Handling tigers

[yella]

So this is ongoing from the tailing trout thread. I see many photos with bogas that have pierced tigerfish jaws. Is this OK? I wouldve expected you would try to avoid that. But in every second photo the boga is through the tigerfish jaw? And the guy is holding the tigerfish, pulling his jaw open with the boga to the back and through his jaw.

[yella]

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Like these

[Shamwari]

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Like these

One should be careful handling Tigers, especially if in India

[Andre]

Ouch. Thats not good. A boga through the fish's lower jaw is going to hurt it, no doubt. Tigers are actually quite fragile in the mouth, and this treatment is seriously negligent.

[yella]

Andre, even in the tcff there are pictures like that in several of the adds.

[Andre]

Still doesnt make it ok. Tigers are fragile fish, and bogas , unless used correctly, can be harmful. The handling of the fish in this picture is causing it harm. Unfortunatly, tigers are very at risk because they are toothy, and there are very few other options open to people to handle them. Bogas need to be used correctly, and even some professional guides don't know the correct use of them.

Andre, even in the tcff there are pictures like that in several of the adds.

[Grant111]

Next time look inside the moth of a tiger. Does if have a natural slit in it's lower jaw to slide a boga in?

Think you'll find the answer is NO.

Forcing the boga through the bottom soft film is wrong wrong wrong and it's a real shame the "the money shot" has to include the usual " look how big its mouth and teeth are".

It's just stupid and unnecessary and you are simply creating a tear in it's mouth. The only thing it uses to eat now has a big gash in it so you can get a photo that everyone will forget in 5 seconds and move on to the next story on Facebook.

[Chappies]

It is not that difficult to take a pic without injuring the fish or using a boga grip. I had this pic taken with a tiger of 15lb (not small) and we did not have a boga grip. The fish was weighed in the net, lifted out, quick pic and released unharmed.100_0288b.jpg

[yella]

Still doesnt make it ok. Tigers are fragile fish, and bogas , unless used correctly, can be harmful. The handling of the fish in this picture is causing it harm. Unfortunatly, tigers are very at risk because they are toothy, and there are very few other options open to people to handle them. Bogas need to be used correctly, and even some professional guides don't know the correct use of them.

What Im trying to say is, maybe tcff and other mags should have a process where they dont allow adds with fish that are handled wrong. I have always thought it ridiculous to see tigerfish with pierced mouths being shown off everywhere. And there are for sure some people that will end up thinking its OK to handle them like that.

[Andre]

This is much better, although the fish in the photo could still flap suddenly, and get dropped. Im not sure however, what the solution is with tigerfish. It would be good if an experienced guide could come on and tell us.
I have seen a tigerfish rip its own mouth to shreds. It was being held with a boga, supported very well under the body, then all of a sudden it started flapping violently, and caused its own damage....Whose at fault there?

It is not that difficult to take a pic without injuring the fish or using a boga grip. I had this pic taken with a tiger of 15lb (not small) and we did not have a boga grip. The fish was weighed in the net, lifted out, quick pic and released unharmed.100_0288b.jpg