Old Warriors...

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

I think their skin goes wrinkly, just the same as when we stay in the water too long. As for the colours, I think they do mature, but don't think they change too much. Look at the 57 year old Leney I had from WW, colours are amazing, but it has probably always been that way.

[Julian]

Not in the same class as FB's and SK's superb old warriors but I believe this carp was probably one of the originals from a wonderful carp pool I used to fish just a few years ago (very sadly no more).
The carp were originally put in from another water in about the mid 1970's and not large at the time - so probably around 5 years old in the mid 70's. If the carp was one of the originals (not certain because the pool which became a syndicate in the mid 70's remained a syndicate from then onwards and was restocked on more than one occasion) then that would make it about 40 years old when I caught it.
The reason I believe it to be that age was its appearance. The photos are not good quality but if you enlarge them you can see the strange dark colouration - sort of plum/ burgundy/ purple colours, and almost completely black on the back and coming down over the mouth at the front, as well as old scars, plus the top lip was sadly completely missing but it had obviously happened a very long time ago from the way the mouth had healed over in that area. The carp weighed around 18lbs and was was caught at about 1.00pm on a reallly hot July day:






The first view of the pool as you approach it through a spinney:




Paradise lost:

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Stunning old girl that, and the pond looks a bit peachy too.....

[Mark]

Very nice.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

I'd love to find out how old this one is. Still going too....

Copse Lake Scaley from The Match Lake Yateley.

[Julian]

Stunning old girl that, and the pond looks a bit peachy too.....

The pool - about 2 acres - is very similar in shape to Redmire - about 200 yards in length but narrower than Redmire.
It was originaly about ten separate Victorian clay ponds all very close together. In the early 70's most of the narrow strips of banks between them were partially removed to create one pool - but with lots of shallow bars that were originally the dividing banks.A couple of the sections of bank were left creating strips of 'land' bars going out into the pool. Over time the bushes and then trees grew up on the land bars creating sort of 'tunnels' with the pool on either side:


The pool is both to the right and the left of this 'tunnel'

[Trevor]

That does look a lovely place Julian.
And some proper old timers on display as well!

[Gary Bills]

Lovely old carp and pond, Julian, and another stunning capture by SK!
I'm inclined to agree: some modern strains of carp - the fat, football kind - just don't do it for me.

[Julian]

That does look a lovely place Julian.
And some proper old timers on display as well!

The frustrating thing about it is that the place is still there - all locked up - still looks the same when you look through the tiny gaps in the hedges - still beautiful in the summer months - the fish nearly all died in the big freeze of Nov'10 to Jan'11 -but at least three of the carp survived (the old bailiff at the time still used to walk its banks for a couple of months until the lease with the landowner ran out).There is a conservation order on the place because of the historic connection as a Victorian clay works, so even though there is gradually getting some encroaching development it will remain an almost hidden isolated oasis, surrounded by dense trees and bushes and a fence on three sides and a rural railway line on the fourth side.
As far as I know it is still available as a fishing pool ( its just on the Bucks/ Beds border) by contacting the landowner and taking out a lease.The previous syndicate owner gave it up after the fish deaths, having already been in a long term dispute with the landowner for a couple of years over the rent, because of a problem previously with salvinia weed making it unfishable for a year and a half.

[Gary Bills]

I just thought I'd post this image from Ashperton Moat, circa 2005 - I have titled this image "fish fight", for obvious reasons, but I always think of it as "carp puffing" - given my odd expression, - the sudden expansion of my cheeks! If I recall correctly, I thought the fish was beaten, but I was wrong...!

fishfight.jpg