The Importance of Catch and Release

Dear Readers,

I was just thinking if I would write about this issue in some magazine, but I reckon this is the best way to deliver the message. As I have previously written, catch and release fishing (C&R) is quite a new thing in Finland, and coarse fish are mostly regarded as trash. Well, here is a series of photos to point out how C&R can be sustainable when done in the right way. This photo series is about the same carp caught in three consecutive years. The fish has been putting on weight every year.

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2011

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2012.

Linear carp "Pöhkis" aka. Simpleton in 2013

I already wrote in my earlier blog about the ESSENTIAL TACKLE considering fish welfare. C&R is not a religion about tossing the fish back in the water, it is about the best practice getting the fish back into the water. I really insist that all people doing C&R or selective fishing should pay attention to fish welfare. For instance, a lot of Finnish pike anglers don't have an unhooking mat. That is totally wrong. The boat floor is not the right place to handle a fish. Without the protection of the unhooking mat, the fish will loose a lot of its mucus layer. The mucus layer is really important for the fish, as it protects the fish from infections and parasites. 

What I always bring with me when I am fishing (fish welfare tackle):

- Big knotless landing net (Prologic XLNT)

- Landing mat (Prologic Inflatable with small walls)

- Weight sling (Prologic)

- Forceps & disgorger

- Camera tripod (and a lot of technical gimmicks to get the photo taken really fast)

These things are not lightweight. But it is the price you have to pay for fish welfare. If you are not ready to carry several kilos of fish welfare tackle, you should not be fishing at all. After all, it should be about fish welfare, not fisherman welfare. 

Sweat & tears (no blood) - C&R done properly!

Carp Fishing and The Small Issue of Money

Dear Readers,

Carp Fishing is not from the cheapest side of different fishing styles. To be more precise, you at least have to invest some of your hard earned money just for carp mats etc. So if you don't want to spend 100-200 euros for fish welfare, please don't start carping. Catch and Release is not a religion, it's about treating the fish right and fishing in a sustainable and ethical way.

But yes, now to the budget side of fishing... The easiest way to break this down is probably making a small list of where the money goes:

•  Carp fishing essentials (carp care) cost from 100 to 400 euros.
• Carp fishing essentials 2 (fishing tackle) cost from 400 to xxx euros. You can spend a fortune on these, but you can manage with a 30 euro reel and a 30 euro rod. My choice would be a 100 euro rod and a 100 euro reel.
• Bivvie+bedchair+sleeping bag. Cost from 250 euros.

The previous investments are the stuff that you can use year after year, and then there are the real money eaters...

Where did my money go?! Carp fishing is really good for the oil companies!

• Bait is something where you should invest some money. I normally use bait for two prebaitings and during my fishing. For a normal campaign, I usually spend about 50-75 euros for bait.
• Gasoline/Diesel... I probably would have bought my fishing kit five times with the money I have spent on fuel. One year I drove about 4000 km in the search for good fishing spots and prebaiting. It cost me about 600 euros for the gasoline alone.

The last two things are the ones you have to invest finding the lakes and the fish. And considering all the hard work and money I have put into finding suitable carp fishing spots, I find it a bit funny that people ask me where to fish for carp. Please do use the same 2000 euros and 1000 hours and ask me after that :) When you have done the same what I have done, you really understand that there is nothing to win in sharing the fishing spots.