| About Carp Care |
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Catching a fish will always disturb the protective covering it has on its flanks. We can help to minimize this by wetting our hands, unhooking mats, weigh slings, and sacks prior to use. It is not a matter of just damping the equipment; everything has to be really soaked in water to avoid problems arising. This is a fairly simple operation and should always be carried out before you lift a fish out of the water. It is also important to get into the habit of carrying a container with you at all times (such as a bait bucket). The container can be filled with water, which can then be poured onto the fish quickly when needed. If white foam forms on the flanks of the fish or equipment, this is a sure sign that there is not enough moisture present and that the fish's protective slime is being disturbed. It is impossible for us to give an exact time when the foaming will occur, but soaking the fish and equipment at least every minute during handling will help minimize any problems. Although such a procedure may help to protect the fish, it doesn't mean that its time on the bank can be increased: get it back into the water as soon as possible. Be careful when you read the dial of the scales when weighing fish. We have seen numerous anglers (not just juniors) reading the dial of the scales incorrectly and giving the fish a false weight. This is especially so with Avon scales, so you must ensure that you count the number of times the finger moves around the dial before reading off the weight. We have witnessed people adding, and even not counting, 10lb of weight through misreading, which can be very embarrassing and disappointing. Always hold your scales by the handle (if it possesses one) at the top rather than at the bottom or sides. This is the most accurate way of weighing fish. If you weigh something with your scales whilst holding them from the sides or the bottom, the item will weigh at the very least 4oz too much (or too little). Believe it or not, we have come across scales which, when held in these positions, weigh 12oz too heavy. You have to be very careful when holding your scales at the top because on some makes there is very little to hold onto and you may find yourself dropping the fish. We advise you to get hold of one of the manufactured weighing bars to help or, alternatively, make one yourself from a piece of heavy-duty dowel and some rope. Simply cut some 2in (5cm) dowel to a length of approximately 12in (30cm). Drill a small hole through the centre and thread the rope. Now pass this rope through the top of the scales and attach with a good knot. Before you use it with a fish, however, always test the strength of the handle knot thoroughly by lifting something heavy and bouncing it. If you're a stroke-puller then you'll probably completely ignore what we've just said, or indeed you may start weighing your fish the incorrect way just to gain a few extra ounces. If you do, just remember that you are only cheating yourself! When weighing a fish, ensure that all of its fins are comfortably lying against the side of the fish and not sticking out awkwardly and at risk of being damaged in some way. The fins most likely to lie awkwardly are the pectorals, and it is sadly not unusual to come across fish with broken fin rays caused by bad handling by anglers. |
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