Check, Clean, Dry

[Paul Bullinger]

I am Secretary of a small fishing club in the Norfolk Broads. I have just received some leaflets from the EA regarding their Check, Clean, Dry campaign.
I am sure us anglers are well aware of the multiple threats from water borne diseases and parasites but this long running campaign is aimed at us all to ensure we check our equipment at the waterside washing off as much mud, weed etc as we can. At home landing nets, unhooking mats and, if used, keep nets should be cleaned in hot water and left to dry thoroughly. Apologies if this is like "teaching grandmother to suck eggs" (where DID that phrase come from?!) but here in Norfolk we have threats from invasive plants, killer shrimp, American crayfish to name a few. At least our other threats to fish stocks, the otters and cormorants, can't hide in my landing net!!!

 

[Ian Lovett]

Does anyone clean their nets in hot water? I don't know anyone that does.

I thoroughly dry my nets, mat, etc and remove any weed. That's it.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I've never seen the advice to clean nets with hot water before, I'd always believed leaving them to dry in the sun was ok.

I would never take a wet net, unhooking mat etc from venue to another. I couldn't believe my eyes a few seasons back when chatting to another angler on a mere I fish as he unpacked and breezily announced he'd just come from 'The Monument', his unhooking mat and net were bloody soaking. He hadn't a clue about the potential damage he could have caused to the fish in the mere which still has the some of the old originals kicking about..

 

[Paul Bullinger]

Does anyone clean their nets in hot water? I don't know anyone that does.

I thoroughly dry my nets, mat, etc and remove any weed. That's it.

Yes, I agree. Using hot water is a bit over the top, but it appears that's what's "recommended".

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

The issue here really is what are you trying to kill and what’s an acceptable balance of risk and probability.

Most parasites aren’t going to survive drying out and UV (sunlight) exposure. But some especially the “egg” phase could. Warm (in excess of 37c) soapy or mildly chlorinated (bleached) water is pretty cast iron. I’d say that is probably overkill and unnecessary for most anglers fishing one or two venues a week on different days for example.