Gardner Intensive Care Carp Spray

Contents & Coverage

There's one item, a 60ml bottle with a pump atomiser cap, and the treatment inside is medicated, antibacterial and antifungal. Its active formula is made to penetrate the affected area straight away, reducing infection and assisting the fish's natural healing process.

The list of uses is long.

Hook holds and lifted scales are the everyday jobs, but it also covers sores and ulcers, mild infections, spawning damage and wounds from predators, and it suits all freshwater species rather than carp alone, so it'll do just as well for a tench or a bream.

What keeps it at 8.0 is that it's one product. The Gardner Intensive Carp Care Pack adds a gel for wounds where a surface spray isn't enough, and the Korda Carp Care Kit pairs an antiseptic cleaner with a separate sealant.

For a single bottle, though, it covers a very wide range of damage.

Ease of Use

Using it couldn't be much simpler. Give the bottle a good shake, aim the nozzle and spray minor cuts and grazes directly, then return the fish straight away, keeping it wet on the mat the whole time.

A couple of points need care. Keep the spray well away from the gills, as their membranes are delicate, which means aiming carefully around the head and mouth. Wipe the nozzle after use as well, otherwise it can clog before the next fish.

Is there a quicker way to treat a hook hold? Not really, and for me that's why it scores so well for ease.

The care needed near the gills is the only thing that stops it going higher, and I'd reach for the Carp Care UK Acute Antibacterial Swabs for wounds close to the eyes and gills.

Portability

One 60ml bottle is easy to carry. It'll go in a rucksack pocket, a carryall or the front of a bait bag, and it's small enough to sit with your forceps and unhooking tools, so it's always within reach when a fish is in the net.

It's a little larger than the 30ml bottles in some kits, but it's still a small item, and a single bottle rather than a pouch of bits is quick to grab when you need it in a hurry.

There's no gel, swab or pouch to keep track of either, which keeps things simple when a fish is waiting on the mat.

Overall, I think it's about as easy to carry as fish care gets, and it earns its 9.0 for portability without any fuss. If you only want one thing in your pocket on a short session, it's a sensible choice.

Is it good value for money?

It's one of the cheaper treatments you can buy, and 60ml is a decent amount of spray for the money. If you only carry one product, it covers a very wide list of uses for a single bottle, from fresh hook holds right through to spawning damage.

Next to the Korda Propolis Carp Care All In One, it's a quick spray rather than a liquid sealant that stays on the fish, and which you prefer comes down to speed or staying power.

If you also want something for deeper wounds, the Gardner Intensive Carp Care Pack adds the gel and swabs in a camo pouch.

Overall, I'd recommend the Intensive Care Carp Spray to carp anglers who want fast, simple treatment on the mat, and to anyone fishing for a mix of freshwater species who wants one bottle that covers them all.