A bit of a controversial topic, but I'm fishing a canal at the moment and most of my bites are coming between 1am and 4am. I'm looking to retain the fish until early morning if it isn't too far off so I can take better pictures. I don't really want to use a retainer sling as I want the fish to site in the deeper water down the middle.
Has anyone got any advice? How long can I safely retain them for? Should I pull the sack up every hour or so to check the fish isn't in distress?
Has anyone got any advice? How long can I safely retain them for? Should I pull the sack up every hour or so to check the fish isn't in distress?
In reply to Post #1
Personally I'd say get a decent light and do night shots. Or a powerful head torch sat on a bucket would do. No reason to retain them bar setting up the camera area
Personally I'd say get a decent light and do night shots. Or a powerful head torch sat on a bucket would do. No reason to retain them bar setting up the camera area
In reply to Post #2
Exactly that
Exactly that
+ 3
Posts 2&3 are the ideal advice, naturally.
I can see why you'd want to sack in deeper water, especially at this time of year. I think there's a dangerous precedent set nowadays with retaining fish in floating retainers even if they wade them out to deeper water, they float in the upper layers whether they're in deeper water or not!
The problem as I see it, you don't know what's in a canal/water unless you've seen the bottom before you fish. I would never sack a fish in a sinking sack anywhere I wasn't 100% sure was snag free for the entire area the fish could travel in that sack, and naturally it'd still have a float to indicate where it was. I wouldn't check the fish for distress, that will cause more distress, the exact opposite of what you want, though they do tend to be quieter in sinking sacks in my experience. Also to bare in mind, different canals are different in design, eg, a lot of the bridgewater has a ledge to around 1m out and 1m deep, it was for horses if they fell in. That ledge can have sharp edges and gaps where cords can get caught.
I can see why you wouldn't want to use flash on a canal at night...but....for me it's as the first 2 replies, get decent self take gear, or do the unthinkable......make do with a mat shot of just the fish. Just me, but I've never done self take, I fish for me, don't need to see my ugly mug in the pic
I can see why you'd want to sack in deeper water, especially at this time of year. I think there's a dangerous precedent set nowadays with retaining fish in floating retainers even if they wade them out to deeper water, they float in the upper layers whether they're in deeper water or not!
The problem as I see it, you don't know what's in a canal/water unless you've seen the bottom before you fish. I would never sack a fish in a sinking sack anywhere I wasn't 100% sure was snag free for the entire area the fish could travel in that sack, and naturally it'd still have a float to indicate where it was. I wouldn't check the fish for distress, that will cause more distress, the exact opposite of what you want, though they do tend to be quieter in sinking sacks in my experience. Also to bare in mind, different canals are different in design, eg, a lot of the bridgewater has a ledge to around 1m out and 1m deep, it was for horses if they fell in. That ledge can have sharp edges and gaps where cords can get caught.
I can see why you wouldn't want to use flash on a canal at night...but....for me it's as the first 2 replies, get decent self take gear, or do the unthinkable......make do with a mat shot of just the fish. Just me, but I've never done self take, I fish for me, don't need to see my ugly mug in the pic
In reply to Post #1
I fish mostly canals and on one tomorrow mate I wouldn't sack them in this weather or at all really I'd get a small tripod for your phone or invest in a camera take shots and get it back as soon as possible,maybe do some test shots before.
Good luck mate as canals are never always easy I haven't had one out since 2019 and that was my best year.
I fish mostly canals and on one tomorrow mate I wouldn't sack them in this weather or at all really I'd get a small tripod for your phone or invest in a camera take shots and get it back as soon as possible,maybe do some test shots before.
Good luck mate as canals are never always easy I haven't had one out since 2019 and that was my best year.
For those times you do need to retain them (your decision)
Have a look at the new thinking anglers sling sack
You can keep the floats in to use as a retainer and take them out if you want a sack
And you weigh them in it as well
Well thought out piece of kit
https://thinkinganglers.com/portfolio/camfleck-all-in-one/
Annoyingly only in camo though
Have a look at the new thinking anglers sling sack
You can keep the floats in to use as a retainer and take them out if you want a sack
And you weigh them in it as well
Well thought out piece of kit
https://thinkinganglers.com/portfolio/camfleck-all-in-one/
Annoyingly only in camo though
In reply to Post #7
I will offer my opinion for what its worth of what I would do as I think I would want a good shot as well,recently had this on my lake and got me thinking. Sack....deep water with mediocre temperatures I would go for two hours maximum. Retaining sling...45 minutes maximum, I would always think about the weather if I needed to adjust a bit either way. I consider myself a good angler putting the carp 1st would be important to me. Anyone who disagrees with my thought are very welcome to disagree but that's about where I am.
