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.