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Two Tone gets fatter


Peter M

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Like argyll I prefer to go after uncaught fish. However, it's becoming more difficult to find such waters in Southern England. Nonetheless, it can be done.

 

If I start getting repeat captures I'll move on. I like my fishing to be challenging - if it isn't I quickly lose interest.

 

However, it's a fact that the vast majority of anglers on this forum catch fish that have already been caught many times before!

 

This is especially so from commercial waters where, let's face it, the fish have to eat anglers' baits or they starve.

 

Mirror carp are easy to identify. Species like perch and pike are not too difficult either. Common carp, chub and roach etc are rather more of a problem, at least at the time of capture. However, most of these fish will have been caught many times over - only you won't always know it.

 

I'm acing as devil's advocate here, but what is the difference between catching Two Tone or any other fish that's been landed before? The main difference that I can see is that Two Tone is readilly identifiable - and a record of course!

 

[ 20. September 2005, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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cidermonkey:

Once again we seem to have the anti-carp brigade out in full strength!   :mad:      :mad:      :mad:  

Just for the record i am not anti carp and fish for them myself on occasions. Its the whole carp records thing that i have a problem with. I feel the same about the way the Barbel record is going ie its the same fish that held the record before from the same bit of river. The chub record is at least a bit more interesting as no one knows where the record will be broken next.

take a look at my blog

http://chubcatcher.blogspot.co.uk/

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I may be stupid but I really don't understand your point Peter. What would you suggest - that record fish are killed so that they can't be caught again and therefore allowing another fish to claim the prize? We already have regional and venue specific records (if not OFFICIALLY recognised) but the national record is just that. The biggest fish in the country. If that happens to be in a lake or stretch of river that you or I are unable to fish - that doesn't take from the fact that it is still the biggest fish. :confused:

....Here's to swimming with bow-legged women....

 

 

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argyll:

 Late last season a few hours before dawn, I moored up on the thames opposite a friendly carp angler who didn't mind me being within 100 yards of him (rarely happens on a pike/carp lake)

True - but then how many carp lakes allow pleasure boats to chug around on them?

And on the eighth day God created carp fishing...and he saw that it was pukka.

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It comes down to personnal preferences. I'd love the chance to fish for Two-Tone every now and again, but for me, catching unknown "wild" fish is how I gain the most enjoyment.

I caught a pristine 15lb 4oz mirror carp from the canal on sunday evening, not a monster by anyones reckoning, but means more to me personally than catching a 20lb'er from a recognised carp water.

 

 

Eat right, stay fit, die anyway.

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'I'm acing as devil's advocate here, but what is the difference between catching Two Tone or any other fish that's been landed before? The main difference that I can see is that Two Tone is readilly identifiable - and a record of course'

 

Steve, I would say that its the difference between setting out to recapture a particular fish who's habits must now be well known...and accidentally re-capturing a known fish. As you point out perch and pike are easily recognised and I have had recaptures of both species but not because I had targeted that fish, merely because I'd targetted that species.

 

There used to be a mug pike about 7lb that sat at the back of a moored boat on the river. Every time that I cast in its general direction I caught it ..week in and week out. I didn't regard it as a particular feat but since the area is generally pike productive, I didnt consider moving on to be an option. For its own safety, the last time I caught it, I wrapped it in wet towels and moved it quickly 1.5 miles downriver. It never came back.

 

Looking at the point of this thread, reminds me of the way trout fishing was developing in the late eighties/early nineties.

 

Artificially reared docile rainbows and brownies quite used to being handled, were dumped into

1-3 acre holes in the ground and caught sometimes within 20 minutes of being released.

 

Idiots stalking the banks across, around, under and over the lines of other anglers. Wearing their silly safari suits and floppy hats lined with gaudy stalking flies, they chased a 'quarry' that after spending its life in a rearing pool, was almost hand tame. They were all after a record fish aided and abetted by fishery owners desperate to outdo each other in the weight game.

