It’s a sunny hot Sunday afternoon and you are relaxing in your backyard by the pool. Just resting in the shade, enjoying a beverage, and minding your own business when you notice a bowl of peanuts on the table next to you.
“That will pair nicely with this beer,” you think as you reach to grab a handful, but as soon as you stick your hand in the bowl, out of nowhere comes a giant six-foot trout with a lasso who has looped your wrist.
Now your flight or fight response kicks in. You’re running around the backyard in the 90-degree heat trying to escape, drenched in sweat and exhausted.
Soon you collapse, worn out as the giant trout scoops you up in a net and dunks you in the pool. You can’t breathe, but you can see the trout is now taking photos of you, selfies and holding you up for all his fish friends to see.
As the world fades to black the last thing you see is a tape measure as the grinning trout measures you.
Absurd, sure, but this is basically what we anglers do to trout every time we catch them and remove them from their natural habitat in the water. Next time you take a fish out of the water to photograph it, hold your breath. When you get uncomfortable, you can rest assured the fish is also feeling discomfort.
It’s that time of the summer where fishing can stress already tired fish. Healthy trout need oxygen to survive and when streams heat up or water levels decline it could be time to take a break in the shade or AC.
Some states across the west have instituted fishing restrictions, often known as “hoot owl” restrictions based on the ban on fishing between noon and midnight. Check your local department of wildlife for the latest fishing regulations.
Reference guide on water temperatures and fishing
- Below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F)
- Fish away! Fish are healthy and ready to feed. You can fish with proper catch and release techniques.
- Between 65 – 68 degrees F
- Trout are feeling the heat. Land fish quickly and keep them in the water, skip photos and release ASAP.
- Above 68 degrees F
- Trout are feeling the burn. It’s too hot to safely fish at this temperature so cut them a break and wait until things cool down.
*Source: Colorado Trout Unlimited
