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QDo you think some carp in day-ticket waters go uncaught? I’m always hearing stories along these lines…
AThere’s no question that some some fish go uncaught, while others are simply rare visitors to the bank.
I remember being at Linear Manor in the mid-to-late 1990s. The lake was one of the most pressured big carp waters in the country, and yet there was a big common that was never, ever caught. I saw the fish on two occasions, the last time being when I was atop the old willow, watching the big mirror called Cut Tail. This fish had recently been caught at over 42lb, so when this other fish sidled up next to it I had a good size marker. The common was a fair bit bigger and there it was, living in the most pressured of all lakes, and yet it never got caught. Who knows? Maybe it’s still in there!
I also remember when they drained down the famous Fox Pool there were several big commons in there that had never been seen, let alone caught.
More recently I had a close-up encounter with a massive common at Wraysbury 1. That was back in 2010 and the story is in the Wraysbury Chronicles – that fish was probably over 50lb! These carp clearly don’t eat in the same way as other fish and I’m sure a lot of them don’t eat bait at all. Naturals would be the best bet if you think there are one or two in your lake. Adam Penning, Prologic