Fish Care For Beginners (part 1)

This is such a big subject that I don't think it is possible to put all of the content into one entry, so I think I will split it into two blogs and cover the very basics in this addition and then move on into weighing and retaining fish into the next part.
Even though this is aimed at beginners to give them an idea of what they need, I still see the more experienced angler with insufficient carp care gear.

Fish care is one of those aspects of fishing that should be taken seriously as we all have a responsibility to look after the quarry we fish for, especially the bigger species like Carp, Pike, Catfish, Sturgeon and Zander. I still to this day see fishermen using inadequate gear for the job, and regularly see anglers using nets that are to small for the species they are fishing for. Sometimes being dragged up the bank and then set on to hard ground, without any consideration for the fish what so ever. So I am setting out to cover some of the essentials that you should have before you even think about going fishing. 

First and foremost I would like to cover Landing Nets.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have a landing net that is big enough for the job. At the very least you should be using a 36 inch net, I actually have a 36 and a 42 inch net, the 42 inch is more than capable of handling large carp. If you are Sturgeon or Catfishing you might want to consider using a 50 inch net. I usually try to unhook the fish in the net even before I think of lifting it onto the unhooking mat.

If I can not unhook the fish I will careful run my hand under the fish to make sure all of the fins are facing towards the back of the fish. If the fins are left sticking out from the fish you are running the risk of getting them caught in the net and possibly breaking the fins. Once the fish is in your net, it is good practice to take the net out of the spreader block and roll the top of the net. This ensures the fish is properly supported and it is easier to run your hands around the base of the fish, checking the fins are in the right position before gently lowering the fish on to your unhooking mat.  

That leads me nicely on to unhooking mats.

There is no excuse these days, you can buy unhooking mats in various sizes for very little money. It is not acceptable to be just using a towel, towels will take away the protective mucus which can lead to secondary infections. Always make sure that your mat is wet, you don't want to be putting a large fish down on to a dry mat, remember a fishes mucus is there as a protective barrier and keeping everything wet will only help protect this layer.

You should always have a bucket to hand full of lake water, to pour over the fish while it is laying on the mat.

This is the one I use, its really an expander bait bucket, but it holds a lot of water and is easy to fold up and pack away into my rod quiver. You must keep your fish wet at all times. If your fish starts to flap around while on the mat, you can just simply cover its head with either part of the unhooking mat or just place your hand gently over the eye, until the fish calms down. 

The next items I would like to run through are the unhooking tools.

These are the two tools I use for removing hooks. I use these tools as they give me better purchase when unhooking fish. The long nose pliers are for unhooking the fish and the cutters are for cutting through the hooks. So much damage is done to fishes mouths through anglers, and all you have to do is just use a bit of common sense, if the hook has gone all the way through the mouth of the fish then just cut the hook in half, Ill elaborate on this a little. This situation doesn't really apply to barbless hooks as they are fairly simple to take out as there isn't a barb, but barbed hooks and even sometimes micro barbed hooks can be very tricky to pull out if the barb has passed all of the way through the flesh. In this situation you are better cutting through the hook and pulling out the two pieces from either side of the wound. Remember your priority is to fishes welfare, hooks are a few pence each.

Whilst on the subject of hooks, I use micro barbed hooks where I can, if allowed, I know this subject is a very controversial one but I would suggest if you are new to carp fishing and removing hooks, it might be better to use barbless until you become more proficient with extracting hooks. I only say this as a starting point as I have seen so much mouth damage over the years and its mainly due to bad extraction.

The two bottles in the picture are fish antiseptic, which are produced by Kryston, I have even lifted the information from their website.

