In reply to Post #11
The article:
LINKY POO™ https://www.carpology.net/article/other-stuff/how-mary-made-it-into-wraysbury-/
The article:
LINKY POO™ https://www.carpology.net/article/other-stuff/how-mary-made-it-into-wraysbury-/
In reply to Post #10
Sam's never mentioned the Mere to me Matt, and we have spoken about that stuff so much while fishing or just chewing the fat.
I would put all the money I have taken from the Manila casinos in the past two nights on the fact that the BM was an ex Thames fish. Just look at it. No one will ever admit it. So it's totally pointless even talking about it. Like so many Thames flood plain lakes that were fished by ex Thames carp anglers.
That flat lobe on the tail was a spawned in the Thames 'kink' IMO, I've seen a few of those kinks.
The Thames stocked some of the best lakes we ever knew. Look at the Summerleaze fish. Clear as the grass is green and the sky is blue Thames carp. It's within spitting distance of the river. I had this exact convo with the dearly departed Gerry (OldGeezer) about the Taplow carp he used to catch. Talk of Leney, talk of this, talk of that. Taplow and Summerleaze would have been stocked in floods like Sonning. Other lakes within close distance to the river, but impossible to get flooded into, also saw Thames carp.
Taplow is on the banks of the Thames, within walking distance of Summerleaze. So many of those lakes with the most proper fish carp fishing has ever known, were seeded from the mighty Thames in my humble opinion.
Sam's never mentioned the Mere to me Matt, and we have spoken about that stuff so much while fishing or just chewing the fat.
I would put all the money I have taken from the Manila casinos in the past two nights on the fact that the BM was an ex Thames fish. Just look at it. No one will ever admit it. So it's totally pointless even talking about it. Like so many Thames flood plain lakes that were fished by ex Thames carp anglers.
That flat lobe on the tail was a spawned in the Thames 'kink' IMO, I've seen a few of those kinks.
The Thames stocked some of the best lakes we ever knew. Look at the Summerleaze fish. Clear as the grass is green and the sky is blue Thames carp. It's within spitting distance of the river. I had this exact convo with the dearly departed Gerry (OldGeezer) about the Taplow carp he used to catch. Talk of Leney, talk of this, talk of that. Taplow and Summerleaze would have been stocked in floods like Sonning. Other lakes within close distance to the river, but impossible to get flooded into, also saw Thames carp.
Taplow is on the banks of the Thames, within walking distance of Summerleaze. So many of those lakes with the most proper fish carp fishing has ever known, were seeded from the mighty Thames in my humble opinion.
In reply to Post #17
who knows, I spent weeks and weeks fishing with Dave & his talk of moving fish in that area back in the day was no surprise, maybe my memory is clouded by smoke, but fish were deffo added to a few lakes around there. I even remember hearing of fish moving between old Leisure Sport Staines and other waters across the road
who knows, I spent weeks and weeks fishing with Dave & his talk of moving fish in that area back in the day was no surprise, maybe my memory is clouded by smoke, but fish were deffo added to a few lakes around there. I even remember hearing of fish moving between old Leisure Sport Staines and other waters across the road
In reply to Post #18
Quote....who knows, I spent weeks and weeks fishing with Dave & his talk of moving fish in that area back in the day was no surprise
Your friend Dave Ball the Thames angler
I will repeat.... Don't care what anyone says. In my opinion that flat lobe on the tail was a spawned in the river Thames kink. You only see these kinks in Thames fish. It's diesel from the boats effecting the eggs before the eggs hatch. Leads to deformities.
If that lobe was broken when it was moved, it would heal and regenerate. That's what their tails do, rapidly too. IMO that flat lobe is good enough proof for me that the BM was an ex Thames carp. Those old Thames fish had the capacity to grow big in pits.
So many pits seeded by the Thames. No one is ever going to admit it as I said before. I'm only talking about it as you brought it up. I've always had that opinion, and have written it elsewhere. You mentioning your friend the Thames angler regarding this just kinda confirms that too.
Quote....who knows, I spent weeks and weeks fishing with Dave & his talk of moving fish in that area back in the day was no surprise
Your friend Dave Ball the Thames angler
I will repeat.... Don't care what anyone says. In my opinion that flat lobe on the tail was a spawned in the river Thames kink. You only see these kinks in Thames fish. It's diesel from the boats effecting the eggs before the eggs hatch. Leads to deformities.
If that lobe was broken when it was moved, it would heal and regenerate. That's what their tails do, rapidly too. IMO that flat lobe is good enough proof for me that the BM was an ex Thames carp. Those old Thames fish had the capacity to grow big in pits.
So many pits seeded by the Thames. No one is ever going to admit it as I said before. I'm only talking about it as you brought it up. I've always had that opinion, and have written it elsewhere. You mentioning your friend the Thames angler regarding this just kinda confirms that too.
In reply to Post #17
That's interesting, though I thought there were sticking records for Taplow and Sunmerleaze? Who knows....apart from the sadly departed Chris Ball, so little is known about these matters, in the public eye at least.
That's interesting, though I thought there were sticking records for Taplow and Sunmerleaze? Who knows....apart from the sadly departed Chris Ball, so little is known about these matters, in the public eye at least.
In reply to Post #19
I have also caught river fish (not Thames) with the exact same fin ‘deformities'. You could be on to something.
I have also caught river fish (not Thames) with the exact same fin ‘deformities'. You could be on to something.
