Fishermen mourn biggest carp

[ketchenany]

Anglers in Cambridgeshire are mourning the death of what is believed to be Britain's biggest common carp.

Nicknamed Benson, the carp swam in the Bluebell Lakes at Oundle near Peterborough, but was found floating on the surface poisoned by uncooked nuts.

He was introduced into the lakes in 1995, and at the time of his death weighed 64lb (29kg), was aged between 20 and 25 and had been caught 63 times.

Now Benson is lying in a deep freeze waiting to be be put on display.

'People's fish'

Tony Bridgefoot, owner of Bluebell Lakes, told BBC News that he thought the fact anglers did not have to join an expensive fishing syndicate but could fish on a day ticket meant the carp was accessible to everyone, making Benson "the people's fish".

"They sort of adopted it and took it to their hearts, and if you were lucky enough to catch the fish or even see the fish it was perfectly clear what a beautiful creature it was.

"Some people would catch it within two or three days of fishing here and I've had some people who've spent five, six, seven years just to try and catch that one fish."

Mr Bridgefoot believes Benson was poisoned by uncooked nuts, which are toxic to fish.

"Our suspicions arose when we found some uncooked nuts in the margins and we found some uncooked nuts in the skips that we use.

"Consequently we're very suspicious that some uncooked bait may have gone in the water.

"Benson may have picked them up and in that case they would swell up inside the fish.

"The outcome is catastrophic."

[blaque]

NOooOooOoOoOoOOOO!!!! Why Benson...........WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY did you have to eat the uncooked Nuts!?!?!?

Edited August 4, 2009 by Blaque

[splashhopper]

Here is a link, form the London Times, with a picture of Benson>>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/mor...icle6737929.ece

 

That fish was a pig with fins !

Edited August 4, 2009 by splashhopper

[DRIFTER_016]

RIP Benson

Go with God my friend.

[Jonny]

She was, in her own way, one of the great celebrities of her age, a creature of such grace and physical perfection that admirers would come from hundreds of miles away just to catch a glimpse of her. Elusive, mysterious, no one ever knew when they would see her next, or how much she would weigh.

 

Now she is dead, and — just as with Diana, Princess of Wales, and Marilyn Monroe — a mythology has already started to build up around her passing.

 

Wow, talk about over the top.

 

I was expecting some tongue-in-cheek somewhere, but a scanning of the article produced none.

 

Amazing that a "farmed fish" could produce such hyperbole.

[TC1OZ]

Damn...thats a bigger loss than michael jackson.

[Roy]

I'm impressed! Not so much with the fish as with the dude holding 64lbs at arms length like that. That's a pig of a fish. Without offense to our UK brethren, I feel privileged that we have enough fish here that we don't have to give them names. R.I.P. Benson....hope you can settle down in that great underwater cornfield in the sky.

[acmarou]

Wow!! I thought carp got wise over time. He was caught 63 times?? I guess he was as stupid as he was big.

 

Hey, there are plenty of guys here with writing skills. Anyone want to do a eulogy. :lol: :lol:

[Mike Pike]

Succumbing to uncooked nuts is a terrible way to go! I just don't know how you guys can be so insensitive...

[Musky or Specks]

I expect a tribute song from Elton John any time now.

 

"And it seems to me you lived your life

like a fish in a pond

Never knowing who's line to bite

when the bait set in

I would have like to caught you Benson

but I prefer to fish for Roach

uncooked groundnuts cause your death

yet your legend lives on"

[Jonny]

A 64 lb vacuum cleaner. It was bound to suck up something lethal sooner or later.

 

If they were smart at this pond, they've got some up-and-coming replacements.

 

My choice for insensitive headline:

 

BENSON SUCKS UP NUTS AND DIES

[Dara]

That is one fat fish

 

What would be the point of catching it. It couldn't put up a fight. Are they sure it didn't die of a heart attack?

[Lunatic]

Ugh!

ugly fish. sooo......what they are saying is all we have to do is feed them uncooked nuts to kill the carp ehhhh....

[Canuck2fan]

I feel so bad for the brits who only have carp to get excited about.... I ran into someone who had moved here about 3 years ago from there and the picture he painted of the fishery over there was DISMAL.

[hammercarp]

Damn...thats a bigger loss than michael jackson.

This deserves a quote of the week award.

[Dutchy]

Its now on the frontpage of UK yahoo. Seems abit OTT to me. Its a fish.

[limeyangler]

I'm impressed! Not so much with the fish as with the dude holding 64lbs at arms length like that. That's a pig of a fish. Without offense to our UK brethren, I feel privileged that we have enough fish here that we don't have to give them names. R.I.P. Benson....hope you can settle down in that great underwater cornfield in the sky.

 

 

LOL...none taken Roy...why d'ya think i moved here?!

 

Ever seen that ridiculous UK fishing show "fishOmania"...honestly!

[Jonny]

LOL...none taken Roy...why d'ya think i moved here?!

 

How's the ocean fishing in the UK? Does it make up somewhat for the dearth of freshwater opportunities?

[mistaredone]

Think before you put some strangers nuts in your mouth.

[bare foot wader]

that's what uncooked nuts will do to ya.....he should have tried Vince's nuts maybe....I'm sure he would've loved them....ha

[michaelkovacs]

will someone please think of the children!!!!!?????? jk, what a GIGANTIC fish!

[Cudz]

My inlaws came here yesterday from the UK and my father in law brought the times paper. I have the actual paper with the fish on the front page. Not too often a fish makes the front page of a national newspaper.

[Lunker777]

My choice for insensitive headline:

 

BENSON SUCKS UP NUTS AND DIES

 

WOW.... hahahah good one !