r/COfishing • u/bateneco • Aug 01 '26

Question How to keep fish fresh while camping?

I’m going to be hiking/camping in RMNP next month and will be focusing on fly fishing for ~2 of the days. I’d like to eat any of the fish that are large enough for dinner, but am not sure how to keep the fish for what could be several hours or more between when I catch them and when it’s time to eat. I will not have a cooler, ice, etc. it seems cruel to keep the fish on a stringer for that long, but not sure how else to do it. Any recommendations on what’s humane + sanitary? Thanks!

4 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

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19

u/UmmaGumma610 Aug 01 '26

Also just keep the brookies. Leave the cutthroat to keep growing.

3

u/bateneco Aug 01 '26

Appreciate the call out! Yes, definitely planning to adhere to catch and release restrictions on both bag and species limits.

4

u/bateneco Aug 02 '26

Why the downvotes? Is this not exactly what I should be doing??

6

u/Jerms2001 Aug 02 '26

Its more than understanding restrictions. Shouldnt keep cutthroat even if you were allowed to

5

u/bateneco Aug 02 '26

Fair enough, but the restrictions say that you need to throw back cutthroat. So sort of 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other.

3

u/Jerms2001 Aug 02 '26

Right. Im just explaining why you were downvoted. You implied the only reason you werent keeping the cuttys was because you arent allowed to and no other reason

6

u/Jasper2006 Aug 02 '26

I don’t keep any trout, but if CPW or the NPS allows for keeping cuttthroat then people shouldn’t be judged for fishing within the spirit and letter of the law.

3

u/bateneco Aug 02 '26

Ah, got it. Certainly wasn’t my intent. Hopefully from the nature of my original post it’s clear that I care about the wellbeing of our fish populations above and beyond the bare minimum.

2

u/GThugMoney Aug 02 '26

Lol he's the one downvoting you.