RIP heather the leather

[mickeyd]

From http://www.thegoodfishguide.com/inde...news&Itemid=92

Messages of sympathy from around the world have been flooding in following the death of Yateley’s giant carp, Heather the Leather.

Anglers from the UK and further afield have been stunned by the news that the legendary 52lb fish had sadly passed away earlier this week.

The carp, which was believed to be between 45 and 51-years-old, was reportedly the UK’s most famous fish having out-foxed many an angler for decades.

Yateley Angling Centre’s Mike Nelson described how Heather’s body was discovered on the opening day of the fishing season at a local lake known as the Car Park.

He said: "It’s a very, very sad start to the season. Heather was a fish that was targeted by many anglers for many years."

Some reports described how Heather had been caught and landed well over 1,000 times during her life, a figure that Mr Nelson dismissed as wildly inaccurate.

He said: "The national press said she’d been caught over 1,000 times but I’d say it was well under 100 and probably on average only three times a year.

"People travelled from all over the world to catch that one, she was however a very wary fish and very hard to catch out."

Yateley, with its wide number of former quarries, is a well known carp-fishing destination for anglers from across the UK.

The Yateley Angling Centre, on The Parade, provides bait, tackle and a wide range of angling equipment.

The centre also maintains a history of some of the legendary fish that have lived in the town’s lakes, a record that Heather will now enter into.

Another worker at the centre, Martin King, sai he had tried unsuccessfully to catch Heather around 90 times over the past four years, and was the first person to come across her body.

"She was the biggest leather carp in the country and had such a reputation that people really wanted to catch her," he said.

Mr King added that Heather had last been caught in November 2009, but with the start of fishing season many anglers would have again been wanting to try their luck.

He then described finding Heather’s body and the solemn journey he made to recover her from the lake.

He said: "I had to go out on a boat to get her from the water and then buried her on the bank of the Car Park."

Despite the intense competition among members of the angling community to catch Heather, Mr Nelson insisted that the respect shown by successful anglers contributed to the carp's long life, adding: "These fish are always given a lot of care and attention when they’re caught."

Since news of Heather’s death, online fishing forums have been inundated with comments paying tribute to an extraordinary animal.

One angler said: "Cracking fish. Always terrible to see big fish die especially a 50lb, which has brought so many anglers their catch of a lifetime."

Another added: "This fish was a legend in carp circles, but they all die at some point, carp just happen to live longer than a lot of other fish."

Mr Nelson and Mr King confirmed that local anglers would be erecting a headstone on the bank of the Car Park to honour Heather’s memory.

[scottish_and_mental]

It just shows what kind of sad world we live in .. A headstone for a fish -

[Maddison_Twatter]

Originally Posted by scottish_and_mental

It just shows what kind of sad world we live in .. A headstone for a fish -

I agree, I respect all the fish I catch but I think mourning a dead carp is a bit extreme.

[NICK R]

FFS its a fish

[fishypaul]

exactly nick,

[boloa]

Originally Posted by NICK R

FFS its a fish

The thing is carp can become like a pets and as you can distinguished one from another .People then become attached to them .I myself have fished for certain fish for years and would have been disappointed if they had died before I could have caught them.Everybody has goals in fishing and for some Heather was a goal. But as you say" a headstone "is a bit OTT

[big-al]

why don't they take her to a taxidermist and mount her in a case...then everyone can see her still

[Maddison_Twatter]

Originally Posted by big-al

why don't they take her to a taxidermist and mount her in a case...then everyone can see her still

I think I read they are going to do that, after the funeral

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by Maddison_Twatter

I think I read they are going to do that, after the funeral

i heard she might be cremated.....on some Polish guys barbeque

[BoldBear]

I'm very sorry to hear of Heathers death.

One of my clubs is now a bit worried that we may get a sudden influx of anglers who now may move their target to 'T******s' which is now supposedly the new biggest Leather in the country. The club is currently rushing through new proposals to protect her from any further angling pressure just in case.

I couldn't be fussed with spending all my angling hours plotting how to capture an individual Carp that if I am lucky I will only see come out once or twice per year and probably never catch myself. but I suppose it takes all types and a lot of dedication and a resistance to boredom which I don't have.

There are too many other specimen sized fish of all species just waiting for me or someone else to catch, and I get more enjoyment from hunting and stalking than from being a trapper and lying in wait for a lone Carp to eventually come along and spring my baited trap.