Can anglers fishing our venues, such a Silver End Pits, including those fishing for say tench and bream, who catch a large carp please only attempt to weigh it if you have the proper equipment. Bailiffs have seen anglers trying to weigh a twenty pound plus fish in a weigh net bag with the result that the carp has fallen out of the bag and rolled down the bank. There is also a danger of fins and tails splitting with a weigh net bag.
Please use a weigh sling with rigid poles along the top. These come in two types – weigh slings and retention slings, the descriptions of which are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing.
A weigh sling is equipment used to safely carry the carp while you weigh it. A retention sling does exactly that, but with an added buoyancy element. Essentially, retention slings allow an angler to temporarily retain the carp in the water before and after weighing it. Doing so, enables the fish to recover. These are particularly useful if the water is sufficiently deep in the margin but tend to be more bulky to carry.
Best Carp Weigh Sling – Top 7 Carp Slings of 2022 (carphideout.co.uk)
If you do not have a rigid pole sling to weigh a large carp return the fish to the water immediately without attempting to weigh it.
The fish welfare guidance webpage has been updated to include further advice on weigh slings.