More and more fisheries are requesting that all anglers must be in possession of a fish antiseptic, having spoken to many anglers and listened to there views, we have decided that to introduce this new rule!

Fish safety is imperative for the ongoing success of South Combe Waters. Fish are expensive; they are also fragile and are likely to be caught many times in their lifetime. It is very important that the experience of being hooked, landed, unhooked, weighed, photographed then returned is of minimal stress to the fish, and done as quickly and efficiently as possible. In short, we must look after our quarry to the best of our ability and do all we can to avoid damage to our stock.

It is inevitable that every fish caught will have at least one wound – where the hook went in. It is also possible that you may catch fish that are damaged already, be it spawning, rubbing or poor angling. EVERY wound should be treated by antiseptic. Korda have brought out dedicated kits for mouth and body, some advocate bonjela. Klinik, by Kryston is also a long term favourite. A top tip here is to treat the fish as soon as it is unhooked. This gives time for the antiseptic to start to work while weighing, photographing before returning back to the water. Any wound, no matter how small, should be treated before returning.

Please can you make sure that all fishermen, and fishing ladies have an antiseptic treatment with them when they arrive, if not, or are unable to get one before you arrive we will be selling Bottles of Antiseptic at the cost price of £5.00 !!!