 

There was massive interest in catching these fish. Tackle shops stocked all of the latest gear, fisheries charged large sums (50 quid a day at Dever Springs 12 years ago) Secret stalking flies were jealously guarded, loads of hype in the media. . Ring any bells...carp wise ?

 

My last fatso trout came out of Dever Springs at 16.5lb and brought the fly back to me like a dog with a toy bone and then swam onto my landing net. A short while later, the whole farcical monster trout scene blew itself apart when a man name Clive White claimed a record rainbow from Dever Springs at 36lb 14ozs. He later admitted to the British Record Committee that he'd found the fish dead on the banks (All published fact Elton, no need to panic) My local sources tell me of some collusion too.

 

Even though it may now be possible to rear 40lb plus rainbows nobody seems too bothered any more and the pseudo trouties have decreased in number (me for one ) I'm far happier trying to fool a Surrey 6oz wild brownie than a megasize rainbow. Its much harder for a start.

 

Incidentally the world record brownie is a 40lb+ fish which was introduced into the White River Arkansas and put on most of its growth naturally. So anything is possible.

 

I know what you're going to say. Different fish...different circumstances. But its the same 'mind set' and that tells me that its only a matter of time before the whole carp scene blows up in a similar fashion and quality of fishing becomes more important than size. It's satisfying to catch a big fish, but how you do it and where, is equally so for me.

 

I just hope that when interest in the carp scene rationalises itself down to a nucleus of sporting anglers, that the remnants take up hang gliding....anything but turn their attention to barbel and pike.

 

[ 20. September 2005, 05:18 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

'I've got a mind like a steel wassitsname'

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cidermonkey:

I may be stupid but I really don't understand your point Peter. What would you suggest - that record fish are killed so that they can't be caught again and therefore allowing another fish to claim the prize? We already have regional and venue specific records (if not OFFICIALLY recognised) but the national record is just that. The biggest fish in the country. If that happens to be in a lake or stretch of river that you or I are unable to fish - that doesn't take from the fact that it is still the biggest fish.   :confused:  

Sorry you are not getting my gripe. let me put it this way. The Anglers mail said in its editorial comment "A record Carp is always one heck of a result". I just don't agree with this statement. The record carp caught in 1952 by dick wlaker was one heck of a result as was chris Yates in 1980. why? becuase these were pioneering days. I can't agree with the Anglers mail that catching Two Tone at a slightly higher weight than last time is anything special. Certanily not worth the two whole pages and editorial that they devoted to it. In my mind it is only worth a small mention tucked away after the match section.

take a look at my blog

http://chubcatcher.blogspot.co.uk/

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quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by argyll:

Late last season a few hours before dawn, I moored up on the thames opposite a friendly carp angler who didn't mind me being within 100 yards of him (rarely happens on a pike/carp lake)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

'True - but then how many carp lakes allow pleasure boats to chug around on them?'

 

Told this story before. Was out piking at Suffolk Water Park with a few friends a few years ago.The management had asked us to keep to 'the far side' to avoid clashing with the carp customers who inhabited the near side (about 150 yds away). We did...and shortly after we arrived, a friend shouted that he'd found a pike float floating in the margins. it wasn't a pike float, it was a carp marker float from a distance of 150-160 yds. By now mr carper watching through binoculars had phoned the office and complained that someone was trying to steal his float. Two quad bikers arrived to sort us out. I asked why if the fish were over here and there was plenty of cover, why did he need to fish for them from over there? Stupid question really. Later after being moved on, we watched the quad bikers deliver hot food 'pizza style' to the carp community who had by nightfall gathered at the end of the spit to finish off a crate of Stella. Rods all unattended for 400 yds or so. You would be hard pushed to hear a fire engine from that distance let alone a Delkim. We left shortly after and I've never returned.

 

[ 20. September 2005, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

'I've got a mind like a steel wassitsname'

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