Abstract: A down-rigger trolling for attachment between a weight and a cable wherein the vane has a nose adjacent the cable connections and a tail remote from the connections so that the tail trails directing the vane nose-foremost and a fish-line release device mounted on or attached to the back of the vane rearwardly of cable attachment and positioned for release by the nose-foremost travel of the vane. The release device comprises a leg, a prong on the leg, and a spring arm which has a looped end releaseably engaging the prong. The leg, prong, and arm form a trap for a ring which is connected to a fish-line between the rod and the bait. Pull by a fish on the bait displaces the looped end of the spring arm off the prong opening the trap and releasing the ring thereby freeing the fish-line, bait, and fish from the down-rigger. Conversely the release device may be mounted to be released with the fish-line from an eye fixed on the vane.