Critics’ carping deters angler from claiming record catch
AN ANGLER who caught Britain’s biggest carp has refused to put his name forward for the record after a previous claimant received death threats from fishing purists.
Wayne Mansford, 38, reeled in the 75lb 2oz mirror carp at Holme Fen Fishery in Cambridgeshire, beating the previous record by 7lb. However, angling traditionalists have reacted angrily to Mr Mansford’s catch, claiming that as the fish was imported into the country when it weighed 15lb it should not be considered a “British” record.
Mr Mansford chose not to submit his catch to the British Record Fish Committee after another angler, Tom Doherty, received death threats in 2016 for trying to claim the record for a 70lb mirror carp imported from Israel.
Mr Mansford, who has represented his sport for England, said critics were simply jealous of his achievement.
The roofer from Windsor, Berks, said: “At the end of the day a carp is carp to me. I’m in a great place knowing what I have achieved but I know previously people have gone as far as receiving death threats. It could be a British record but I just don’t know whether I want to go through all the controversy.
“People get very angry about imported fish and I think a lot of it is probably just jealousy.”
Mr Mansford enticed the carp using a pellet and sweetcorn bait, landing it after a 10-minute struggle. Such was the size of the carp, nicknamed Marshall, the angler believed his scales were broken when he weighed it and had to check with a fellow fisherman. After confirming the size and posing for pictures he returned the fish to the water.
A spokesman for the British Record Fish Committee said: “Out of respect to the captor we won’t comment on this individual catch until an application is made. What I will say is that we have rejected a fish from Holme Fen in the past because it is a fed water.
“However, that may have changed and it is important we treat every application on its own merits.”