UK carp records
The full BRFC-ratified history of the British carp record, from Dick Walker's Clarissa in 1952 to the fish reported at Waterside in 2026 - with sources.
Record progression, 1952 to today
Every British carp record we could source, from Walker onwards. Each fish came from a different era of UK carp fishing - small estate lake, big-pit gravel pit, syndicate specimen water - and reflects the state of the art at the time.
| Year | Weight | Angler | Fish name | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 44 lb 0 oz | Richard "Dick" Walker | Clarissa | Redmire Pool, Herefordshire |
| 1980 | 51 lb 8 oz | Chris Yates | The Bishop | Redmire Pool, Herefordshire |
| 1995 | 55 lb 13 oz | Terry Hearn | Mary's Mate | Wraysbury 1, Middlesex |
| 2001 | 60 lb 8 oz | Lee Jackson | Two Tone | Conningbrook, Kent |
| 2016 | 68 lb 1 oz | Dean Fletcher | The Parrot | Cranwells Lake, Wasing Estate (Berkshire) |
| 2026 | 68 lb 8 oz | Mike Nixon | The Waterside Common | Waterside Fishery, Buckinghamshire |
The stories behind the records
1952 - Richard "Dick" Walker, 44 lb 0 oz
Clarissa · Redmire Pool, Herefordshire. The catch that started modern British carp fishing. Walker's split-cane rod is in the British Museum.
1980 - Chris Yates, 51 lb 8 oz
The Bishop · Redmire Pool, Herefordshire. Held for 15 years. Redmire's second record after Clarissa - the last from that famous three-acre pool.
1995 - Terry Hearn, 55 lb 13 oz
Mary's Mate · Wraysbury 1, Middlesex. First record from the big-pit gravel-pit era. Hearn went on to catch multiple 50 lb+ fish.
2001 - Lee Jackson, 60 lb 8 oz
Two Tone · Conningbrook, Kent. First British carp to break the 60 lb barrier. Two Tone was caught by many anglers before her death.
2016 - Dean Fletcher, 68 lb 1 oz
The Parrot · Cranwells Lake, Wasing Estate (Berkshire). Current BRFC-ratified record. The Parrot was a syndicate fish caught on a wet January night.
2026 - Mike Nixon, 68 lb 8 oz
The Waterside Common · Waterside Fishery, Buckinghamshire. Caught 1 May 2026, ratified by the BRFC in June 2026 - the first common (rather than mirror) to hold the outright British record since Walker's Clarissa in 1952.
Related BRFC carp records
Species the BRFC tracks separately from the main British carp record:
| Species | Weight | Angler | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass carp | 57 lb 4 oz | Kane Hammond | St George's Lake, Shepperton (Surrey) | August 2025 |
| Crucian carp | 4 lb 15 oz | Martin Chew | RH Fisheries, Weston Park (Staffordshire) | May 2026 |
How records are ratified
The British Record Fish Committee is administered by the Angling Trust. To claim a British record, the angler submits:
- Two independent witness statements to the capture and weighing.
- Photographs of the fish beside a rule and on the scales.
- A weight reading on scales certified for trade use, calibrated within the previous 12 months.
- A signed claim form describing capture location, tackle used and any suspicion of previous capture.
The committee reviews claims at scheduled meetings, typically within 12 weeks of receipt. Fish that fail ratification - usually because of scale calibration disputes or witness gaps - remain "reported" and do not enter the record list. A pending claim is not the same as a rejected claim; ratification often takes a season to complete.
The kit that gets you close to record fish today
Dean Fletcher caught The Parrot on a single January night from a Berkshire syndicate. The kit that lets a modern angler put in the long sessions on specimen waters where record-class carp actually live is not exotic - it is the flagship end of three categories: a shelter that survives real weather, alarms that catch every drop-back at range, and a rod that plays a big fish without failing.
Trakker Tempest Advanced 100
The UK long-session standard - sub-2-minute pitch, honest weather rating, replaceable parts.
Delkim Txi Plus 3+1 Set
The 10-year alarm set - sensitivity nothing else matches, receiver range that just works.
Nash Scope Black Ops 12ft 3lb TC
The stealth-black session rod - slim blank, sharp casting, holds its own against rods at twice the price.
What the progression tells us
Between 1952 (Walker's 44 lb Clarissa) and 2016 (Fletcher's 68 lb Parrot), the British carp record grew by roughly 24 lb - essentially the weight of a first British 20 lb+ carp on its own. Almost all of that growth happened after 1980. Two things drove it: the shift from small estate lakes to big-pit gravel pits with vastly more food, and the emergence of syndicate management that allowed individual fish to be caught, returned quickly, and left to grow uninterrupted for years.
The rate of record-breaking has slowed. Between 2001 and 2016 the record moved by 8 lb (a lot). Between 2016 and 2026 the last BRFC-verified record stood - even with reported catches like the Waterside Common not yet ratified. Whether the current UK environment can produce 70 lb+ carp under normal conditions is a genuine open question.
Common questions
What is the current British carp record?
The officially BRFC-ratified British carp record is 68 lb 8 oz - Mike Nixon's common carp "The Waterside Common", caught at Waterside Fishery (Buckinghamshire) on 1 May 2026 and ratified by the BRFC in June 2026. This is the first common (rather than mirror) carp to hold the outright British record since Dick Walker's Clarissa in 1952. The previous record was Dean Fletcher's 68 lb 1 oz mirror "The Parrot" (Wasing Estate, January 2016) which held for a decade.
How does the British Record Fish Committee ratify a record?
The angler submits a claim with witness statements, photographs, and weight verification on scales certified for trade use. Two witnesses must sign the claim; scales must have been calibrated within the last 12 months. The BRFC (a committee of the Angling Trust) then meets - usually within 12 weeks - to accept or reject the claim. Between claim submission and ratification, records are described as "pending".
Why is Redmire Pool famous?
Redmire Pool in Herefordshire held the British carp record for 28 years. Dick Walker's 44 lb Clarissa (1952) and Chris Yates' 51 lb 8 oz Bishop (1980) were both caught there. Redmire is a three-acre estate lake that has been essentially unfished for extended periods, allowing a small handful of carp to grow to previously unimaginable sizes.
Are there separate records for common, mirror and koi carp?
The BRFC ratifies a single "carp" record covering common, mirror, ghost and leather variants. Grass carp is a separate species with its own record (currently 57 lb 4 oz, Kane Hammond, Shepperton, August 2025). Crucian carp is also a separate species (currently 4 lb 15 oz, Martin Chew, RH Fisheries, May 2026). No separate koi record is listed by the BRFC.
What was the biggest UK carp ever caught, ratified or not?
Excluding fish caught before modern weighing standards, the largest UK carp reported in the modern era is the 68 lb 8 oz Waterside Common (May 2026, pending). Larger fish have been rumoured across several waters but never verified to BRFC standards.
Sources
- British Record Fish Committee - Angling Trust (canonical ratified list)
- UK rod-caught fish records - fish-uk.com (cross-reference)
- Angling records in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia (historical progression)
- Redmire Pool - Wikipedia (Walker and Yates records)
- Dean Fletcher - Carpology (2016 Parrot record)
- Angling Times - British carp record broken (May 2026) (Waterside Common pending)