Holding your Carp !

[craynerd]

Sounds a really silly question but i was so so confused today. Well i read carpworld and AT where everyone seems to be waving about huge carp but when i caught one today and wanted to hold it for a piccy i found it very very difficult and basically didnt even bother as i was worried about damaging it before someone explained.

 

Again sounds pathetic, but it was really slimmey, now i have no probs with fish lol obviously but with it being such i weight i felt i couldnt get a grip to lift it up and support it properly. Also was worried if i did lift it and it wiggled it would slip from my grip...and that would be serious!!

 

So there is my question, how do you hold a big fish..... everything i`ve caught before today i have been able to hold in one hand.....i guess thats a welcome to the world of carping

 

Chris

[rabster]

How big was the fish you caught Crayers???

 

I always stick my thumb in the fishes mouth & that seems to pacify them. Other than that, it's a case of getting a sure grip, don't hold the fish in a manner that if you were to drop it that it could be damaged (ie keep it fairly low & over soft ground/unhooking mat etc). The more confident/assured you are in what you do, the safer the fish is likely to be.

 

[ 10. March 2005, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: rabster ]

[craynerd]

Not huge mate, but since nearly every fish i`ve caught up to now i`ve been able to hold in one hand, the 5 i caught today where considerably bigger!!! I have never seen a fish that weighs 1lb or 5lb ect ect specifically so i dont know what a specific weight fish looks like so it seems difficult to guess! i would estimate 3-5lb, i have pics on my digital camera but the doc is at uni so i won`t get them until tomorrow. Maybe if i post you guys could give me ur estimates!

 

Again like i say not massive , BUT i`m very happy that for the first time i went out to specifically fish for carp and caught them !!!

 

chris

[JDW]

one hand under the head and the other at the anal fin, with the fin inbetween your middle and forefinger.

[Gaffer]

Craynerd, firstly, I applaud your actions of getting the fish back to the water as quickly as possible, rather than persevering to get a trophy shot and cause undue stress to the fish.

 

Secondly, holding a fish was, and still is, just as heart pumping as playing and landing the blooming thing!

 

I found the best way to hold a carp was to look through the mags at how the pro's do it. I found the Tim Paisley's on-one-knee method to be the easiest and have adopted it ever since.....

 

 

I have the head supported here with my right hand, and with it's Pectorial Fins between my middle finger and forefinger for grip.

 

My left hand supports the body using the wrist of the tail and the Anal fins for grip between my middle finger and ring finger.

 

The carp is the tilted slightly, head upwards, with my foearm resting on my thigh.

 

Never lift the carp too high, just in case it wriggles free. If it does wriggle then give it a momentary 'cuddle' (cradle) before lowering it to the unhooking mat.

 

Unlike rabster, I found that putting my thumb in the carps mouth made no difference, with regards to calming it down, but horses for courses.

One thing I will say though is that a big carp needs more support under it's head, because of the length and weight, which can't be done with a thumb in it's mouth.

 

Always, always use an unhooking mat. If you can't hold it in one hand and unhook it with the other, then you definately need an unhooking mat.

[rabster]

I shall definitely be heeding JDW's & Gaffers advice next time I handle a fish.

 

I suggested, above, the thumb in the mouth approach because that is what I was told many moons ago. It works better than a totally haphazard approach (which is usually my speciality)

 

Anyhow, I've never tried gently gripping the pectoral/anal fins, it certainly sounds like good sense so I shall give it a go next time out.

 

Nice one, Cheers all.

[Gaffer]

rabster:

I suggested, above, the thumb in the mouth approach because that is what I was told many moons ago.

Rabster, I, like you, was shown and advised to use the thumb-in-mouth method when I first started fishing exclusively for carp in the early 90's,and when fishing for lower doubles.

 

I don't think it would harm a small carp, but like I said, each to their own.

[rabster]

quote:

---

and when fishing for lower doubles.

 

I don't think it would harm a small carp

---

Ouch

 

1st of all, I must say having just checked out the links in your siggy, if you said it was Xmas, I'd be singing carols!

 

But being serious, what a good point this is raised by Crayers, for all too long now it would seem I've been going for the sticking the thumb in the gob approach & not thought about the handling of the fish much further than that. I've always found it a bit of a juggling act when hanging onto a lively one waiting for Dazler/Costers to take the lens cap off. I shall now be giving the advice above a go, so cheers!

 

& Gaffer, just remember, you're only as good as your last twenty!

[Common 40]

I would also like to add that the covering of a carps eyes works wonders on the mat before attempting your lift... either with the landing net or the palm of your hand will often calm dowm a lively fish. If possible play the fish out in the water to tire it, allthough if it should swim directly to you on the take, dont panic to get it on the bank too early, also a pint or 2 of lake water poured over him or her on the mat also helps to calm things down slightly

[dazler]

.Posted by rabster.....

 

I've always found it a bit of a juggling act when hanging onto a lively one waiting for Dazler/Costers to take the lens cap off.

 

Sorry mate but you will be the one left holding the camara this season