Orvis Endorsed

Not trying to start anything but when you hold a fish with your hand/fingers in its gills, you can damage them. The effects might not be immediate, and they may swim away fine, but may die later. Your fishing buddy perfectly demonstrated the proper way to handle a fish before release, by tailing it and supporting the midsection with his other hand. It also makes for a better picture, IMO. The MI DNR fishing guide suggests the following for releasing fish: Keep your fingers out of the fish's gills since a torn gill could cause the fish to bleed to death. Good luck!

d00d...you may also want to hold the fish like your milt-covered buddy...tail them and cradle your other hand under them, rather than jamming your hand up their gills. Unless you are going to string the fish up (which I hope you didn't do with these nasty fish), shoving your hand up their gills will do them NO good if you are releasing them. Their gills are their lungs, and are easily damaged, rendering them useless and resulting in the ultimate death of the fish. Best of luck in the future!

You also might want suggest to your buddy to wipe the milt off his waders before each picture:lol:...those fish must have been really excited.

Nice looking browns! Always seems to be a few really nice resident trout in that stretch. Quite possibly the ugliest and nastiest looking steelhead I have ever seen...surprised they are still in there.