Esimating weight when C&R

[Bobfly]

That is interesting as I had a fish on South Uist the season before last and we were then guessing then from the photos at maybe 4.5 lbs but when I looked at the weight/size tables for a brown trout in "good condition" it was giving 5.5lbs.
Yesterday I had a heavy salmon from the Tweed and didn't know what to estimate it at since I was a bit stressed at getting it back in and revived and I just took some photos . When the gillie for the beat later had a glance at the small pocket camera screen he said "that is a good 12lbs or more" but I think he would have in mind a normal full double hander rod handle. Now I know the actual length of handle and hence fish length it is coming out nearer to 20lbs!!! Other photos are showing the same proportions.

[Wildfisher]

Jon Beer when writing about Irish boatmen and their enthusiasm for all the "good three quarter pounders" they congratulate you on finished the story by concluding a "good three quarter pounder"  weighs exactly 8 ounces. 

If you are really interested in what your fish weighs buy yourself a catch and release weight net. If you can't do that just take photo, put the fish back and say it was a nice one. I have yet to meet an  angler who underestimates the weight of fish.  :lol:

These length to weight  tables are nonsense with too many subjective variables to be of any use.

[fergie]

I always try to understimate a fish till its in the net or in the tank. It hurts less if it gets off.  :lol:
I'm not bad at estimating fish but if I've not had a decent fish in the boat for a while a 6pounder can easily look like a 8.
I estimated that loch leven fish to be between 4.5 and 5 lbs.
Some fish can be very broad across the shoulders as we say as well as fat. This will add on a surprising amount of weight.

[Bobfly]

Probably being a bit dismissive there of the thousands of length and weight measurements that go into compiling the tables drawn up by the Tweed Commisioners and the Dee Catchment people and many others. These tables are reckoned to give a reasonably close correlation for fish in a normal condition. I had an email back this evening from the gillie who has now properly seen the  fish yesterday and that I sent to him and he also reckons their tables are very good and reliable  for length and weight.
(Irish boatmen are certainly there to generate more happy customers to their boats.  :shock:)

[ant0]

If you are really interested in what your fish weighs buy yourself a catch and release weight net. If you can't do that just take photo, put the fish back and say it was a nice one. I have yet to meet an  angler who underestimates the weight of fish.  :lol:
These length to weight  tables are nonsense with too many subjective variables to be of any use.

I was just looking for a bit of a reality check and also to see if others were as useless as me at guessing weight. As I said I'd like to 'reset' my visual guessometer - not essential just out of interest.  So far I think I can honestly say I underestimate weight on the bank, but get a fairly accurate length if I get a photo next to net or rod... But then look it up on the chart and end up over estimating the condition and so an over estimated weight.

I only take photos of the bonnie ones or the big (for me) ones.

I had a weighing net and binned it as too much faff, mind you it wasn't a great one.

[Highlander]

This is the one I use.

Trout & Salmon Wedgie Scale

Breakfast Trout:  4oz
Easy hauf a pun: 6oz
Nearly a pun: 3/4lb
Well over a pun: 1lb
A fat 2 pounder: 1lb 8oz
Well over 2 pun: 2lb2oz
Must be at least 3lb: 2lb 8oz
Four if it is an ounce: 3lb 12oz
Touching 5lb: 4lb
Easily 6lb: lying bestard

[haresear]

I think I am quite good at estimating the weight of fish. The reason is that I weigh the bigger ones. This stems from my coarse fishing background I suppose.

I like to estimate the weight before actually weighing the fish
If you weigh fish regularly you get good at estimating, but I still get surprised sometimes.
I don't tend to measure fish so I couldn't say how accurate the weght for length tables are, but there can be huge differences with trout depending on condition of the fish. Salmon vary less in condition in my opinion.

[Wildfisher]

there can be huge differences with trout depending on condition of the fish

Exactly. Then the next spurious variables are  "estimating" the condition  and well as guessing the length.  In a big fish  half an inch makes  a big difference to the weight.

[corsican dave]

that's not much of a breakfast, Alan  :lol:

[Wildfisher]

This is the one I use.

Trout & Salmon Wedgie Scale

Breakfast Trout:  4oz
Easy hauf a pun: 6oz
Nearly a pun: 3/4lb
Well over a pun: 1lb
A fat 2 pounder: 1lb 8oz
Well over 2 pun: 2lb2oz
Must be at least 3lb: 2lb 8oz
Four if it is an ounce: 3lb 12oz
Touching 5lb: 4lb
Easily 6lb: lying bestard

Brilliant - this is the real word of angling!   :lol:

Another of my favourites is the good old "I don't really care what my fish weigh, it's not important to me"   followed by a photo of the un-weighed "8 pounder" which really looks more like 5 and you say as much but make it clear it's still a great fish!

Suddenly what the fish weighs is no longer unimportant.  :lol: 

As for salmon weights "estimated"  by ghillies - just let's say that it's in no beat owner's  interest to have their paying clients catch small fish.  :