WALKER: “NO 30lb CARP IN BRITAIN”

In 1975 the ‘Godfather’ of carp angling (wrongly) predicts bleak future, with far fewer big fish...

WHEN people talk about Dick Walker, the conversation is often littered with words like ‘visionary’ and ‘pioneer’.

Sure enough, he did more than most to further our understanding of carp, and was instrumental in the development of bespoke tackle for targeting the species - namely the first dedicated carp rod, and the first real electronic bite alarm. He also caught a British record, and his highly insightful column ran for several decades in Angling Times.

However, one area where the great man proved to be way off track was in his forecasts for the future growth rates of big carp in the UK.

In his column of July 16, 1975, he first recounts the extraordinary residents of Redmire Pool, and how back in the 1950s there were at least six carp in there that he thought could beat his British record (44lb, caught in 1952), up to a top weight of ‘perhaps 60lb’.

He explains how they grew to such proportions because of the rich ecology of the venue and the lack of competition for food. It’s a “different story” at other venues, he continues. ...“Natural selection will eventually reduce the growth potential of imported strains of fish (such as the Galician strain, as the original ‘Leneys’ were) and we are faced with a situation in which the chances of catching 40lb carp are likely to decline steadily.”

“There are perhaps three or four waters that could hold carp of 45lb or so, but they are not numerous anywhere... I would guess that as the years pass, the numbers of such fish, already small, will decrease, and the time may well come when there isn’t carp in Britain over 30lb.”

Dick obviously never foresaw what a huge effect on carp growth highnutrition baits such as boilies and pellets would have...