Do the released fish really survive?

In the last years in the Russian sport-fishing community the arguments between the supporters and opponents of the catch-and release fishing are becoming more intense.  Here I want present different opinions on the topic same as the true stories on the fish which were caught several times.

http://flyfishingrussia.com/articles/catch-and-release-taimen-salmon

Elgygytgyn Lake & Tugur River

Tugur taimen

Elgygytgyn Lake char

The articles of the Elgygytgyn Lake & Tugur River are posted at the blog 

http://flyfishingrussia.com/

Good size Siberian taimen with a fly, Tugur River, Russian Far East

In June 2010 I was lucky to participate in a float-trip in the Tugur River, which flows into the Sea of Okhotsk north from the Amur River.  Tugur is, I think, the best taimen river of the world.  Recently some fish over 40 kg were landed here.  The weather was rainy, and the water rather high and murky.

Regardless to non-favorable water conditions, I have landed a good size taimen: 137 cm (57") with 68 cm (27") girth.  Calculated weight - about 27 kg (60 pounds).  Tackle - 15' 10 weight rod, 15' sink tip, 0.42 mm tippet, 15 cm long "articulated" streamer.   

 

This is the fly

Sorry, no more details for now, I am going to Kamchatka!

One more trophy taimen

This trophy 40+ kg Siberian taimen was landed (gear, not fly, sorry) in October 2009 in the middle reaches of the Tugur River. The fish had probably a couple of chum salmon in its stomach. Taimen was released, so I can not tell it for sure. Chum salmon is numerous in Tugur; this is why there are so many big taimen in the stream - they have plenty of food. Some fish were observed moving behind a school of running salmon - exactly as a herder with a herd..

Tugur River - home of Siberian taimen

Siberian taimen in the Tugur River can be rather big. This healthy-looking fish was landed in September 2008.

The Tugur River basin is practically unpopulated (there is one small village near the river mouth), there are no roads (except winter roads). There is no mining and tree-cutting here too. There are 23 species of freshwater fishes in the river, including such numerous populations like chum, pink salmon, lenok and Siberian taimen.

Tugur River is flowing into the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk; its mouth is situated near the Shantar archipelago. The main source of the river is called Konin; it is rather slow forest-type stream with colored water & only few side-channels. Its main tributary, Munikan, is swift and has many log-jams. Below the confluence with the Assyni River the Konin River turns almost 180°. It’s direction is sharply changing from the southern to the north-eastern. Slow-flowing Konin becomes swift stream with numerous channels & log-jams. Only from this point the river has the "official" name Tugur.

Tugur below the confluence of the Konin R. with the Assyni R.

Upstream view to the confluence of the Konin R. (middle) & the Assyni R. (on the left).

The same confluence in big flood. Assyni R. is murky, and the dark water of the Konin R. is almost clear.

Huge unpassable log-jam at the Konin R. requires long portage through the dense forest...

129 cm taimen landed with a streamer in the evening (Konin R.)

My longest fish landed in the Tugur River (133 cm)

Oleg Abramov (oufitting firm "Krechet" from Khabarovsk) is happy - it was hard to land this 135 cm fish!

Taimen fishing, Bichi River (tributary to the Lower Amur River)

Bichi is 300 km long, it is left tributary to the great Amur River. The stream is famous by its trophy Siberian taimen.

Bichi River is rather slow, and has clear colored water.

Local fishermen use old-style spinning gear with thick mono line

The river has several log-jams, some of which exist for many years

Group of fishermen is doing portage around the unpassable log-jam This 16 kg taimen I have landed with a streamer (Articilated Leach type, see below)

The fish was caught for the edge of the upper jaw bone pierced by the hook

Black Articulated Leech (String Leech) on 2/0 or 3/0 hook is one of the most efficient flies for both taimen species, Siberian & sea-run

Articulated Sculpin is taimen fly based on the design of String Leech

Articulated Grayling - another fly with weighted head and big hook on a string

Articulated Mouse - surface fly with a hook in a loop of 7x7 steel tippet material. I have landed several taimen with this fly equipped with 3/0 Octopus hook. 37 kg taimen, caught in the Bichi River in October 2004 by Oleg Zakrzhevski