FISHRITE Euro Mega Mat

I recently returned from a holiday at the superb Le Queroy in France and during my stay I was fortunate enough to catch more than a few good carp with numerous ‘twenties’ and five 30lb fish gracing my net.

As the water in question is one of extremely high reputation and the lake’s owner known as a man who puts fish welfare above all else, I thought it appropriate to buy myself a new unhooking mat. As always my first stop would be the internet and as a regular reader and contributor of FISHINGmagic this was my first port of call – it was also my last !

After clicking on the ‘Fishritre’ logo on the FISHINGmagic homepage I soon found what I was looking for – The Euro Mega Mat. It appeared to have everything I required and perhaps equally importantly it appeared to be endorsed as the ultimate carp protection mat by every well know carp angler that I had heard of.

The following day saw me down at my local tackle shop and soon I had the mat out in front of me. The first impression was its size – it’s big, and as such probably isn’t ideal for a short session or for the roving angler but if the priority is the welfare of your quarry, it seemed difficult to find fault.

The mat is some 50″ x 36″ in size and 50″ x 66″ if you include the large kneeling pad. This pad folds over both in storage and if you want to cover the fish when on the mat. Constructed from heavy duty waterproof nylon which is easily wiped clean, the mat is filled with a generous amount of foam padding and has pegging points at each corner. All four sides are raised up to stop your fish from sliding off. When folded away it measures 36″ x 25″ and comes complete with fastening clasps and a carrying handle.

I could go on for ages about its worth, but what will probably be a much finer endorsement of this product was the opinion of the fishery owner at Le Queroy, George Sickler. George told me that he does not usually endorse tackle items but in his words this was such an “exceptional fish welfare product” that he was happy to comment on the mat.

Bear in mind that to him these fish are valuable, his business and ultimately his livelihood is dependant on their welfare. However, not only are the carp in Le Queroy a valuable commodity, but George has seen them grow on from single figure fish to weights of over forty pounds and as sees the individual fish as old friends whose welfare is dear to him.

George said:

“On ‘Le Queroy’ we are fortunate enough to be visited by a great many good, caring anglers and the vast majority treat the fish with total respect. Couple this with the fact that unhooking mats on my lakes are compulsory, it means I have seen a great deal of unhooking mats from a great many manufacturers. This one however (the Fishrite Euro Mega Mat) is one that really stands out. In fact I will go as far as to say that it is far and away the best unhooking mat that I have seen to date.

Everything about it, its large size, the padded fish-retaining walls, the fact that it floats (to enable you to safely return the fish) all make it a special item. One of my favourite features is that the mat retains water ensuring that the fish remains wet at all times during the unhooking / photographing / returning process. This ensures none of the fish’s protective slime is lost and an added bonus is that this gives the carp a lovely glossy, wet ‘sheen’ which looks great on photographs.

Another great feature is the large kneeling flap, as well as providing a bigger surface area for the angler and his catch, it can be folded back over onto the fish, keeping it calm when clearing your rods or carrying it back to the water. I wish all visiting anglers would carry one of these.”

To view further details of this and other ‘Fishrite’ products and to locate your nearest outlet click on the ‘Fishrite’ logo in the top right of the FISHINGmagic home page – you won’t be disappointed.