The Redmire stock.

[Skeff]

Now that I've spoken to the Redmire team and have their go-ahead to do so, I am in a position to set the record straight regarding the recent controversy on this page about the Redmire stock.

I got back from a glorious Opening weekend at a classic carp pool, where I have started the season for the past thirty-seven years, on Tuesday evening. No phones or anti-social media, just great fishing with good friends. The contrast to the nonsense I found on the Redmire Pool Facebook page on my return couldn't have been more stark: a reminder of everything I dislike about modern carp angling and anti-social media.

For those with a genuine interest on the current stock in the pool and the future of the water, here are the facts...

Redmire has suffered from otter predation over many years and it was evident from fin damage to fish caught during my first ever visit to fish the pool in 2011. Redmire has also followed the path of many carp fisheries over the years, in that the majority of young carp surviving from spawning over the years have been commons.

The sad fact is that once the Ghost carp and their possible progeny had been removed, there were very few mirrors left from the original stock.
Fortunately, through foresight and good planning, Les had ensured that a number of Redmire Leney mirrors had been stocked into other waters, to counter the risk of the strain being lost. A number of these mirrors formed the backbone of Simon Scott and Viv Shears Leney broodstock at their Surrey farm and the basis for their Leney and Leney/Dink strains. A supply of genuine Redmire Leney mirrors was therefore readily available.

Faced with a predominance of commons in the stock to be returned to Redmire, the decision was taken by the Redmire team (with my full support) to introduce a number of these young, pure-bred Leney mirrors into the pool following completion of the restoration work. This was done to supplement and augment the stock of mainly common carp that remained and that had been reintroduced to Redmire.

So there has been a stocking. The fish stocked are pure-bred Leney mirrors of Redmire origin. Les, Ian Evans and myself hand-picked the carp to reflect the original Redmire stock; including linears (like the Bishop), fully-scaled fish (like Jack Opie's famous fully-scaled carp), scattered-scaled mirrors (like Pat Russell's first fish from the pool) and even a couple of leather carp (like the famous nude leather).

So Redmire is restored and the stock restored and set fair for the future, protected by the new otter fence. With careful management Redmire will remain a high quality carp fishery for decades to come and the integrity of its Leney lineage is intact. I am sure the fish will thrive in their revitalised environment.

Whilst we could restore the physical fabric of the pool and set it back to the way it was in 1952, we couldn't conjure up the long-dead carp of that time. In stocking the pool with the young Redmire Leney's, we have done the next best thing and followed the only path available to ensure that Redmire remains a living carp water, where future generations of anglers can reflect on a golden era of carp angling and savour some of the atmosphere of a unique lake that inspired a generation of anglers.

My professional involvement with the pool is now ended and I wish the new owners of Bernithan every happiness in their new home. I also wish Les, Ian and the rest of the management team of the fishery every success for the future. I am grateful for their hard work and commitment, without which the restoration project could never have happened. Without the work that has taken place , Redmire would now be no more than a silted, lifeless memory.

Lastly, I wish all of those anglers who return to enjoy some peaceful fishing at Redmire the very best. I may see you on the bank.

[Snape]

Well said, Skeff.
Here's to Redmire restored.

[Barbulus]

Absolutely; well done Skeff and the wider team for their foresight, resilience and determination.

While I shall not fish it again, I wish Redmire and the new Owners the very best for a peaceful co-existence for future generations.

[Liphook]

Excellent post Skeff. You can be rightly proud of your work at Redmire I've commented elsewhere on the Redmire renovation, but refuse to involve myself with these so called 'social media' platforms, so have not heard the full story so to speak, nor do I want to! I would simply ignore the detractors. Some anglers are funny folk and some obsessive carpers doubly so in my experience. Redmire lives on, so well done to you and all those involved

[Mark]

Well said, Skeff.
Here's to Redmire restored.

Hear hear.

