big carp.

What would you say is or was Britains best big carp. Not just based on size, but looks, and cult status???

How about Basil. One of the best looking big carp of all time, or Mary, certainly worth a mention? The black mirror? Maybe its commons you like, so how about Sally, you cant get a more symbolic carp...

Come on chaps, whats your view???

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New water, new plans, all adding up to some good blanks...

That's are hard one Mart!

So many, but one I have always loved, Is Dave Lane with the Hoover from W1

Awesome looking Old English Carp! Ooooooooh and the Kingfungus

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You will never be in my swim!

Its a shame I can't really put some of the uncaught fish I've seen on the list, simply as no-one would know what I'm on about...
But for me... I think it would have to be Basil. Though I never fished for it, and never would have, to me it was everything I would want from a carp. Big, well proportioned and so beautiful...

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New water, new plans, all adding up to some good blanks...

Basil.Ritchie mac with her in the angling times was the first time id seen or heard of basil and yateley.mind blowing.
i know its a best of british thread but the old kevin ellis poster in the tackle shop window with the cassien 70,sbs baits i think,was a proper wtf moment.
both very iconic pictures from back in the day

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A.A.B.B.anglers against bait boats

Sherves

What a stunner she was

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Bream me up snotty!

Where's that from mate never heard of it

Basil for me without a doubt, read about it from the start of my carp angling, a stunning fish and lived in an incredibly lovely lake

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Soar Valley Specialist Group
ECHO

Walkers 44 for me. (Ravioli/Clarissa)

That thing haunted me for years and the pictures still stir something deep inside me.
Probably my first real carping inspiration.

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"Fame is a by-product of doing something else.
You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a shit."

Of the known ones Mary, the Black Mirror and Marcus's Mirror from Fen. The Linear that used to wim with the Black Mirror was a right beast as well.

Thomo, Sherves was in Larkfield 2.

I PM'd him the answer

Cor even dead carp can't get a publicity ban

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Bream me up snotty!

Same here, Clarissa for me. Beat the previous record by such a long way. Funny thing is though, it's the picture of those huge teeth which they pickled after she died which sticks in the mind rather than the fish itself. Photography wasn't so good in those days I suppose.

Got a pic Harry?

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You will never be in my swim!

Another Classic Is the " long Common" from the Brook with Hearney

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You will never be in my swim!

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"Fame is a by-product of doing something else.
You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a shit."

[quote

Got a pic Harry?[/quote]

Just done a search but know luck. Just remembered where I saw it - on Record Breaking Fish with Matt Hayes and Mick Brown. They interviewed the curator of London Zoo who i think also acts as the verifier of British fish records. They had poor old Clarissa's teeth in a specimen jar.

For me it has to be any of the fish from Wraysbury that has alway inspired me especially Springate with Mary

Good thread,

How to choose between all of the very special carp that have been caught over the years. Many have already been mentioned, and who can argue with any of them.

I suppose my favourite Uk Big fish has to be the Famous Black Mirror. The write up of Jason Haywards capture of this fish in Tel's book is one of the most impressive and inspiring pieces I have ever read.

For looks I would have to choose a fish which although having never achieved massive weights, still remains one of the most gorgeous fish I have ever seen.

The woodcarving from Horton Church lake

Yes Nev, Sir Pete is awe inspiring, One of the all time greats and a pure Gent too!

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You will never be in my swim!

Ahhhh Sir Pete, Awe Inspiring indeed, how many of us were inspired to take this carp fishing lark seriously after seeing this pic.

For me one of the most Iconic ever, alongside Richard Walker with Clarissa, and of course Mr Yates with the bishop.

Now that is a picture that really tells a story!

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"Fame is a by-product of doing something else.
You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a shit."

Just what I though, imagine what was going through his head at that point!

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Bream me up snotty!

Thats the pic I was thinking about.

No disrespect ment here, but that Capture stinks of a real Carp angler, Big Carp caught from a big pond!

