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Roofer Fears He'll Get Death Threats After Catching Britain's Biggest Carp

Roofer Fears He'll Get Death Threats After Catching Britain's Biggest Carp

Wayne Mansford reeled in the monster fish that's 7lbs heavier than the existing record

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A roofer fears he will receive death threats after catching Britain's biggest carp.

Wayne Mansford, from Windsor, Berkshire, says angling purists may not be happy with him and is worried about claiming the record.

It comes after the 38-year-old snapped the monster carp, which weighed 75lb 2oz, an massive 7lbs heavier than the existing record.

But as it's an imported specimen that was put in the lake some years ago, Wayne is concerned about the backlash from the fishing community who claim records should be saved for 'wild fish' that have grown to their full weight.

Mr Mansford said: "I have already received a lot of negative feedback from some people.

"At the end of the day a carp is carp to me. I'm in a great place knowing what I have achieved but I know previously people have gone as far as receiving death threats.

It's enormous!
BNPS

"It could be a British record but I just don't know whether I want to go through all the controversy.

"People get very angry about imported fish and I think a lot of it is probably just jealousy.

"All carps are imported at some point but I'll have some discussions with people and see what we decide."

Mr Mansford caught the carp, which has since been nicknamed Marshall, at Holme Fen Fishery in Cambridgeshire last Monday (12 October).

It took Mr Mansford ten minutes to reel the fishy beast in before weighing it and returning it to the water.

He said: "It's an amazing carp and I celebrated with a hot cross bun and a cup of tea at the end of the day."

The British Record Fish Committee, which deals with record claims, has a number of criteria that have to be met when deciding on imported species, such as the weight when it was put in the water and how long it has been there for.

Mr Mansford is concerned about claiming the record.
BNPS

A spokesman for the committee said: "Out of respect to the captor we won't comment on this individual catch until an application is made.

"What I will say is that we have rejected a fish from Holme Fen in the past because it is a fed water.

"However, that may have changed and it is important we treat every application on its own merits."

Since he made the catch, some members of the fishing community have hit out at Mr Mansford.

Taking to social media, one critic said: "Another artificial fish! Unnatural bred in a carp factory, and people pay anything up to £200 to catch these."

While another blasted: "Not a record, its an imported Israeli carp."

The current British record for a carp is held by Dean Fletcher whose catch weighed 68lbs 10z at the Wasing estate fishery in Berkshire in 2016.

Featured Image Credit: BNPS

Topics: Fish