 Totally safe approved laboratory formulated antiseptic for carp and all coarse fish. Gives your catch a flying start to recovery. One-shot treatment following hook removal will sterilize the immediate area of the hook-hold preventing secondary infection from setting in.  Application of Klin-ik guarantees to speed up the natural healing process. Active bactericides help to heal all open wounds, mouth damage, post spawning lesions and where recent scale loss is evident.  Each bottle contains enough solution to treat well over 300 fish. Essential for today’s caring angler. Used by tens of thousands, fisheries and Koi centres

Klin-ik Shield is a high viscosity gel that acts as an antibacterial plaster for all species of fish. When applied correctly the gel is remarkably resilient to water and will not instantly wash off. Shield is specifically formulated to bond to tissue and remain in place for a considerable period of time. In tank test the gel was evident 72 hours after application. Easy to apply it can be used on its own or for the very best results used in conjunction with
Klin-ik Solution.

What does it do?
Shield creates a robust barrier to protect newly exposed tissue. Once applied it prevents harmful bacteria and micro parasitic organisms from attacking the wound and taking root. Shield offers the perfect medication to treat damaged fins, recent scale loss, and fresh body lesions, post spawning damage and hook holds. Any recent external body damage will greatly benefit from the treatment of Shield and help promote new growth.

How do you use it?
Before application remove excess moisture by using a soft tissue to gently dry the intended area. Apply a small amount directly to the wound. Using finger or cotton bud spread the gel to form a thin robust lasting barrier.

Why should I use it?
Shield has all the ingredients of Klin-ik but produced in an extremely sticky gel base. It will not penetrate effectively to the base of hook holds as efficiently as Klin-ik solution, which is why it makes the perfect secondary treatment. Shields superb adhesion to tissue ensures the barrier will remain on the fish long enough for the medication to be effective.  Klin-ik solution will completely sterilize the intended area in seconds. For hook-holds and hard to reach places first sterilize with a few drops of Klin-ik solution before applying Shield. Klin-ik solution is an extremely searching medication that will penetrate and cleanse right down to the base of the hook-hold ensuring it is completely sterilised. Kryston Klin-ik and Shield are the only products on the angling market guaranteed to contain the essential proven ingredients to combat damage to fish and contain the following powerful medicinal solutions and agents.

I am not a fish care specialist by any stretch of the imagination, especially when it comes to fish antiseptic, and like you, I have to put my trust into others to make that decision for me. So why not go with a company like Kryston, who have done the extensive research to put these products together for you. These treatments I have used for a while now and I honestly don't think i could buy any better from any where else.

The Weigh Sling has two jobs for me, one, obviously for weighing fish, of which ill talk about in part 2, but it is also handy for covering the fishes head to keep the fish calm whilst I am dealing with other bits. Again make sure the sling is wet or you'll risk removing the protective mucus from the fish, in fact mine is always kept in the bucket of water.

If you are not weighing the fish then, again, make sure all of the fins are facing towards the tail end of the fish and return to the water in your landing net. Do not pick up the fish to return as the fish may flap around causing you to drop the fish on to the ground.
Whilst the fish is in the water take hold of the wrist of the tail and gently hold the fish in the upright position until it either kicks or feels strong enough to release. Do not just put the fish back into the water and hope for the best.

It is also worth a mention that if dipping tanks are supplied, it is your responsibility to use these tanks and dip all of your fish care gear, especially if you fish a lot of different venues. When you get all of your gear home you should wash it all down with clean water and leave out in the sun to dry as the UV rays will kill most of the parasites, associated with harming fish. These days the care gear isn't expensive and is often over looked by a lot of anglers. So before you rush out to buy your first rod and reel you must take into consideration the fish you are angling for, and purchase some of these items to protect the fish for future generations. The gear listed and talked about in this entry is the very least you should own, it is your responsibility to make sure you always have it all to hand. Staying organised and calm will make the whole experience, not only more pleasurable for you but all the more comfortable for the fish.
Always return the fish as soon as possible and make sure you check the fish over and treat any mouth damage, lesions and missing or damaged scales.
It is good practice to have the phone number of your fishery to hand to report any problems or if you see any fish in distress, the quicker a fish is treated the more likely it will fully recover.

In the next addition I will be looking at weighing, retaining and holding fish so please keep and eye out for that entry.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope in some way it has helped you out.

Until next time, good luck