What is a priests in fishing?

Question

it is used in fly fishing

Answer 1

Yes your previous answers are correct.

The  religious connotation /association is based on showing the utmost respect at the demise of the king of fish namely the Salmon.

They come in various styles and materials and are a 'Collectors' item in their own right.

Start  a collection.

Best wishes.

Answer 2

its just a heavy metal bar that u hit the fish on the head with to dispatch it quickly

Answer 3

Some use priests, some use a mallet.  Supposed to knock it out of its misery.  So now instead of the fish suffocating, it has a broken skull as well.  

Answer 4

A priest is used to smack the trout, or whatever you catch, round the head so that it dies quickly and relatively painlessly.

Answer 5

A priest is a long wooden bar with either a lead or brass core and on the end it has a brass tip, its used to quickly kill fish, there are two sizes one for trout and one for salmon.

Answer 6

A priest is used to kill your catch for the table, putting the fish out of its misery quickly.

Answer 7

A club to kill the fish by hitting it on the head.