The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Usual comments jumping to conclusions and ridiculous statement about being poisoned by boiled paste baits.

The fish was landed from the main lake, not the carp lake. There is very limited carp angling on there by all accounts and certainly not a lot of bait.

I'm told the captor didn't want pictures at all. The owner insisted on the mat shots and there is a picture of the captor sat behind it although he has asked for no publicity.

The fish is clearly unwell and at a totally bloated size, a lot of that weight will be water, suffice to say the lucky/unlucky captor just wanted it swimming off from his net without the added ordeals.

It is no fault of any angler, it is no fault of the captor, I merely thought some may be interested to hear that the falsely grown fish have a lot further to go if the farmers really want to be able to boast that they own the heaviest carp that Britain has seen.

Well said Shaun, the main or coarse lake is pretty big and a good percentage is inaccessible, most anglers who join it do so to eventually get access to the carp lake. There are however quite a few carp in the main lake but it is difficult and does not see much in the way of carp anglers or bait.
Knowing how and when the fish were stocked I would suggest it is not an old fish, about fourteen or fifteen years old,
I too would say well done to the captor on his treatment of this obviously unwell fish.

I've heard that Wingham is a very rich lake and that this fish has been out a few times over the years and with a good steady growth rate... it's a pretty fish bar the bloated stomach, (spawnbound most likely) I'm pleased that the captor has eschewed a record claim, but having said that it would probably fit the qualifying criteria as a record... fair play to the captor, it's certainly a fish of a lifetime... I'm still struggling to put a 30 on the bank

Would there not have been something one could have done for this fish regarding what ever ailment it was suffering from? I presume this may have been difficult to achieve.

The secret is to enjoy catching fish <or not catching fish> on your own terms.

Who cares about records? That's a route to 100% sure dissapointment. And leads to perveted exploiters. (Reared fish and overstuffed match style carp puddles).

Well done the captor - photo for factual/biological purposes and end of. Wish that attitude was universal.