20/06/2025
Warning: We are approaching a period of extremely high temperatures. It is imperative that all visitors understand the severe impact this can have on the aquatic environment.
🌡️ EXTREME HEAT ADVISORY
The water in ANY lake will experience a significant decrease in dissolved oxygen levels due to the much warmer weather. This danger is compounded in weedy lakes and at a time when fish are already vulnerable after spawning.
💔 THE SILENT KILLER
In these conditions, carp can easily perish if they are over-handled or retained. Almost every time this occurs, the captor is blissfully unaware of the fatal consequences. The fish may swim away, but it will often die a slow death later. While carp are incredibly resilient, they are not indestructible.
This is not an attempt to spoil your enjoyment; it is a critical appeal to raise awareness on an often-overlooked issue that has potential life-or-death
consequences for our fish.
Please adhere to the following essential guidelines whenever these conditions are present:
* ** IMMEDIATE RECOVERY IN THE WATER** ❗
* DO NOT remove the fish from the water immediately after a prolonged fight. Allow it at least 5 minutes to recover in the net. This is not a suggestion; it is a necessity.
* 💧 FRESH, COOL WATER ONLY
* Ensure you have a bucket of fresh lake water. DO NOT use water that has been left standing on the bank, as it will be significantly warmer and deoxygenated. Use this fresh water generously at every stage of the weighing and photography process. The more water, the better.
* 🚫 ZERO RETENTION POLICY
* DO NOT retain carp for any significant length of time. This includes "waiting for sunrise." A retained carp is already under extreme stress, and confining it to a low-oxygen environment is often a death sentence. This practice kills hundreds of carp annually without the captor's knowledge.
* 💪 ENSURE A STRONG RELEASE
* Give the fish all the time it needs to recover before release. DO NOT let it go until you are 100% certain it is strong enough to swim off powerfully. If you have any concerns about its recovery, gently agitate the water around the fish's head to ensure a steady flow of fresh, oxygenated water over its gills.
* 🩹 TREAT ALL WOUNDS
* Treat every hook hold and any lifted scales. This is a fundamental aspect of fish care at all times of the year.
A Final, Serious Note:
The rules regarding hooks, leaders, bait, lead clips etc etc are insignificant compared to the fish care directives outlined above., I can assure you that poor handling on the bank causes a thousand times more harm to carp than any tackle-related
I trust in your ability as an angler to be responsibly and care for our beautiful carp.
Please, at all times, treat these fish with the absolute utmost respect. Their lives are in your hands.
Tight lines 😎