I don't IMO think we can compare Redmire with Sir Pete's results, Awesone in every way!
100% respect!

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You will never be in my swim!

From a personal perspective I completly agree. It was reading his articles in Practicle Coarse Fishing that got me obsessed with catching fish from big pits, had I not read those articles I doubt I would be fishing the waters I am now.....

It's a bit of a misunderstanding to say larger pits must be harder.
Some of the hardest waters in the country are less than 10 acres.

They all have their own inherent difficulties.

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"Fame is a by-product of doing something else.
You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a shit."

To be fair Kev, given the baits, knowledge of carp, rigs at the time, and the tackle used, I think the Redmire carp can stand alongside any of todays or yesteryears capture for merit...

Rogers captures of Sally always has done my head in. And always made me try harder.
Sir Pete with the brace, yes what an emense piece of angling history,and as has already been said, inspiring to the Nth degree...
Single scale from Wraysbury 2, that is one mean carp, there has never been an ounce of give on that fish, just 40+lb of pure solid muscle. If it ever starts to get a gut, that will be huge... And would still look good carrying an extra 15-20lb.

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New water, new plans, all adding up to some good blanks...

As I said in my post " with respect" anyone that does not have it is not a real Carp angler,
Yes the early days were difficult, but for different reasons! Ashley pool for the cabages and weed, Redmire for the famous weed, Wrasybury for the low stock and sheer size!

I am not knocking any! Who am I to do that! But I believe that some monumental captures came after Ravioli! All the guys from Walker to Ozzy have my upmost respect, as this is the meaning of true Carp angling in my eye's!

NoKnot.

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You will never be in my swim!

Awesome carp.....

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Come on the big girls!!!
The big 7 - 5 down, 2 to go.....

it would have to be the 24.4 mirror that was in Charlies Pond near Ashford ( think it was really called hookstead lake) . Now he has 30's and 40's but I remember the time when the 24.4 was "the big mirror" and the only 20 in there. I once witnessed "Paul the alien" catch it amazing creature and is one of the reasons I am into carp fishing today

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Masterblanker
Just another day not catching carp

Agree with all the above, Mary, basil, woodcarving

There are, & have been so many stunners it's too hard, in fact impossible to pick a "Best"

Here's 3 of my favourite's

Blackjack..



The bishop...



Burghfield common...

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My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch

Andee is that Black jack from a st ives pit that i cant remember the name of ? not meaning the st ives lagoon btw ..

For me its Bishop as i remember it at the start of my carp fishing life but also Mary and Basil as there both kept appearing along my way....

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La Cosa Nostra

Wow Andee, that Black Jack is an awesome looking fish, I dont remember seeing that before

Where does/did it reside, please tell me more

Also what a stunning piccy of the Bishop, it really was a gorgeous looking old beast wasnt it

Black Jack's just a bit further up the track form your charabang Wal, Fjords/Meadow on the St Ives complex

http://www.stiveslakes.com/fjords.htm

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Soar Valley Specialist Group
ECHO

Ahh thanks mate

Fancy a go?

http://www.stiveslakes.com/map.php

Meadows is 50 acres and Fjords is in and out all over the place, it would keep you busy for a while but aint it one special fish

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Soar Valley Specialist Group
ECHO

Oooh would I,

cant find any ticket info tho ??

a perfect place for you and Helen to vanish for another couple of years Wal.

St Ives is nice too...

You ring Gordon Howes for a ticket - however he is not the easiest of chaps to track down but he is quite helpful when you do manage to speak to him.

Sorry boyz, wasn't being ignorant, musta missed this

Good old Thomo looked after you i see

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My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch

I think as with a few others, Terry Hearn's capture of Mary is what got me into carp fishing, but the Woodcarving is an absolute pearler!!!

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Paddy's Place - Liquor in the front, Poker in the rear !!!

The Bishop for me. At that time i was match fishing and the thought of specimen hunting / carping was not there. That was the first fish that made me say WOW...beautiful...would love to catch one like that.