In reply to Post #20
I am talking about the B&W photos of Gerry's Taplow fish from the 60's & 70's. Not much later stockings that might have happened mate.
The big fully and scaly ones in Summerleaze all looked so much like Thames fish it was unreal. Length, scale patterns, dippy backs. It's literally right on the banks of the Thames, along with Taplow.
The reason no one will admit where the BM came from is also so telling.
Carp fishing is always romanticised. Where the fish actually came from. The Burghfield common is a perfect example.
I am talking about the B&W photos of Gerry's Taplow fish from the 60's & 70's. Not much later stockings that might have happened mate.
The big fully and scaly ones in Summerleaze all looked so much like Thames fish it was unreal. Length, scale patterns, dippy backs. It's literally right on the banks of the Thames, along with Taplow.
The reason no one will admit where the BM came from is also so telling.
Carp fishing is always romanticised. Where the fish actually came from. The Burghfield common is a perfect example.
In reply to Post #21
This Thames common is a spawned in the Thames original Midlandman. It had the curtain top and bottom still intact. The deformity on the top lip is a Thames kink. It's not from being caught. It's had that from birth. Photo is 25 years old, a scan of a print.
This Thames common is a spawned in the Thames original Midlandman. It had the curtain top and bottom still intact. The deformity on the top lip is a Thames kink. It's not from being caught. It's had that from birth. Photo is 25 years old, a scan of a print.
I have caught a few fish with snub nose defects like that one from rivers over here - almost like a cleft lip (none of them as dark as that). They only seem to come from specific stretches but there are often more than one with that type of deformity in the area. I can think of 3 stretches off the top of my head but I can't remember catching many elsewhere.
They are all completely wild fish, 100% born in the river & all from areas with little or no angling pressure but there are certainly boats present so there could have been pollution when they were younger.
With respect to Thames escapees in the lakes in the area - you are probably right. I fished some very private AJ Bull pits (now filled in) at the bottom of the valley in the mid 80's, not too far from the mere & it was accepted that the 'originals' were all river fish that had made their way in during floods. I only caught a couple over the years - only mid-doubles, but they were both heavily scaled & looked like wild mirrors I see over here - gnarly, dark, spiky fins etc.
I seem to remember someone telling me that they thought the Mere Linear came from Colnbrook & they had seen a picture of it at a much smaller weight from years before from the lagoon which was renowned for flooding & of course, very close to the Thames.
They are all completely wild fish, 100% born in the river & all from areas with little or no angling pressure but there are certainly boats present so there could have been pollution when they were younger.
With respect to Thames escapees in the lakes in the area - you are probably right. I fished some very private AJ Bull pits (now filled in) at the bottom of the valley in the mid 80's, not too far from the mere & it was accepted that the 'originals' were all river fish that had made their way in during floods. I only caught a couple over the years - only mid-doubles, but they were both heavily scaled & looked like wild mirrors I see over here - gnarly, dark, spiky fins etc.
I seem to remember someone telling me that they thought the Mere Linear came from Colnbrook & they had seen a picture of it at a much smaller weight from years before from the lagoon which was renowned for flooding & of course, very close to the Thames.
In reply to Post #24
slightly on the same topic link, was the lake behind fox pool known as 'murphys'?
Used to have a ticket when I was a kid for it and fished for pike, full of snags, run by a club called 'wagtails'?
slightly on the same topic link, was the lake behind fox pool known as 'murphys'?
Used to have a ticket when I was a kid for it and fished for pike, full of snags, run by a club called 'wagtails'?
In reply to Post #25
I am not sure - that's the first time I have ever seen anyone give it a name - I always knew it as the Linear Syndicate & it has always been very private.
There were a few local rumors about where some of those fish came from back then (we're talking almost 40 yers ago) - certainly not from floods
I am not sure - that's the first time I have ever seen anyone give it a name - I always knew it as the Linear Syndicate & it has always been very private.
There were a few local rumors about where some of those fish came from back then (we're talking almost 40 yers ago) - certainly not from floods
I'm sure I read in Happy Haswell's book that Fungus and maybe a couple of others came from someone's pond.
In reply to Post #13
There is a piece in Mike Willmotts second book where he discusses the source of the Mere fish with the guy that fished there in the eighties prior to even Jason, Alan etc. There was an even bigger mirror then known as Kinky that never got caught but was found dead. I'm sure that the BM was thought by him to have been stocked in by Kenny Hodder from Wraysbury 2, though it obviously could have been a Thames fish prior to this.
There is a piece in Mike Willmotts second book where he discusses the source of the Mere fish with the guy that fished there in the eighties prior to even Jason, Alan etc. There was an even bigger mirror then known as Kinky that never got caught but was found dead. I'm sure that the BM was thought by him to have been stocked in by Kenny Hodder from Wraysbury 2, though it obviously could have been a Thames fish prior to this.
In reply to Post #27
Apparently they came from his pond the Fungus mirrors? He sold or gave Ian welch the fella that run RMC the Carp from his pond when he moved house.
Apparently they came from his pond the Fungus mirrors? He sold or gave Ian welch the fella that run RMC the Carp from his pond when he moved house.
In reply to Post #25
Morris's or Morrisons sometimes called
Run by Fox guys, Tell wrote about his fishing on there
Morris's or Morrisons sometimes called
Run by Fox guys, Tell wrote about his fishing on there