When I stock FHM into my reproduction cells I aerate 100G stock tank and use a small net like you describe to sort 10-15 at a time into a 5G bucket. You can usually do 5-10 visually at one time which helps speed the process depending on your hand size. A BG, BH or Carp really stand out - you only need a brief visual confirmation. I personally don't worry much about Sticklebacks - I toss them if I can but don't lose sleep including them.

If you start getting bored or tired take a break - this is usually when mistakes occur. This is why it's important to keep my FHM aerated so I'm not up against a time crunch - but can take breaks and come back when I'm focused again. Hand sorting 5-10,000 FHM takes some time.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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