I will offer my opinion for what its worth of what I would do as I think I would want a good shot as well,recently had this on my lake and got me thinking. Sack....deep water with mediocre temperatures I would go for two hours maximum. Retaining sling...45 minutes maximum, I would always think about the weather if I needed to adjust a bit either way. I consider myself a good angler putting the carp 1st would be important to me. Anyone who disagrees with my thought are very welcome to disagree but that's about where I am.
In reply to Post #1
Search for a 96 LED photo lamp (to avoid paying the Carp Tax!) and for under £20 you have a very good option for night shots. You can put it on your hotshoe on a camera or on a bankstick as an additional light source whilst using the built in flash on your camera or if using a phone.
A good flash shot looks better if done well than a day shot in my opinion and also conveys when the fish was caught, which is part of the "story".
It's easy to blow out fish if the flash is too close or alternatively the shot can look totally lost if the fish and captor are only just visible in the gloom. It takes a bit of understanding and practice (without a fish) but when you experiment and work out the best settings for you device, the results can be very pleasing.
I don't like sacking for long periods although a friend told me that he was called to photograph a good fish for a well known angler for a book and 2 days later he was called for the brace shot!
Search for a 96 LED photo lamp (to avoid paying the Carp Tax!) and for under £20 you have a very good option for night shots. You can put it on your hotshoe on a camera or on a bankstick as an additional light source whilst using the built in flash on your camera or if using a phone.
A good flash shot looks better if done well than a day shot in my opinion and also conveys when the fish was caught, which is part of the "story".
It's easy to blow out fish if the flash is too close or alternatively the shot can look totally lost if the fish and captor are only just visible in the gloom. It takes a bit of understanding and practice (without a fish) but when you experiment and work out the best settings for you device, the results can be very pleasing.
I don't like sacking for long periods although a friend told me that he was called to photograph a good fish for a well known angler for a book and 2 days later he was called for the brace shot!
Get a Rhino Beam. Sacking fish is for the TV.
In all the years people have been fishing who has ever seen first hand someone or yourself retaining a fish and it being dead in the morning when going to photograph it? Or said fish dying shorty after? Personally I prefer a sack to let the fish sit at what depth it feels comfortable in.
In reply to Post #10
Get a Rhino Beam.
Or search for 96 LED photo lamp and save yourself £13!
Get a Rhino Beam.
Or search for 96 LED photo lamp and save yourself £13!
In reply to Post #1
Ken Townley's 'safe sacks' thread on the tackle section is a great read.
Ken Townley's 'safe sacks' thread on the tackle section is a great read.
I love a night shot anyway, helps you remember you caught it at night .They are easy enough to do with the kit available these days. A decent phone camera sorts it all out for you.
In reply to Post #11
Unfortunately I've witnessed it a couple of times.
Unfortunately I've witnessed it a couple of times.
I'd rather return a fish without taking a picture than sack it as I rarely take pictures anyway and have never shared a fish picture on social media. While I do like to look at some pictures like the ones in a certain bait thread here and those Freund's share with me the majority posted on social media are nothing special.
Catch it, leave it in the net for 5 minutes to recover and use this time to get your camera or phone set up, take a practice selfie over the mat, when ready go and get the fish for a couple of quick snaps using a self take app (or say cheese) and the return to the water in the weigh sling.
A few more minutes to recover again, then release.
A few more minutes to recover again, then release.
In reply to Post #17
Perfect.
Perfect.
In reply to Post #11
In all the years people have been fishing who has ever seen first hand someone or yourself retaining a fish and it being dead in the morning when going to photograph it?
Well, you've been lucky, but to imply it's unheard of is ridiculous....so READ ON for the very WORST example of it.
I Arrived at Joncherry (France), been there twice before, a lovely couple and there young child lived in the on site house and ran the place for the owners (on our 1st 2 trips). We turn up for the 3rd trip and the lake owners son is now in charge, (was it Stefan Bachilier, blonde guy quite young, very well turned out, those who fished early 0's, The Mauripaire Lakes etc, Dave Paynes drive and survive will know). Anyway we get read the riot act (you English, that sort of thing), checking nets, slings, unhooking mats, basically he went through the lot. At the end he still wasn't happy and I gave it him both barrels (not swearing), who the hell did he think he was talking to me like that...my friend wasn't happy with me afterwards, said I could have ruined it for both of us (fair enough, but I won't be talked to like that because of someone elses actions), to be fair he was o.k.
Anyway, we set up, all calmed down and he came to talk to us and explain his actions which I thought was very good of him. The week before a group of English lads had been fishing the lake, they went into town for the beer and ladies and when they came back they started fishing again. They caught and sacked before turning in. In the morning the bailiff did the rounds to sacks of dead fish up to and over 40lb. IIRC it wasn't even late when he went round but it was in the middle of a 40degc spell so it didn't need to be.
It was almost a case of no more English when we arrived, I felt really very sorry for the owner.
In all the years people have been fishing who has ever seen first hand someone or yourself retaining a fish and it being dead in the morning when going to photograph it?
