Fish care - the right way

After the last post's example of what not to do this one gives a bit more guidance as to what Club Rule 15 is all about:

15. Any angler fishing Society waters who is intentionally in pursuit of large carp, tench or pike should be in possession of a purpose made padded unhooking mat with a minimum size of 2 feet (60cm) x 3 feet (90cm) and a suitable sized landing net. Landing nets and unhooking mats must be ready before you start fishing. Fish must be weighed where caught and not carried along the bank. It is recommended that if you are in pursuit of large carp an unhooking mat with sides and a fish care kit are used.

Each of Beggar's Hall, Hall Farm and Malcom Barker Lake all hold good sized carp with fish over 20lbs in each so you need to be prepared for dealing with a fish of this size when it gets to the bank. Large fish can very easily damage themselves if not dealt with properly on the bank.

You will need a decent sized net such as a 30 inch pan style net or a 42 inch triangular net. Your unhooking mat should be sensibly padded and not the thinner style you see for lure fishing and ideally with sides/raised edges. Finally, a fish care kit which is very handy for treating the hook site and any other damage you see on the fish.

There are some really good budget brands around these days such as NGT (most tackle shops and online) and Westlake (Go Outdoors' brand) so going correctly equipped will not break the bank.

A couple of examples for you:

NGT 42" net and handle for £14.95 AP 42" Carp Fishing Net & Handle – NGTOnline

NGT mat for £21.95 NGT Advanced Beanie Mat – NGTOnline

Westlake 42" net for £15 (members' price) Green Westlake 42 Speci Net Metal – GO Outdoors

Westlake mat for £20 (members' price) Black Westlake Beanie Mat – GO Outdoors

And a fish care kit for £13 here CE Carp Care Kit | Carpers Essentials

If you land a big fish and are not sure what to do please do ask another member as I am sure they would be very happy to help you.