Splashed some water on the surface before bringing it up. There was no opportunity for it to freeze down in the few seconds it was at the surface. One can see the meniscus along its back and tail, and it's still doing quite well. Temps were not 30 below or anything near that.
I once retained a nice cutthroat for mounting purposes with instructions to remove the slime before freezing to help with color preservation. Has anyone ever tried to absolutely clean all the slime off a fish? Even with corn meal, dry soil, and a roll of paper towels it's a very difficult task.
We see fish fighting, skidding themselves through shallows, jumping rapids, bouncing off rocks and the shore, and many carrying net marks and seal bites, and they do quite well. A lot tougher than most folks think. Have had a few aquarium fish spend 15 to 20 minutes on the floor. Throw them back in looking like a ball of lint and they did just fine.
Some suggest the act of just touching a fish results in a death sentence. If they are that sensitive, they're not meant to live anyway.
The most mortality I see among sport fish is a product of wearing them out in warm surface water and not putting much effort into their revival.
Last edited by 1minute; 03/31/19.
