Catch & release only
Announcement
Kengs Bruk fly fishing lodge will be a catch & release lodge in 2024
Why do we fish? To get the experience or to eat fish?
One of the most common questions we get at the lodge is; “Can I keep the fish if I catch one?”
The answer has been yes the past seasons, but it will change in 2024. But let's scroll back a bit.
Hunters
In some way we are all hunters and used to be hunters. To go out, catch or hunt your food and bring it to the table is something special for many of us growing up in hunting culture. It is with great satisfaction that you can provide your family or friends with food. Instead of going to the cooler in the supermarket and buying something that you don't really know where its coming from. If we look at salmon at the supermarkets it is not good to eat in any way.
We understand that hunting culture, but to bring home a fish from Kengis Bruk does not make sense according to us. Most guests fly up to visit us and most of our guests have a quite long journey home. After 10-15-20 hrs travel time the fish is not worth eating.
So in 2024 you need to try something else around the fire on the riverbank and we have some good ideas for something else that could fulfill the “hunting” feeling.
The situation
If we take a look at the situation around the Baltic salmon it was not a good 2023 season. In order to keep doing what we love; To catch big Baltic salmon, we need to take responsibility. And that is why Kengis Bruk will practice only catch & release in 2024. Together we need to do our best to protect the stock of Baltic salmon and let the fish go back into the river. We are helping the river's ecosystem and the chance for more fish spawning.
C&R
Studies show that if you practice catch and release the right way there are high chances that the fish will survive and it will continue to the spawning grounds and reproduce.
Remember:
Fight the fish hard
Use a wet net when you land the fish
Keep the fish wet
Limit the time with the fish to a minimum
Use a plier when removing the hook
Don’t push the organs of the fish when moving it
Feel when the fish is ready to go, to make sure it’s fresh to swim away
Is this something new
Yes and no. It is new that we announce it and make a statement in order to protect the Baltic salmon, but over the past season we have had a catch & release rate around 95-98% and that last percentage has been fish that were either sick or heavily bleeding. We will have that in mind for 2024 also, so we don't release a dying fish.
We hope that you will support the Baltic salmon in 2024, so that we all can take our responsibility and together bring back to fantastic fishing that we know our big rivers can deliver.
Thank you for your time and your understanding.
Aslak Lund - Lodge manager
Photos: Ted, Aslak & Mika
