Fish release tool

iveofione

iveofione

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There are a number of quick release devices on the market and I would like to know which one is most highly recommended. I know the Ketchum Release model gets a lot of press but I am not sure it is the best choice. And as a guy that has built over 50 plastic injection molds in his career I am not convinced that $20 for a stick of molded plastic is a reasonable price. Maybe it is better at catching fishermen than releasing fish? I don't know.

But I would like to get something. My fishing buddies and I were on some lakes this year where we hooked over 100 fish between the three of us and it would be nice to have a tool that could release fish without having to handle them. I watched a guy Tenkara fishing on YouTube that was catching small fish up to about 11'' and he used a Ketchum quite effectively. But is it the best choice? You tell me....
 
iveofione said:
There are a number of quick release devices on the market and I would like to know which one is most highly recommended. I know the Ketchum Release model gets a lot of press but I am not sure it is the best choice. And as a guy that has built over 50 plastic injection molds in his career I am not convinced that $20 for a stick of molded plastic is a reasonable price. Maybe it is better at catching fishermen than releasing fish? I don't know.

But I would like to get something. My fishing buddies and I were on some lakes this year where we hooked over 100 fish between the three of us and it would be nice to have a tool that could release fish without having to handle them. I watched a guy Tenkara fishing on YouTube that was catching small fish up to about 11'' and he used a Ketchum quite effectively. But is it the best choice? You tell me....
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I have a plastic ketchum release and it works well. With one exception: the loop at the handle end broke off, so I had to drill a new hole for a cord to attach it to my vest. I am a little tempted by the metal version that Loon sells.
 
iveofione said:
.........I know the Ketchum Release model gets a lot of press but I am not sure it is the best choice. And as a guy that has built over 50 plastic injection molds in his career I am not convinced that $20 for a stick of molded plastic is a reasonable price. Maybe it is better at catching fishermen than releasing fish? I don't know...........
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I have released more Ketchum Tools than I care to admit. Haven't lost my surgeon's forceps...........yet
 
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After some more research the Loon tool made out of stainless appears to be the better product. It looks to be stronger and less prone to breakage, a common problem with Ketchum. It's loop is larger and will be easy to attach in different ways and the handle is more ergonomic. It's only a dollar cheaper but seems to be a better value.

I can't fault Lamson for their original design, it was good when they came out with it and it is still good. What I can fault them for is sitting on their ass for over 2 decades and not improving on the shortcomings of their original model. They amortized the cost of tooling decades ago and have been content to rest on their laurels and not develop the product further. It was overpriced to begin with, a stick of glass filled plastic should cost less than half of what they are charging. We await a more robust and fairly priced Mark II model....
 
iveofione said:
After some more research the Loon tool made out of stainless appears to be the better product. It looks to be stronger and less prone to breakage, a common problem with Ketchum. It's loop is larger and will be easy to attach in different ways and the handle is more ergonomic. It's only a dollar cheaper but seems to be a better value.

I can't fault Lamson for their original design, it was good when they came out with it and it is still good. What I can fault them for is sitting on their ass for over 2 decades and not improving on the shortcomings of their original model. They amortized the cost of tooling decades ago and have been content to rest on their laurels and not develop the product further. It was overpriced to begin with, a stick of glass filled plastic should cost less than half of what they are charging. We await a more robust and fairly priced Mark II model....
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A bicycle spoke like @G_Smolt shows stuck into a cork or piece of pine wood. Something Ivan could fashion very nicely and the cost? Pretty close to free if you pick up a spoke on one of your jaunts to the big city. I made a couple out of coat hangers on a BC trip using green willow sticks. My pine release tool FLOATS unlike the $19 and $20 units.
IMG_5755.jpg

(A commercial unit I've had for years ----^) (it floats)

P6190023.JPG
 
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After using several such devices I've come to prefer one of the Loon forceps that also incorporate scissor blades behind the forcep tips...that way I can instantly nip off the tippet close to the fly if a deeply taken fly looks like it would be a difficult and time wasting failed extraction.

I keep the forceps attached to my PFD with a long zinger...'cause Loon scissor forceps ain't cheap.
 
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I used to use a Ketchum release and didn’t even own a net. It worked but I now believe that a net is best for the fish. When using a release tool the fish have to be played out a bit more and tend to thrash around and sometimes break off with your fly too. Typically they seem to calm right down in a net and be easily unhooked and released without handling them.
I also think that while the Ketchum release works great for good sized fish they are hard to use on smaller fish which don’t have weight to them
 
RichS said:
I used to use a Ketchum release and didn’t even own a net. It worked but I now believe that a net is best for the fish. When using a release tool the fish have to be played out a bit more and tend to thrash around and sometimes break off with your fly too. Typically they seem to calm right down in a net and be easily unhooked and released without handling them.
I also think that while the Ketchum release works great for good sized fish they are hard to use on smaller fish which don’t have weight to them
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I agree. I can get them in the net and onto my lap in the kayak while there's still plenty of life in them...they generally settle down and I can see what I'm doing without handling them.

It's also quite common for the fly to become dislodged once the fish is netted, and a light colored net makes it very easy to spot that the fish is no longer hooked (the freed fly stands out well against the light contrast) and get it back into the water ASAP while still netted and better able to make sure it's revived before release.
 
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Another Ketchum release fan. Awesome when fishing pinks, grab leader while knee deep, slide tool down to fly, push, pink is gone. I attached an old oversized spin n glo to the tool for flotation. Yes it is overpriced!
 
Will the tool work on smaller pan fish (perch, bluegill).? Unfortunately they get deep hooked..
 
Wetswinger said:
Will the tool work on smaller pan fish (perch, bluegill).? Unfortunately they get deep hooked..
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Unless they are very deeply hooked, yes. They take flies so deep and their mouths are so small that even my fishing pliers sometimes don't work. Narrow forceps would work, though.
 
I tried using the ketchum release tool over two seasons and they just didn't work well for me. But I admit I can be a spaz at times. I have success using a net and the fulling mills jig hooks for most of flies. Falls right out, turn net over, gone. When that doesn't work I like curved forceps.
 
Ketchum release works great. Don't have one anymore but my pinched barbs work great too!
 
Here’s a video I recall one of the competition guys making about them. Reducing fly damage seems to be a consideration, not just releasing fish faster. I lost my last mop fly to hemostat usage last weekend, so I’m going to give one a try. I ordered the Loon one.

 
I have curved forceps and have made simple release tools out of a toothbrush,

and a bent brass cup screw hook into an overlapping loop on a dowel handle kinda like this

that have all worked. Then Mrs Brian gave me a KRT as a Christmas gift.
Tom Butler said:
I tried using the ketchum release tool over two seasons and they just didn't work well for me. But I admit I can be a spaz at times. I have success using a net and the fulling mills jig hooks for most of flies. Falls right out, turn net over, gone. When that doesn't work I like curved forceps.
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^^^
This.
Thanks for the video Jared. I am going to give the KRT a little more time, but may wind uo donating it as a raffle item for the Fly Club.
 
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