Carp care is the same wherever you fish, so please follow our fish care rules above. Some of the Etang Bertie carp object to being out of the water and can really “kick” so remember to keep the fish near to the ground and be prepared to get over it and hold it still if it does try to flap about etc. Big fish can do themselves a lot of harm if they are not restrained positively.

For those of you not used to handling big cats the following might be of use. You can hold and move cats by gripping them by their lower jaw. It is like rough sandpaper to touch, so we recommend you bring a glove with your. Landing the bigger cats can be an issue. If it will not go in the landing net, them probable the best solution is to thoroughly wet the cat mat (or cat sling) slide one end into the margin, and then grip the cat by it’s bottom jaw and slide it up the bank. It is very easy to lose track of how long you have the cat out of the water, so please return the fish into the margin, get help etc. so you are organised for the pictures, weighing etc.

Both with the bigger carp and the bigger cats, it is our experience that someone is going to get wet and slimy… we are told it all adds to the fun!