 |
  
 The whopper, a 52lb leather carp named Heather, was found lifeless beside rushes at the edge of her lake. Fishing fanatics from all over the world had spent years waiting for a chance at hooking the monster. Heather the Leather - thought to be 40 years old and worth £30,000 - had been caught and set free again an estimated 1,000 TIMES. Last night angling forums were bombarded with tales, tributes and even poems praising her. Carp fishing expert Dave McQuilkin said: "This is a sad day for carp fishermen up and down the country. Heather was a legend, it just won't be the same without her." Angler Kieran Hopkinson wrote: "The most famous carp ever - I'm absolutely devastated. RIP Heather." And John Pettigrew admitted: "Shed a tear when I heard the news." Heather's body was discovered by workers at her lake in Yateley, Hants, where anglers are now planning a giant headstone for her. Ben Weir, of Angler's Mail magazine, said: "Heather was far and away the most famous fish in Britain. She was the Dame Judi Dench of the fish world." Although she had been caught so many times, it is believed she simply died of old age. |