Dear members,
No one intentionally sets out to cause harm to our fish. Sadly, it does continue to happen.
Please take the time to watch this brief video on caring for the carp you catch.
Once you have done so there are a few key considerations:
‘Most damage is done to the fish in the net being transferred from the water to the mat’
One possibility is the hook caught in the net and then the full weight of the fish is put on the hook tearing it from its mouth.
It will not always be possible to remove the hook before you lift, in this instance the safest thing to do is cut your line while it is still in the net.
If it is a leader you just re-tie back on, if its tubing, slide the tubing up the line then tie an over hand knot in the line to secure it and then retie to your lead clip arrangement afterwards.
If you do not cut the line, it is imperative that the line is loose to the fish and not wound up in any of the folds of the net as again this can cause damage to the mouth or fins of the fish.
Other areas for consideration:
Once on the mat, the next area of concern is the net/sling arms or cradle edges. One flap of the tail and the bones can and will break on that hard surface causing lifelong damage to the fish.
Multiple nets, although not a rule, if you are fishing multiple rods or in a situation where multiple bites are likely a second net takes a lot of stress out of the situation, if you are not rushing to get the fish out you are less likely to make a mistake and cause harm.
Carp care kits, use them, they are no use if not applied to a fish and are not just there to tick a box for the bailiff!
Summary:
Be aware of the dangers of lifting a fish still attached to a hook/line, be aware of the dangers to the fish on the mat, use your carp care kit EVERY time and take your time before you lift the carp out to get it right.
Thank you