Well, you've been lucky, but to imply it's unheard of is ridiculous....so READ ON for the very WORST example of it.
I Arrived at Joncherry (France), been there twice before, a lovely couple and there young child lived in the on site house and ran the place for the owners (on our 1st 2 trips). We turn up for the 3rd trip and the lake owners son is now in charge, (was it Stefan Bachilier, blonde guy quite young, very well turned out, those who fished early 0's, The Mauripaire Lakes etc, Dave Paynes drive and survive will know). Anyway we get read the riot act (you English, that sort of thing), checking nets, slings, unhooking mats, basically he went through the lot. At the end he still wasn't happy and I gave it him both barrels (not swearing), who the hell did he think he was talking to me like that...my friend wasn't happy with me afterwards, said I could have ruined it for both of us (fair enough, but I won't be talked to like that because of someone elses actions), to be fair he was o.k.
Anyway, we set up, all calmed down and he came to talk to us and explain his actions which I thought was very good of him. The week before a group of English lads had been fishing the lake, they went into town for the beer and ladies and when they came back they started fishing again. They caught and sacked before turning in. In the morning the bailiff did the rounds to sacks of dead fish up to and over 40lb. IIRC it wasn't even late when he went round but it was in the middle of a 40degc spell so it didn't need to be.
It was almost a case of no more English when we arrived, I felt really very sorry for the owner.
So they sacked the fish and slept in well it's that hot! not the same as sacking a fish an having some shots in the morning just after sun rise before it's stupidly hot. That's not the sacking of the fish that stupid pissed up anglers being irresponsible.
In reply to Post #20
So they sacked the fish and slept in well it's that hot! not the same as sacking a fish an having some shots in the morning just after sun rise before it's stupidly hot.
Who said it was
though that is the topic.
It was written, and I quoted, but you missed it...so here it is again
In all the years people have been fishing who has ever seen first hand someone or yourself retaining a fish and it being dead in the morning when going to photograph it?
That statement is a generalisation, not specific to the topic*
EDIT * as time retained not stated
So they sacked the fish and slept in well it's that hot! not the same as sacking a fish an having some shots in the morning just after sun rise before it's stupidly hot.
Who said it was
though that is the topic. It was written, and I quoted, but you missed it...so here it is again
In all the years people have been fishing who has ever seen first hand someone or yourself retaining a fish and it being dead in the morning when going to photograph it?
That statement is a generalisation, not specific to the topic*
EDIT * as time retained not stated
Your one example isn't a simple case of someone sacking a carp for few hours it's pissed up knob heads sleeping in all morning in silly heat. 👍🏻
If you're responsible, sack fish. I've done it less than 4 times in the decades I've been carping. Only reason was wanting better shots of nice fish, including my pb. I get paranoid and check them hourly, never once have I had a distressed carp. If anything they are always very chilled out by the looks of it. I‘lol retain fish in a floating sling whilst setting up the camera 95% of the time. If it's really hot in the middle of the day though, I'd sack them as the upper layers will be warmer.
Basically just be responsible. If your question whether it'd be okay then I'd say dont do it unless you're sure. Night shots are easy enough to do relatively well.
I've heard of more carp dying or being in distress from prolonged times in retention slings than sacks (maybe because they are more popular).
Be responsible just like anything in life.
Basically just be responsible. If your question whether it'd be okay then I'd say dont do it unless you're sure. Night shots are easy enough to do relatively well.
I've heard of more carp dying or being in distress from prolonged times in retention slings than sacks (maybe because they are more popular).
Be responsible just like anything in life.
In reply to Post #22
Your one example isn't a simple case of someone sacking a carp for few hours
I thought that I made it clear it was a off topic responce to a generalised comment
You've taken the inference they were in bed for quite some time. How do you or I know it wasn't more than just a few hours. I can't see them coming back from town early, I can't see them catching fish that quickly and the bailiff made his rounds early in the morning, around 8am iirc, so potentially the Carp were only sacked for a few hours, point is it's summer, it's hot and the water is deoxygenated in the upper layers, hence in my earlier response to the OP where I said I could understand him wanting to sack in deeper water.
You make it sound like a few hours is acceptable in summer, that's all it takes unless in deeper water and even then it's questionable, we'll have to agree to disagree
Your one example isn't a simple case of someone sacking a carp for few hours
I thought that I made it clear it was a off topic responce to a generalised comment
You've taken the inference they were in bed for quite some time. How do you or I know it wasn't more than just a few hours. I can't see them coming back from town early, I can't see them catching fish that quickly and the bailiff made his rounds early in the morning, around 8am iirc, so potentially the Carp were only sacked for a few hours, point is it's summer, it's hot and the water is deoxygenated in the upper layers, hence in my earlier response to the OP where I said I could understand him wanting to sack in deeper water.
You make it sound like a few hours is acceptable in summer, that's all it takes unless in deeper water and even then it's questionable, we'll have to agree to disagree
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