Admittedly i've copied this from another lakes website but i thought it was that good we should use it,this section will be printed out and a copy kept in the peg folders which i am still creating
Handling carp ; for most of the time the carp can be regarded as a reasonably tough creature however at times it can need the most delicate of care for its welfare. During the late winter and spring the carp's eggs develop prior to spawning and as the hundreds of thousands of eggs grow they expand in a very thin membrane almost like tissue paper, because the membrane is fine and delicate it is very easily damaged when the carp is caught and banked. If it does get damaged the carp normally dies about 12 to 14 days later and then floats up somewhere in the lake with the angler that caught it completely unaware of the consequences. So we should have a little forethought to the handling and the list of events that happen after a capture. Some anglers like to get the carp in the net as soon as possible and really bully the carp in, its not good practice though because if you bank it too quickly its going to be real handful when its on the mat. Far better to play the carp and let it tire itself, enjoy the playing part its great fun! Of course there is the other extreme of overplaying until the carp is completely exhausted which also isn't good for the fish. Once you have the carp in the landing net give it 30 seconds or so to regain a little energy before lifting it out of the water. Is it a baking hot day? Wet and cool the unhooking mat if required. Break down the net i.e. remove the landing net from the spreader block and before lifting the fish from the water make sure that the fishes pectoral fins are close to its body or they will just break, then roll the net up and with 2 hands lift the carp onto the unhooking mat which should be close to the water. Unroll the landing net and remove the hook from its mouth with the aid of forceps which should be ready and waiting, use a little klinic or similar on the wound to aid the healing process, now remove the landing net by sliding it under the carp starting at the head end so that it doesn't catch on any fins. Now pour a little water over the carp from the bucket that you had ready and waiting. It is a good idea to leave your weighing sling on top of your unhooking mat in preparation of your catch because it is now a simple matter of lifting it gently again making sure its pectoral fins are close to its body, weigh the carp over the unhooking mat and place it down again on the mat. Wet the carp from the bucket of water once again and you are ready for your photo, your camera should have been set up and ready to hand now is not the time to be searching for it or looking for batteries or suchlike. Choose just one side of the carp for your gallery pictures, its now been out of water for a few minutes and the quicker it goes back in the better for its welfare remember all the time that it is out of water is slowly suffocating. Most people tend to just use one or possibly two pictures of each carp for their photo album so photographing just one side means you can spend a little extra time on composure for a great album shot. This does depend to some degree on whether you are left or right handed I am right handed and like to have the carps head end in my left hand, but goes like this; (having removed your watch) kneeling in front of the unhooking mat turn the carp around so that its back and dorsal fin is facing towards you then slide one hand under its body to its uppermost pectoral fin and place the other hand under its body to its anal fin and lift, I keep my right knee on the floor and have my left knee in the air I can then use my left leg and knee to rest my elbow on and take the weight of the fish. Doing it this way means that I am in control of the carp because if it starts to thrash around I can just lay it back down instantly and be ready to start again with complete control. If you lift its head higher than its tail you should be in a good position for a great photo. If you have someone to take the pictures make sure you have shown them how to turn your camera on and off before you get to this point, ask them to make sure the picture of you and your prize are fully in the viewfinder and if digital quickly check that a good picture has been taken, it is best if they take the picture from a kneeling position and not whilst standing. Now gently put the carp back onto the weighing sling and after checking its pectoral fins lift it back to the water in the sling. Never stand up holding a carp and never attempt to hold one in your arms and walk back to the water with it. Many carp have been killed when they have thrashed at an inopportune moment under those circumstances. When the fish is back in the water hold it for a while to check that everything is ok and when it has regained enough energy to swim away let it go. Now back to the beginning it is vital not to let a carp thrash around as the internal tissue like membrane that we mentioned is easily damaged so if the carp begins to thrash at any time try to cover its eyes ( use the wet landing net) and put your bodyweight gently over the top of it until it calms down, also never sit a carp on its belly most of its organs are in the lower part of the fish and having its full unsupported body weight bearing down on them is like me standing on your chest when you are laying down. All fish should be returned to the water as quickly as possible. If you need assistance for any reason always keep the fish in the water in the landing net whilst waiting.
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