Trakker Sanctuary PaddedProtekta Mat,
Fish care has to be one of your most important considerations to make on the bank. It is only by looking after the fish that you land that the low double you catch today will be able to flourish into a personal best capture of the future. This is why it is vital that you’re able to invest in the highest quality fish care equipment and everything from your landing net to your weigh sling needs to be considered when you’re looking to land a carp. One of the most important additions to your fish care range has to be your unhooking mat. You need to be able to ensure that you can carefully and safely remove your terminal tackle from the mouth of your fish on the bank, as well as have a place to examine your capture for any damage – whether that has been caused by predators or other, less conscientious anglers. Fish care is a primary concern for the Trakker team, which is why the brand has designed its own dedicated carp care line: Sanctuary. Sanctuary focuses on ensuring that its fish care products are bang up to scratch and in line with all modern carp care standards.
This Trakker Sanctuary Padded Pretekta Mat is one such product. Designed to give you a soft and padded surface on which you can unhook and temporarily retain your fish, this mat is a carp fishing essential for the dedicated carper. The main body of the mat is manufactured from a high density foam. This ensures that you’re able to rest your fish down in complete confidence that it will be fully protected from any rough bankside terrain. The vast majority of non-predator fish injuries are sustained when they are out of the water and cause themselves harm on rough or uneven banks. The deep foam used on this mat ensures that your carp are perfectly cushioned whilst out of the water.
The surface material on the mat is just as important as the cushioning when it comes to fish care and the Trakker Sanctuary Protekta Mat uses PVC throughout. This is a completely fish friendly material which is super smooth and ultra water resistant. Being smooth is vital to long-term fish safety, as rough surfaces can remove the protective mucus which surrounds the fish. This mucus prevents the spread of infection and disease in fish stock, so it is essential that any material which is going to come into direct contact with your capture is completely fish friendly. The waterproof element of this material plays its part in this also, as fish should always be handled with damp hands on a damp surface. However, the benefit of the waterproofing is two-fold and it also ensures that your pack down time can be significantly reduced. Changes are, you’re going to want to keep your unhooking mat out and primed until the very last moment, so the last thing you’re going to want to do is to wait for it to dry out before you complete your pack down and head home – particularly if the weather is less than clement. The water resistant nature of PVC means that you only need to wipe down this mat with a dry cloth to dry it off, so you can head home on time and keep in the other-half’s good books!
You’ll notice that this mat has also been fitted with a heavy-duty zipped fish retaining lid. This is because it has been proven that fish are calmer and less stressed in dark locations, as this better mimics the conditions under the water. You can keep your fish calm and safe whilst you set up your photography or weighing equipment by zipping them into this Trakker Sanctuary Padded Protekta Mat (please note, no fish should be held in the mat for more than a couple of moments to ensure fish safety).