3 minute read
Ebb & Flow - Getting Slimed
Getting Slimed
By Trey Leggett
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"Go fishing,” they said.
“You’ll have a blast,” they said.
So I did, and I’ve been in love with fishing ever since I was a kid. The only inconvenience that has bugged me over the years is getting fish slime on my hands and clothing after wrangling in a fish. I adapted just like all anglers have and keep a hand towel close by to clean my hands off. If the fish were big enough to keep, they went into the Engel cooler and if they weren’t, they went back to the water to grow up. Seemed like I was doing the right things to enjoy fish at mealtime and do my part at conservation. What little did I know.
As I grew older, I began to learn more about the fish I was targeting. Their habitats, what they ate, how they pursued their prey, their reproduction and their behaviors were all important to me in my quest to understand them and have more successful fishing trips.
What I failed to learn until a few short years ago was the biological makeup of fish. Of course, when I was young, I was always told not to touch the gills of fish because that was how they breath, but I didn’t understand how the gills worked. Studying the basic biology of fish led to learning about their slime coat and how vital it is to keeping fish healthy.
Just about every species of fish in fresh and saltwater have a slime coating. Some fish have very little slime and it’s barely noticeable, but some fish have so much it’s like something out of a horror film. Fish slime is produced when proteins secreted through the skin interact with the water. Fish slime has various advantages for the normal function, health, and protection of fish. Some fish have slime that acts as a defense for them and still others use their slime as an offensive weapon.
Slime helps fish move through the water with ease, much like our vehicles or boats after they’ve received a good wax job or a new coat of bottom paint. It also protects fish from ectoparasites and bacteria. Fish slime is also believed to aid a fish in healing after receiving a skin injury. I know that many of us have joked around about putting fish slime on a cut finger or sunburn to help the healing process, and there may be some truth in it, though I don’t recommend you try this at home! Fish rely on their slime coat to help their bodies regulate sodium content and the release of gases in their bodies. Some fish have slime that can immobilize their prey or have toxins in their slime to protect them from predators.
For at least the past decade, fishermen have been changing their habits in handling fish in order to preserve this slime coat. Fish landing nets have morphed into rubber coated net baskets to protect the fish. Anglers have been wetting their hands prior to handling fish, and some anglers use lip grippers or refuse to remove the fish from the water unless it’s going into the fish cooler.
It may seem like a little thing, but fish have a better chance of survival after being caught if the angler is more knowledgeable about them and careful in the way fish are handled.
The next time you get slimed maybe you’ll remember that slime
Austin Leggett with a slot red. Photo by Trey Leggett
Trey's son, Austin Leggett, with a slimy speckled trout. Photo by Trey Leggett
is a protective barrier to benefit the daily activities and protection of fish. On that note, don’t neglect your own protective barrier that protects you from disease and infection, as well as enables you to perform your daily activities … your skin. Our skin is a durable living structure that needs care to function properly. Use 50 SPF sunscreen, wear a cap or hat, wear a long sleeved shirt and pants and whatever else you need to do to protect yourself from extended periods in the sunlight and harsh elements.
Stay safe and tight lines.
Trey fishes for Hobie Polarized Sunglasses and ENGEL Coolers. Email: info@southerntidesmagazine.com
