• use barbless hooks and hooks with fewer points (doubles are better than trebles, singles better than doubles)

• avoid worming (and the resultant danger of deep hooking)

• play the fish quickly, do not completely tire it out

• if you can, do not use a net, beach a fish or get hold of it, just reach down and remove the hook while the fish is still in the water, preferably using pliers (particularly if you are using a double or treble hook)

• wet your hands before touching a fish - and wet your net thoroughly before using it 

• minimise the time the fish spends out of water.

• do not put the fish down on anything dry/abrasive (gravel, brambles, etc)

• put the fish back in the water gently, do not drop it in from the top of a bank (if you cannot reach, put the fish back in your net and return it that way)

• if a fish turns over on being returned, right it, point its head into the current and keep it upright until is it strong enough to swim off

• in light of the previous point, try to return your fish in a place where you can help the fish if it is too tired to swim off immediately

• first, think whether you really need a photo? Delay in returning fish decreases their chances of survival significantly

• consider taking the photo with the fish in the shallows, without removing the fish from the water (to minimise handling the fish); avoid keeping it in shallows where it might damage itself

• if you do remove the fish from water 

◦ get everything ready first and remove the fish for the shortest possible time

◦ wet your hands before touching the fish

◦ do not squeeze the fish, particularly on or behind its gills or over its guts - it is easy to inadvertently squeeze a fish too firmly

◦ do one photo, not multiple poses