| Carp Care Tackle, Part 4 |
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Weighing Slings Although we prefer to weigh fish in the landing net and later deduct the weight of the net after returning the fish to the water, there are plenty of excellent specialist weighing slings on the market. These are made from a fine mesh material which helps the fish to be more comfortable when being lifted off the floor. There are plenty of different weighing products on the market, including excellent slings from companies like Rod Hutchinson, Kevin Nash, Fox and Daiwa. Hutchy sells an excellent model which also doubles up into a sack (see below), saving the fish more stress. Known as the Big Kipper Sling/Sack, it simply has a zip across the top which you close when you want to retain the fish for photographing. Sacks and Fish-Retaining Items If, like us, you like to keep photographs or slides of your fish captures, then you will require a suitable fish-retaining product to hold the fish following capture. The ideal really is to not retain carp in sacks in the first place because of the stress this causes them, but obviously not all of us are fantastic photographers in the dark, or we prefer to have others assist or we want to keep the fish for a couple of hours just to calm it down. As with weighing slings, there are numerous sack/retention items on the market. We prefer those sold by the Rod Hutchinson stable, such as the Be-Safe Sack or the Sling Sack. When purchasing a sack for carp, ensure that it is made from a soft material and has plenty of air holes. Preferably it should be at least 60in long and 40in deep. It should also have a safety zip or fastener, and be supplied with a long main cord so that the fish can swim freely and settle at its preferred depth. This is an important point, especially in summer when waters are depleted of oxygen, as a stressed fish which is sacked up can end up a dead fish if it is not retained in deep, cool water. Basically, never sack a fish in shallow, warm water or anywhere near reeds or weed beds, which draw oxygen from the water at night. Here's another good tip: ensure that your sack is equipped with a light marker float attachment. This is so that you can locate the fish should it become unattached from the bankstick. Hopefully this won't happen because you will have secured it well first time around! Sadly, there have been plenty of big fish lost to the depths of lakes because anglers have not bothered to attach the main sack cord safely to the bank. Make sure you're not one of them and make sure the length of line attached to the float is deeper than the deepest area of water. It's common sense really. Landing Nets For obvious reasons, all carp anglers should be in possession of a landing net. In our minds, this should measure at least 40in across the net, as well as in depth, and be capable of landing fish to the size you might find in the water you are fishing. The net should be made from a non-knotted mesh and be as friendly to the fish as possible (for instance, it should not have any gaping holes in it). If the net is damaged in any way, then it should be disposed of as soon as possible. Believe us when we say that we have witnessed an angler lose a 40lb fish because the bottom of his landing net gave way when pressure was applied to a small hole! |
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