flashed in the clear water. All I could really see was the flash in the water so I'm thinkin' small hen, maybe 4-6 pounds, probabaly hatchery. Oh yeah dinner for the guy letting us take out on his private property!

Well maybe not. Gee, looks kind of lean... maybe a re-bright spawner hen, but still haven't got a good look at it right on the surface.

OK, when it finally comes up we see a fin, then we see it's a little bigger than we first thought as it screams upriver. Man oh man, a brand new platinum native buck!

When it comes to hand, it's a solid 8-9 pounds or better, snow white belly, crystal clear fins, brighter than a newly minted silver dollar! Shocked that it wasn't covered in sea lice. Just wish we got a better pic because although it was no world record, it really was a gorgeous wild steelhead!

Can't wait to do it again!

Based on my respect for the pics that Doc takes, I feel blessed that he chose a pic I took as an example of how to do it...thanks!

Good post, and with native season really stepping up upon us now, it's a good primer not only for the new photographer/fisherman out there, but a good reminder for us seasoned veterans, as well...

I don't know about the rest of you, but after many more than my fair share of beautiful wild fish, I still get giddy as a school kid every time one comes to hand...it pays to be quick, but methodical and deliberate, when it comes to taking pics of those fish.

Rule of thumb? While a great photo to remember the fish and the battle is nice, the well-being of the fish that gave you the battle comes first.

Being prepared for both a good release and a good pic is the cornerstone of memories and spawning natives!

Fish on...

Todd