[PershoreHarrier]

I have fished a pool in Worcestershire since the mid 1970s rumoured from reliable sources to have received some small carp from Redmire in the late 1950s early 60s so perhaps the original Redmire stock and their offsprings are more widely spread than perhaps thought.

[Snape]

I have fished a pool in Worcestershire since the mid 1970s rumoured from reliable sources to have received some small carp from Redmire in the late 1950s early 60s so perhaps the original Redmire stock and their offsprings are more widely spread than perhaps thought.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. Redmire carp were moved all over the place. I once saw a letter written by Eddie Price saying how he and others took 14 carp from Redmire and stocked them in a pool at Bourton on the Water.

[PershoreHarrier]

I have fished a pool in Worcestershire since the mid 1970s rumoured from reliable sources to have received some small carp from Redmire in the late 1950s early 60s so perhaps the original Redmire stock and their offsprings are more widely spread than perhaps thought.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. Redmire carp were moved all over the place. I once saw a letter written by Eddie Price saying how he and others took 14 carp from Redmire and stocked them in a pool at Bourton on the Water.

Bourton-on-the Water is of course Gloucestershire - I am aware of two pools in Worcestershire that received donations from the Redmire Carp family with that information coming from a reliable source.

[Barbulus]

Courtesy Colin Davidson: Anglers Mail (Circa 15-20 years ago ?)

" Ever wondered where the Carp came from that inspired the boom in Carp Angling. Many of the most famous carp fisheries and plenty of the most notable carp in the country are a direct result of one man's passion for carp.

A non-angling fish farmer working for the Surrey Trout Farm from 1923, Donald Leney almost single handedly sowed the seeds of some of the most magnificent carp and carp waters that have been seen in this country.

Donald travelled to Holland where he hand picked fast growing Galician strain of carp to bring back to England. They were indeed stunning fish, characterised by a long torpedo like body shape, heavy scaling and deep colours. These Galician strain carp, now referred to as Leney carp, have played a key role in the making of our carp heritage.

Donald Leney's carp went everywhere from Billling Aquadrome in Northamptonshire to Frensham Small Pond in Surrey to the mighty Savay in the Colne Valley.

But Redmire Pool, the most famous of all our carp waters benefited from Donald,s love of Galician carp like no other. In 1934, some 50 5 to 8 inch carp were introduced to the three-acre pond in Herefordshire to try and control the weed.

In 1951 Bob Richards landed a 31lb 4oz mirror from the pool, the first of three consecutive British records from Redmire. Then on September 13 1952 Dick Walker, the father of modern specimen fishing landed one of the few commons from the 1934 stocking - a 44 pounder he called Ravioli (later Clarissa). The giant claimed the British record until the opening day of the 1980 season when another Leney giant - a 51lb 8oz linear- was caught by Chris Yates. Three consecutive record breakers came from 50 small carp, not all of which would have made it to adulthood - a remarkable statistic.

Another legacy of Donald's carp is their longevity. Until it's sad death during the 2003/4 season another Redmire mirror carp first caught in 1961 - was thought to be the oldest documented carp caught in the UK, aged over 70 years and also suspected to have been part of the 1934 introduction.

Over a 25 year period up until 1956 there were hundreds of thousands of Galician carp imported and stocked throughout the UK, most delivered by rail. Many were stocked into unsuitable venues and fell by the wayside.

Through his beloved Galician's that prospered, Donald Leney perhaps contributed more to modern carp angling than any other."

I believe that a TFF member may have a range of original Leney Surry Trout Farm Stocking Records - in various states of order maybe.

[Skeff]

I have the records here Barbulus, on loan from Chris Yates.... Fish were stocked throughout the country by Leney and then there are all the secondary movements and so on.... So for example, Lymm dam in Cheshire was stocked by Leney and I know that carp from there were taken on a moped to the Isle Pool near Shrewsbury, which in turn was used to seed carp throughout Shropshire (including The Mangrove and Fennymere). Leney's influence spread far and wide and was greater than most carp anglers realise.