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                             The story of carp fishing.....how carp got here in the UK

Contrary to popular belief, carp are not native to the UK or Europe either. They are an introduced species. It is believed that carp originated in Asia from the Caspian sea (left pic below) around 10'000 years ago. At the time of the last ice age, carp migrated into the black sea and colonised the aral system, Eastern Asia and China. Around 8000 years ago carp began to be found in the Danube. They quickly colonised these systems and spread into many of the rivers and lakes of continental Europe. The Romans were believed to be responsible for the introduction of carp into Italy and many other colonies from the Dunube area. The UK was not included in this initial expansion of the carps territory. Following of the decline of the Roman empire and the rise of monastic life , the early Christians used the carp as a domesticated food source. It is also believed that around these times selective breeding programs were in place. The date of these events are in some doubt but it is commonly written that this was between 1050- 1480. These first fish were bread in stock ponds like this one (pictured right) at Newsted Abby. These monks were without doubt the first carp fish farmers and carp anglers, probably using the most crude tackle to catch their supper (they certainly didn't have delkims or 10'000's)It was during the monks selective breeding attempts that are  though to be responsible for much larger fish and possibly the reason we now have mirrors and leathers, (pictured below left) These fish were bread not for added weight gain but to make the fish easier to clean for the table. Certainly by the late 1800's mirrors and leathers had been introduced into many of the uk's waters. However these fish were still quite rare and the commons dominated most areas. this was until the 1920's when mirrors and leathers could be purchased for stocking purposes from English fish farmers. Some of these purchased fish were introduced into the river Themes, the great Ouze, the crystal palace boating lake and many many more. One of the most notable importers of these fish around these times was Donald leney of the surrey trout farm. These fish were imported from Holland and were though to have originated from the galicia region of (pictured right). They were sold to many angling clubs across the which latterly became famous for the size of fish they would later produce. It is many of the offspring of these original fish us modern carp anglers now pursue.

                                                Carp fishing......the early days

The attitude to carp fishing has dramatically changed over the years. Between the two world wars the carp scene was very different.although the carp was not as wide spread across the Uk as it is today a few small to medium fish were being banked. The real giants seen basking in the upper layers of the water (pictured below left) were not. This was mainly because they were not being targeted as it was firmly believed that these fish were totally uncatchable. As night fishing was not popular in those days, this may have been true. it was also said that these big fish were extremely intelligent. Some even believed that this was equal to a mans and that these fish could see and hear an angler approaching from two fields away. Anyone thinking of fishing for these fish would have been called insane, to even think that these fish could be caught was totally obsurd. this sounds unreal to me as a carp angler today as I watch lakes, seek out the larger fish, find were they feed and target them. Back then though this was believed right across the angling world. However in 1930 this belief was about to be shattered and the carp world would never ever be the same again. Mapperly reservoir (pictured below right) is a beautiful 29 acre lake just inside the border of derbyshire. This lake was already well know for the stamp of pike it had already produced. A small group of anglers had been fortunate enough to have been granted permission to fish this wonderful venue. Among this small group was Albert buckley and his father, these two anglers had caught many pike (left pic) from mapplery, the largest at 22lbs. While they were on a pike session on mapplery in early 1930 they witnessed a fellow angler, who was roach fishing, hook and loose a succession of large fish of unknown species. For over an hour fish were played then lost, new tackle was set up time and time again but was continuously smashed up by these unknown fish. Albert conscious of the local legend that big carp did inhabit mapperly decided to go on a fishing mission, targeting carp. Albert had never seen a carp banked before and did not even know of any local carp anglers. So he set out researching the basics of carp fishing. This would have been very hard at the time as most writings were extremely basic. Some weeks later albert buckley set out on his very first carp session. Astonishingly, he was successful beyond his wildest dreams, during this first session he banked a brace of carp weighing 14 & 16lbs. this was just the beginning as what was about to happen a short time later would rock the carp world and change carp fishing forever!!!!

                                                        Here come the big ones


On July 24 1930, Albert Buckley arrived on his own at Mapperly reservoir. A very heavy overnight rain had turned the normally clear water into a slightly muddy tinge. He picked his favorite swim at the foot of the embankment where the water reached a staggering 30ft just a few feet out. He set up his totally inadequate tackle, which comprised of a match rod, 3lbs line & a size 10 hook. His bait was to be honey paste rolled to the size of a pea. He baited up and cast into a very strong head wind, his tackle landed just a few yards up the margins but buckly knew this swim well and knew it was totally snag free. He allowed his tackle to settle  and so began one of the most famouse carp sessions ever recorded in fishing history. What happened during this session was to write Albert Buckely into carp fishing history forever. A total novice at carp fishing, Buckley landed four carp during this session weighing 9lbs, 11, 15 and a giant breath taking fish which tipped the scales at 26lbs. This fish was landed on 3lbs line and took buckley over 1.5hrs to land. This fish stunned the fishing world and easily became the new long standing Uk record. Skeptics at the time dammed this session to be a fluke and that this fish would never be beaten. Well this turned out to be very true as even after the Second World War Buckleys 26lb fish held firmly in the record books just as predicted. at this time carp fishing was about to be revolutionized as a new generation of anglers had come onto the scene. These anglers had one thing in mind and this was to prove that these large carp could be caught on a regular basis. With the end of the second world war much more time and energy could be put into other areas of life and many in depth studies of the carps behavior had beed carried out and analyzed to great effect. new thinking had evolved, new tackle designed, new techniques experimented and a whole new range of baits was being formed. Among these new thinking anglers was a trio of friends called Walker, Thomas and Richards. These three anglers proved all the doubters very wrong and their cathes became legendary right across the carp fishing world. These catches included a brand new Uk record of 31lbs and then in September 1952, 22yrs after buckleys record. The legendary dick walker landed a massive 44lb common (above right), this fish was to yet again rock the carp world and to hold the Uk record for many many years. This fish was landed from Redmire pool, the premier carp water of the time (above left). Dick called this fish ravioli but it was better known as Clarrisa and was to spend the rest of its life in London zoo.