Should you post a photo holding a fish on a dating profile?

Why the fish photo has a bad name

The fish photo has a bad name because so many of them show the fish and nothing else about the person. On mainstream dating apps, the man holding a fish has become a running joke, and the usual complaint isn't the fish at all.

It's that the photo says nothing else: a blurry face half-hidden by a cap, a boat deck, a fish held out at arm's length to look bigger, and no sign of a personality. On a site built around fishing, things are different. Many people here will be pleased to see you fish, and some will know exactly what you've caught. But the basics still apply: people want to see you first and the fish second.

So, should you post one?

Yes, on a fishing dating site, if it's a good photo and not your first one. A fish photo tells people instantly what you love, gives them an easy opening line and, done well, shows patience and care. The quick test: would you be happy for this to be the second thing a stranger learns about you?

Which photo goes where

The order of your photos matters as much as the photos themselves. Most people see your first picture long before they read a word.

1. Your face, clearly. Natural light, no sunglasses, smiling.
2. You by the water. On the bank, a pier or a boat, with or without a fish.
3. Your fish photo. If you're using one, this is its place.
4. You away from fishing. A walk, a wedding, with your dog, at the pub.
5. Something that starts a conversation. A hobby, a place, a meal you cooked.

Our profile tips for anglers cover the rest of the profile around these photos.

Taking a better fish photo

The best fish photos are taken quickly, low to the water, by someone else. Ask a friend to take it, or use a phone on a small tripod with a timer.

1. Get ready before the fish is out of the net. Camera on, settings checked, mat wet and in place.
2. Put the light behind the photographer, not behind you, so your face isn't in shadow.
3. Crouch or kneel low, over an unhooking mat or close to the water.
4. Hold the fish horizontally, close to your body, supported under the belly with wet hands. No arm's-length tricks.
5. Look at the camera and smile. Not at the fish.
6. Use burst mode and take a handful of shots in a few seconds rather than posing for a minute.
7. Return the fish, then pick the best picture later.

Small things help: wipe the phone lens, keep the horizon level, and crop out bait tubs, bags and clutter.

Looking after the fish

Good fish care looks good in a photo, and poor care is obvious to anyone who knows. For fish you're returning:

• wet your hands before handling;
• keep the fish over an unhooking mat or close to the water, never high above hard ground;
• support it under the belly, and don't squeeze or hold it by the gills;
• keep it out of the water for as short a time as possible;
• return it gently and let it swim off on its own.

Fisheries often have their own rules on handling and photographs: many insist on unhooking mats, and some ask for certain fish not to be lifted at all. Follow them. The Angling Trust, the national body for anglers in England, is a good starting point for fish-care guidance.

Sea fish, kept fish and the blood question

A fish you've kept for the table is a different picture from a returned carp, and it needs a bit more thought. A tidy shot of you holding a couple of mackerel on the harbour wall is cheerful and honest; a deck covered in blood isn't.

• Keep kept fish clean and the photo simple.
• Avoid pictures of fish being dispatched, gutted or piled up.
• Skip trophy lines of fish on a board unless it's genuinely a club or charity match photo.
• If you're not sure, use a picture of the cooked meal instead. Nobody objects to a plate of fresh fish.

Captions and lines that start conversations

A photo with a story gets more replies than a photo on its own, so give people a hook in your profile. These are examples to adapt.

Example: "Photo three: my first barbel, caught on my dad's old rod. I was more excited than I look."

Example: "Yes, that's a pollack. No, I won't tell you which mark."

Example: "The mackerel in photo two became dinner about an hour later. Ask me for the recipe."

If you're messaging someone else with a fish photo, our guide to first messages that get a reply has openers that use it.

What Fish For Singles checks in photos

Every photo on Fish For Singles is reviewed, and the members area's image rules ban nudity and lingerie. You'll usually need at least one photo before your profile goes live.

What isn't checked is whether a photo is recent or who took it, so be fair to the people you'll meet and keep yours current. Photos can also be seen by members of partner sites in the same network, so leave out anything that gives away your home, your vehicle registration or a fishing spot you'd rather keep quiet. More on what's checked is on how it works.

No fish photo? No problem

A picture of you on the bank, casting on a river or laughing on a pier says "angler" just as clearly. So does a line in your profile about your favourite water. If you're dating someone who doesn't fish yet, dating someone who fishes explains what they might expect, and fishing as a first date shows how to share the hobby in person instead of in a photo.