Esimating weight when C&R

[ant0]

It's been years since I've kept any fish and so years since I've actually weighed what I've caught. 

Oddly enough I'm told by others I always underestimate my fish and do them an injustice, likely as I don't want to be embarrassed by overestimating and showing someone a photo who then says it's only half the weight I claimed and thinks I'm a chancing buffoon.   Not that I'm all that fussed as it's the catching I enjoy big or small (and most tend to be small!).

This applies to wild brownies and on my visits to the one fishery I still visit for rainbows sometimes.

For brownies I tend to figure out the length based on the fish against the next or rod and then use the Durham Fly Fishing length/condition/weight PDF chart thing (as good as any method), rainbows I just guestimate.

Anyway, given you guys are the font of all knowledge?! I'm looking for a reality check and help future guesstimates.
What's your estimate on this one I caught yesterday - based on net it's pushing 17.5-18"
I guessed 1-1.5lb on the bank but then on looking at the Durham chart it seems to say 2lb

[attachimg=1]

Cheers
Anthony.

[ant0]

And this is the chart
Realistic or not ??

[attachimg=1]

[corsican dave]

like you i tend to underestimate. the last fish we actually weighed was Ali's 2 3/4lb-er from Scourie a couple of years back. we'd kinda' looked at it and said "definitely a pound & a half, possibly 2", so it was interesting to see the actual weight. the previous year she'd caught one significantly bigger that we hadn't weighed.  they gave her 3 1/4 from the photos.

the Durham chart seems to be pretty good, but i think you need to be brutally honest as far as condition goes. i've had quite a few 20"+ fish this season (honest!), but certainly up until a week or so ago (when they'd fattened up considerably) it would have been a bit of a stretch to claim they were over 2lb

[ant0]

Cheers Dave, so... what would your take on the pictured troot be in terms of condition?
POOR / SLIM / NORM / GOOD / FAT ?

Presented with this range I'd take it as NORM as its not GOOD or FAT, but I'd not say slim in the context of this 5 option chart, but I may be wrong and you and others would say slim? - which is why I'm posting to try and reset/correct my 'internal calibrator' of size size/condition/weight  :lol:


PS: Finally got the knack of the bloody pac net folding!

[corsican dave]

slim to norm? but to be honest i'd have to be looking at it in vivo. if it's nice and firm throughout i'd certainly give it norm.

i'll borrow Ali's scales (i never carry them) and try and do some calibration myself over the next couple of days. i'll pop up some photos so we can all have a guess

[ant0]

Thanks, this will be interesting.

[ant0]

Just remembered I have a photo of the one and only brownie I ever weighed - Loch Leven and was recorded on 'Willie the Ghillie's Blog' in 2013

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Guesstimates?

[corsican dave]

chunky. 3+?

[ant0]

chunky. 3+?

:lol: You're right, you're as bad as me for underestimating  :lol:
This weighed in at the hut as 5 1/2 pounds with the proof for the doubters in Willie's blog here
https://lochlevenfisheries.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/loch-leven-fishing-report-week-ending-14th-july/

It's also the one in my profile pic

[corsican dave]

i didn't realise that was your #10wt rig next to it!  :lol: