Unless you are returning the fish the first thing to do is to kill it. Carry a weapon such as a stick or one specially made for the purpose of hitting trout, and knock him smartly on the top of the head straight above the eyes. All we are doing is knocking him unconscious so that when he wakes up he has quietly died through oxygen starvation.
If you are using a net, use it in such a way that the trout can't jump out and back into the water (I'm serious - I've seen it all! :-) ) Next unhook him. Forceps make this task easier. Then spoon him. Always spoon a killed fish. Simply insert a marrow spoon into his mouth and down to his stomach, give it a full turn and withdraw. Splash the contents in some water. Now you will see what his recent diet has consisted of. I spoon every single killed fish.
