Keepnets, good or bad?

[Bri]

Personally. I feel yes.

I like to take a picture of my catch at the end of the day and I also feel if its good for Matchmen,why not pleasure anglers.

Surely we both treat the fish with the same respect.

I also think if they where allowed for pleasure anglers the owners would geta lot mre bums on the bank.

Your views...........

[Danny]

Am with you on this one BC.

Whats good for one has to be good for all. But on the other hand you got to think its not good for the fish to be locked up all day. With the match men its only 5 hours most the time and all day with the pleasure angler??

[Bri]

True.


But the matchman may only visit a venue, maybe once a month. The pleasure angler may visit three or four times. I just do not think it is fair in this way. Also were is the scientific proof that fish fell stress whilst in a net?

[Danny]

Yea scientists eh......................they made the banana lamb enough said about them.

[kipper]

dont use them myself

[mully]

I have never used a keeper net for anything else but my live bait,both fresh and salt,it is illegal for us to throw back redfin or carp into any waters so they must be destroyed when caught...I take a photo and send him home with the rest unless i want a BBQ ,but even then they are way over legal limits im a fussy bugga.

[blokey]

Ive just gone through a mini war on another site through my photo signature which shows a 44lb net of roach, quickly photographed out of the net on a large wet tarpaulin and then all four corners eased up and all the fish gently released and not one fish bellied up.
The guy thought that it was amunition for the antis, well he,s entitled to his opinion.
I think a keepnet is like a lot of other kit we use. If its used properly there is no risk to the fish at all its when the abusers either through ignorance or negigence abuse the use of a net that the trouble starts and as a bailif of my own club waters Ive seen time and time again that a lot of anglers cannot be trusted to use commonsense and therefore to protect the fish you have to sadly lay the law down.

[Bri]

Hi Blokey,

But surely this must apply to matchmen to then? I have with my own eyes seen fish literally thrown into nets by guys fishng matches in order to get their hook back in the water as quick as possible. I understand matches puts bums on banks but so would allowing pleasure anglers the privilege of seeing their days catch altogether. I know I and others would frequent a water a lot more if we were allowed.

There are both sensible and idiotic anglers in both branches of the sport and I just feel the pleasure angler gets treated badly without any real justification.

[blokey]

I had my apprentice ship on Elton res , Penny flash and Rudyard many many years ago BC and followed a very happy 30 years of matchfishing. I was never any good at it but I loved it. I think the matchmen of those days are like a lot of the carp anglers too. They were a far higher calibre in just about everyway. I couldnt agree with you more now. Ive seen some appaling malpractice over the last 10-15 years accepted as the norm that would have got you disqualified and despised years ago and its all down to the selfish hunt for the coin.
This is why I say, I love to use my keepnet. I dont fish carp commercials I hate them. Used properly a keepnet does no harm but in my experience as a club bailif now there are very anglers that you can trust to put their fish first and their motives second and depressing as it is juniors are being brought on in the same mould. Its all about trying to get a ton plus in your net, kidding yourself and fast fixes without effort.
Watercraft, surroundings, peace and tranquility, the beauty of the actual fish go past as unrequired and unoticed to a large extent. I fully understand why a lot of fishery owners have a lot of the rules that they do.