What about the fish grip?
Before discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the landing net and the hand grip, we need to look at another solution, the fish grip.
In my opinion, this tool should be avoided for a large number of species as it tends to damage or even pierce the carnivore's jaw and leads to poor handling. However, for species with really sharp teeth, such asaimara, it can be an acceptable tool if you don't feel capable of catching by the gills, for example.
The sporting side
Some will say that, from a sporting point of view, the obvious thing to do is to catch the fish by hand, and that there's nothing more intense than keeping the suspense going right to the end and finishing the fight "mano à mano". But it's just as acceptable to think that shortening the fight and, above all, making sure that the fish doesn't break the line or leave with a hook in the last few seconds, also has an ethical dimension to it.
On the other hand, certain species, such as trout, which have the unfortunate tendency to stall easily and make numerous candles, require a landing net to avoid maximum losses.
Safety
The landing net is clearly a safe tool for the angler as it avoids a maximum of injuries from fish teeth, gills or spines, but what about the latter? When a pike has a jerkbait across its mouth with one or two trebles sticking out, hangs in the mesh and struggles, the risk of injury is not zero.
The footprint
When you're an itinerant angler, the landing net is clearly a cumbersome tool whose meshes get caught in branches and brambles. From the shore, for my part, it's an accessory I've done away with for good, even for trout.
A single option for certain species
Hand-catching is a skill you need to learn and master because, while it may be the only option for some species such as catfish, it is above all an opportunity to learn how to handle your catch correctly and keep it safe for your photo shoots and release. Indeed, if your movements are approximate, feverish or even totally unsuitable, falls are common and spinal torsion can also occur.
I therefore recommend, although it's not systematic, that you learn to grab your fish by hand and master the various possible holds.
The different plugs
There are several ways to grasp a fish by hand. The choice depends on the species' morphology, but also on various physical attributes, such as the size of its mouth, the presence or absence of scales and the dangerousness of its teeth.
What all these methods have in common is that you need to proceed delicately, then maintain a firm grip so as not to let go, while keeping your wrist supple enough to cushion and accompany your movements.
One of the most versatile holds, and one that adapts to the vast majority of large species, is the gill hold. You need to slide your fingers inside a gill, avoiding touching the gills, and place your thumb flat underneath, along the operculum.
For species such as bass, catfish, perch or black bass, we recommend a mouth hold with the thumb inside the mouth and the other fingers under the lower jaw. For catfish, the grip can be reversed and the fish held like a "suitcase handle".
In the case of large salmonids, but in reality this is possible for a large number of species, the tail is gripped. By squeezing firmly upstream of the tail, it acts as a stop.
Finally, you can also grab the fish by the nape of the neck, just behind the head. While the effect of this grip is to paralyze the fish and prevent it from moving, too firm a hold can be too violent and injure it. It is therefore preferable to use another method whenever possible.
