Why some carp go uncaught...
Brilliant at dealing with rigs? Don’t eat anglers’ bait? Get hooked but never landed? Here’s what these guys think…
Nigel Sharp
“Why do they go uncaught for so long? Good question. Do they simply not eat much in the way of anglers’ bait? Are they brilliant at dealing with rigs? I’d say a bit of both and on pressured waters anglers can become very stereotype so certain fish can learn to avoid the norm. Then along comes a clear head and BOOM, he has the big ‘un or the hard to catch one out straightaway because he did something completely different.”
John Hannent
“I think it’s a mixture of things, but the main one is their mates. While they’ve probably got heightened senses of caution, their mates (combined) always get there first. I don’t think it’s a conscious decision by the fish, just its tendencies. Couple that with the fact he may prefer certain foods, like bloodworm or fry, and he’s going to be hard to catch. And on these lightly stocked waters, once one’s been pricked, they all go a bit ‘mardy’ when their body language changes. And he may fight really hard. So if he does get hooked, you never know about it. So I make that three ‘traits’ and if it’s got them all, it’s going to be an arse to catch! I’ve read somewhere that King Fungus from Wraysbury only comes out when his mate is in the sack or something?”
Leon Bartropp
“That’s a difficult one. The Big Common in Lake Korda is just very, very spooky. I’ve seen it feeding on bait and then as soon as a rig is placed in the swim, it swims off never to return! To me, it’s super human eyesight! The others either feed on naturals or again are just like The Big Common in Korda, they just see things too clearly. Every fish has its own character, some like boilies, some like particles, some are pigs, some are pickers, if you get one that is super wary, feeds differently to the others and only eats snails, then basically you’re ballsed!
“To be honest, it could be just sheer luck that they never get caught, million to one shot, they just happen to have their mouth at that point on the lakebed that you just happen to have your hook, nothing to do with them feeding on your bait.”
Jamie Clossick
“I have noticed that these elusive fish usually have something in common: an over-slung hoover type top lip. I think this makes them far more adept at dealing with our rigs. You’ll notice that most once-a-year fish have that type of mouth. It must be something to do with the angle they feed at.”
