Tail damage

[Richard Mawson]

Guys,

Ray is spot on with his advice.
This type of infection on a fish can either be a bacterial infection or a fungal infection or sometimes both. Both of these infections exhibit similar effects on the fish.

The fungal infection is normally evident by the white tissue on the edge of the fin damage.

Both the bacteria, and the fungal infection are naturally occuring but the immune system of a health undamaged fish can normally keep these at bay.

Stress, damage, poor water quality etc are all things which can trigger an outbreak.
Whilst we may not be able to do much about water quality, stress and damage can certainly be inflicted by us as anglers. This is especially the case on high pressured fisheries.

If these types of infections are left unchecked and the the damage spreads to the root of the fin, unfortunately the fish has very little chance of regenerating the tissue, and the infection will kill the fish.

Whilst it is unlikely that a fish will die of line damage itself (be this braid or mono), there is a very real chance that it can die from the infection it has now been exposed to.

It is our responsibily as anglers to ensure that we minimise stress to the fish and to treat any damage or infections on the fish we catch.

 

[Ray Walton]

Basically. i have a number of photos of tail fin damage going back into the 60's 70's and 80's, showing the same or similar as highlighted above (L shaped cut outs top or bottom).... when braid was 'not' used. Mono was the dominant mainline used at these times.
Braid started to be used more so in the mid-90's onwards.
I have pictures of damaged fish where 'mono' was the cause, whether body damage or mouth corners. Mono still splits fins through the membrane, lifts scales, cuts mouth corners and wraps around rolling/twisting fish tightly thus cutting into the flesh beneath the scales on occassions.
...Ray

 

[Paul Wilkinson]

here is one from the river don, ive had quite a few like this one some with the tail fin completly missing.

 

[Stu Morgan]

test

Should make an interesting test. When I have some spare time underwater, I will try and create as near as I can a fair test.
I will buy a fresh trout from the local fish farm, despatch it and rig it up on the bottom and pass the mono and braid in turn under a fin.
I will then get the person holding the rod to strike normally and see what happens. Maybe repeat it a few times. I will video the results and post them when done.
maybe there will be no difference, lets see.

Cheers
Stuart