Fish welfare - or just OTT

[BobH]

All unhooking mats are bad for fish. Would be better to just ban them and make everyone unhook fish in their landing net in the water.

 

Sorry not everyone, carp anglers can keep them and take an age taking pictures of every carp they catch on them.

Maybe you could explain that more clearly ?

 

This is a thread about Carp Cradles, not whether you like Carp Fishermen and Carp Fishing ?

 

Bob

[gozzer]

I'm partially with lutra on this. Unhooking mats are use more often than they are needed, and waters that insist on the use of them are IMO, going OTT. Fair enough, insist on the angler having one in case it's needed, but unhooking a fish while still in the landing net, when ever possible, is quicker, results in less handling of the fish, and reduces the time it's out of the water. That's got to be better for the fish in the long run.

 

John.

[lutra]

Maybe you could explain that more clearly ?

 

This is a thread about Carp Cradles, not whether you like Carp Fishermen and Carp Fishing ?

 

Bob

Sorry I didn't realise it was just about "Carp Cradles" Bob. Thought it was about Crib/Cradle style unhooking mats and fish welfare in general. Not just carp.

[Tigger]

Blimey...you'lll have to take a kingsized mattress and duvet next !

I'm in the same opinion as Brian.

[BobH]

As far as I can see by doing a search, these Cradles are called " Carp Cradles " and introduced into Carp fishing, for the welfare of Carp ?

 

I did see one mention of use in Pike retention, which I'm sure would be fine, but not ideal for unhooking.

 

The club I belong to, has only recommended Cradles on two of their water, both waters containing carp of over forty pounds, where unhooking in the landing net would not be easy and far safer in a Carp Cradle.

 

It's a real shame that some anglers dislike of Carp Anglers and Modern Carp fishing, clouding their judgement regarding modern and helpful fish welfare measures, like Carp Cradles.

 

Bob

Edited October 29, 2014 by BobH

[Tigger]

As far as I can see by doing a search, these Cradles are called " Carp Cradles " and introduced into Carp fishing, for the welfare of Carp ?

 

I did see one mention of use in Pike retention, which I'm sure would be fine, but not ideal for unhooking.

 

The club I belong to, has only recommended Cradles on two of their water, both waters containing carp of over forty pounds, where unhooking in the landing net would not be easy and far safer in a Carp Cradle.

 

It's a real shame that some anglers dislike of Carp Anglers and Modern Carp fishing, clouding their judgement regarding modern and helpful fish welfare measures, like Carp Cradles.

 

Bob

 

 

In all honesty Bob I still think it would be easier to unhook a 40lb carp while it's in the edge of the water, I mean removing a hook only takes a second or two if the hook is just inside the mouth.

I've nothing against looking after the fish anglers catch but people invent things that just arn't necessary... these little inventions make money. I mean once you have bought an unhooking matt you might not buy another for years so they have to come up with new ideas to keep people spending their money.

Imo carp cradles etc will only encourage people to keep the fish out of the water for longer periods.

[Matthew Simmons]

I think its all going over the top, and my view is that everyone is trying to outdo each other on the fish-welfare stakes.

 

I was recently chastised by a bailiff for having the wrong kind of unhooking mat when fishing for bream on one of the Farnham waters "cos there are 5 named 30's in here, mate" - I was actually using 2 normal ones.

 

He then told me that a new rule was coming in that everyone in the club needed large bean-bag type mats or cradle to protect the carp. I politely pointed out that not everyone fished for carp and joked that I was really unlikely to land a very large carp on my bream gear - he told me in that case I shouldn't be fishing there. I also suggested that it was also ridiculous to cart around a bean bag for river fishermen who like to rove - he suggested I was being irresponsible! The rest of the conversation didn't go well and rather spoiled a nice day.

 

Like Tigga, I unhook fish in the net in the margins if I can, and only hoik them onto dry land if I need to or if its a particularly special fish for a really quick photo. I agree that fish welfare is important, and now we have to suffer hard-paved swims, its only right that some form of protection is needed for the fish. But long damp grass is just as good if not better because it won't remove as much slime as a flat surface. Its right that there should be guidance on this from clubs and syndicates and most anglers make their own choice as to the best protection for their style of fishing - that's the way I believe it should be left on general waters - if its a carp syndicate - then they can specify hot-tubs, if that's whats best for old 'p*ss wings'.

 

I do agree that some of the carp boys can take an age to photo the fish, wiping them down with towels to clean them off to achieve photographic perfection, and maximum bragging rights - and there ought to be guidance on that as well!

[Phone]

All,

 

Unhooking devices are inherently UNSAFE. Carp can survive a bounce on the noggin far better than infective doses of pathogens.

 

Phone

[gozzer]

I sometimes wonder why there are any fish left in this country, after all the years of abusing them by not having the 'right' kind of gear to handle and unhook them. All those years of unhooking in the net, must have taken it's toll on the numbers. All the fish laid on grass must be blind, having had their eyes poked by blades of grass. Years of 'taking one for the pot', must have decimated the numbers, and then you have to consider all those taken by avian and mammalian predators!

 

Thank goodness we now have all these rules to tell us exactly what to do. We used to think all we needed was common sense, and an ethical approach to our angling. How silly were we?

 

John.

[Mat Hillman]

I was asking more as it was one of the waters I was thinking of doing some piking on this Winter, and I really can't see those systems being any good for unhooking pike, a good double wouldn't even fit in most of them!

 

Guess I'll be fishing elsewhere.

 

Mat