Otters

[Norton1]

[pks1702]

Benson was definitely sought after and was an incredible looking fish.

At around 29 years old I doubt it was old age that was the issue as Carp live generally much longer than this unless afflicted by unnatural illness etc. The longest lived recorded Carp was Rasberry of Redmire Pool fame at 64 years; the venue where Richard Walker smashed the the Carp record with a fish of 44lbs which lived in London zoo for many years and was named Clarissa by the Zoo staff.

Rumour on the vines is that it could have been unprepared Tiger Nuts that accounted for Benson but that is clearly just conjecture at this stage. What is clear is that this will make a big dent in the commercials of the fishery as anglers flocked to have a chance of catching this fish. It is irreplaceable and in terms of value (even if Carp were a tradable commodity which they are not except from certified fish farmers) it would be worth a fortune when you consider a healthy 10lb Carp is worth in the region of £500.