Leaderboard

A couple of weeks ago I sent a couple of models to Help for Heroes, a 1/740 Prinz Eugen which I had ordered in the wrong scale ( I build ships in 1/600) and an HMS Belfast I had duplicated. Really pleased to receive this today and that it is handwritten makes it such a nice reply.

I've met some great people on the bank but also some I'll be glad never to meet again. Here are some examples of "That Guy"; You've found a spot, got the rods out and the bivvy is up. Time to relax with a cup of tea and then it starts. Tap, tap, tap........tap, tap, tap.... tap, tap, tap. Worse, you know the idiot has about 11 more pegs to get in! You struggled to push yours in the hard ground with a bit of sweat and a few choice words but did it confident that the fish wouldn't be aware of your presence. Anyone owning a bivvy mallet should have it inserted blunt end first! It was 2 in the morning. It was during one of the recent heatwaves and all the bivvy sides were up. A blinding light hits you and a car rumbles past on the gravel track. Everyone has an emergency ever now and again so you let it go. Ten minutes later it comes back and parks again. I know the portaloo is 200 yards away and despite what you think, your Tesla does make a racket! A bloke was fishing on the opposite side with his missus and 2 kids. They had a BBQ at dinner time. No problem. Then the 2 kids get out a football and kick it all around the lake! I was fishing one rod about a rod length out near some rushes. All of the sudden, there is a huge splash right where I was fishing. I thought it must have been a fish. Twenty minutes later another splash and I saw the lead go in! I walked a good 25 yards to the next swim and had a few words with the bloke! A couple of kids were fishing near the dam. Doof. The lead went in. Five minutes later another doof. Every five minutes another doof as they cast repeatedly for hours. Yes, I blanked. A noisy bloke was on the other side, Regularly you would hear him tell his dog to lie down. Luckily after dark it all went quiet. Then at 2:30a.m., he started chatting to his mate in the next swim. I could hear every word, despite him being 100 yards away!

I've been known to move swims if someone shows up next door with a mallet and a ten billion lumen headtorch. Can't be doing with that. Tbf I'm not bothered if someone moves in next door and they're quiet and show etiquette. If I see fish in an empty swim I'll move in there regardless of who else is about, but I'd be mindful of the situation. For example, I'd not cast out at bite time if there's guys on the fish next to me.

Gets me when on a pretty quiet lake a new arrival will choose to go right next to you or bang opposite - I mean really?!?! I've been doing this fishing lark for a long time now so if I want to go down a particular end of the lake but find it to be busy down there I go the other end instead of fitting in and spoiling it for those already present. I'm not desperate to catch these days and it usually works that the pressure pushes them away anyway. 🤷‍♂️

I've noticed that one of the most common questions from people who are new to keeping ornamental fish is whether koi and carp are actually different fish. The short answer is yes and no. Koi are actually a selectively bred variety of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). That means all koi are carp, but not all carp are koi. The difference comes from generations of selective breeding that focused on color, pattern, body shape, and overall appearance rather than survival in the wild. Common carp are generally found in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. They're typically brown, olive, or gray, with a stockier build that's well suited to natural environments. Koi, on the other hand, were developed in Japan as ornamental fish and are admired for their vibrant colors, elegant patterns, and graceful swimming. Another interesting point is behavior. While both species share many of the same instincts, koi tend to become much more accustomed to people. Many pond owners hand-feed their koi, and some even recognize their owners over time. If you're interested in learning more about the history, genetics, physical differences, and why these fish are so often confused, I found this guide to be one of the better explanations: Difference Between Koi and Carp I'd also be interested to hear from the anglers here—have you ever caught a wild carp that looked so colorful it made you wonder if it had koi genetics somewhere in its lineage?