New Barbel Record

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes Hi Lee long time no read!

 

I think this is just another case of the modern trend of deifying our quarry! As no Pike angler would ever admit that a percentage of his fish die after being returned no barbel angler will ever admit that the constant catching of one will do it any harm!

 

When I first read this story the very first thought that came into my mind was how do we know the fish wasnt dead before it was eaten? So it now seems that this might have been the case?and the eating most likely not even have been down to otters after all but just rats?

 

Ah but I doubt anyone from the barbel world will accept that! To do so would mean accepting that the fish had either died from natural causes or as a direct result of angling pressure!

 

Yes it is a shame that such a magnificent fish is dead......or is it? after all it was going to die sometime as all do. In a way it might be quite nice to see an end to the circus this fish has created? Maybe a bit of the mystery of a record fish will come back to the barbel world in the comming years?

 

I wonder if there will be a day of national mourning when Two Tone dies? I can see it now,carp anglers bobbins at half mast all over the country,the carcass borne on a carp porter through streets lined with carp anglers in full dress uniform of best Realtree,the hysterical wailing and catapulting of pellets in front of the porter.Might even be shown on Sky with Keith Arthur comentating whilst trying to keep his voice from wavering and a dry eye! And who would be "blamed"? Al Quida? Tony Blair? Pit Bulls? or Otters? No I reckon it would definately be laid at the feet of Eastern Europen imigrants!

 

RIP Traveller you certainly deserve the rest! But whats the geezer who seemed to spend his whoe life re catching her going to do now? He can have my Conningbrook ticket I suppose!

[ayjay]

When I first read this story the very first thought that came into my mind was how do we know the fish wasnt dead before it was eaten? So it now seems that this might have been the case?and the eating most likely not even have been down to otters after all but just rats?

 

!

 

The original post on BFW said it was, "found dead on the banks", if that is accurate then I can't see rats being responsible, it would only be otter or man capable of moving a fish that size, doesn't mean it wasn't already dead of course but rats definitely not capable of removing 20lb of barbel from the water.

[steve pitts]

The original post on BFW said it was, "found dead on the banks", if that is accurate then I can't see rats being responsible, it would only be otter or man capable of moving a fish that size, doesn't mean it wasn't already dead of course but rats definitely not capable of removing 20lb of barbel from the water.

 

I'd agree that rats aren't going to heave a dead barbel out of a river, but they would certainly feast on the carcass.

Not sure that an otter could drag a 21lb dead weight onto a bank either.

 

How it got on the bank?

 

Any number of posiblities -

1) Large dog or angler retrieving floating corpse.

2) Flooded river stranding disorientated / dying / dead fish - a distinct possiblity.

3) Angler catches fish and decided to have it mounted, but hides it in undergrowth, only to be discovered before he comes back for it.

 

Any number of wild conspirecy theories that you care to think up I guess, but having seen numerous examples of option 2, I certainly wouldn't rule this out as the prime suspect.

 

Cheers

Steve

[Peter Waller]

Foxes do, 'cause I have seen them do it, pull large bream from out of rivers, so why not a barbel?