If handled properly, fish have an excellent chance of survival after they are released.

• Play and release your fish as quickly as possible. A fish that is played to the point of exhaustion may not survive.
• When you're about to land the fish, avoid removing it from the water. Keep it in enough deep water to protect it.
• Do not let the fish flop in shallow water over rocks and never on dry land.
  Cradle the fish gently with two hands, one supporting the belly and the other just ahead of and underneath the tail section.
• Keep your fingers out of and away from the gills. Gills are delicate and full of blood vessels. Once a fish begins to bleed from his gills, it is likely to die.
• Pressure against a vital organ will often prove fatal.
• Use soft wet gloves or at least wet your hands before handling a fish.
• If you wish to photograph a fish, have a camera ready and take the picture quickly. Get someone else to take the picture or hold the fish. If possible, keep the fish in the water by cradling it or by keeping it in a net.
• Always try to remove the hook quickly and gently, keeping the fish underwater.
• Firmly grasp the hook with your fingers, or better yet a long-nosed pliers or hemostat, and roll or back the hook out of the fish's mouth.
• Never throw, drop or kick a fish back into the water. Cradle it gently, well behind the gills, and lower it back into the water.
• Revive a stream fish by pointing its head into the current until its gills are working and it maintains an upright position.