Drink Up Boys Photo by Louis Cahill
There’s nothing worse than watching a big beautiful wild fish bleed out from a damaged gill. I found myself in just that situation with a big brown trout one day. Watching helplessly as the water turned red. Thank God Kent was with me. Thinking fast he said, “hey, did you finish that Coke?” I had not and he showed me a great trick. He opened the fish’s mouth and poured the Coke down her throat. As soon as it hit the injured gill the bleeding stopped. It was like magic. I’m not sure if it’s the carbonation or the acid but something in the Coke cauterized the wound. It saved that fish’s life. I know it for a fact because I saw her in that same pool several weeks later, although she was wise to me by then. I’m certain it was the same fish. There couldn’t be two just alike in that little pool. It’s one more thing to carry but having a Coke on hand is a great idea. The fish you save might be your own.
Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
I don’t know if it applies to Trout but I do know with several of the Australian freshwater natives their dot pattern is individual ie the same as our fingerprints. So if you catch the fish again take a similar photo and compare the pattern. One never knows.
You work for coke right?Sponsered? ….only kidding, great tip I will certainly try it when next I am in a similiar situation.
Don’t I wish!
I’ve found that pepsi actually works better
A small squirt bottle of white vinegar works just as well. Leave the coke in the fridge! That stuff is for fat kids!
Any scientific basis to this? Not doubting it, just wondering why it would work any better than anything else acidic or maybe carbonated like fruit juice (more acidic) or beer (saving a trout would be the only reason to waste beer).
I did have a fish biologist explain it to me once, but couldn’t repeat it very well. I think it’s the acid.
Already as a young kid I loved the beautiful brown trout I caught and released on fly. One time I poured some Coke (sugar, regular) in a live and healthy trout (don´t ask me why – really). The trout got crazy instantaneously, jumped out of my hands, flick flacked over the surface of the pond a few times and it was dead! It did NOT like my Coke! Maybe it is with Coke like with everything else – too much of it can kill you sooner than later? My conlusion in this regard could be: You may wanna make sure that none of the Coke gets into the stomach of the trout whilst doing your witchcraft hobey dobey stuff…
give them whiskey and the fight is on!
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Jeff lucky you, if you gave that fish whiskey and a beer chaser he would have followed you home! Fishtail BS Jackson. P.S. He would have brought his buddies.