Lindholme boss brands carp anglers 'idiots'

“I don’t want carp fishermen at my day-ticket commercial carp fishery because most of them are just idiots!” These are the words of the owner of one of the UK’s biggest and most successful commercial fisheries this week, after deciding to turn his specimen carp water into a trout fishery.

Neil Grantham, owner of Lindholme Lakes told Angling Times that he is ‘at the end of his tether’ with carp fishermen after a spate of problems at his complex near Doncaster, including masses of litter, fire damage and ‘loutish’ behaviour.

Other incidents have included three carpers found fishing with a total of 14 rods (breaking both fishery and Environment Agency rules) and the mishandling of valuable fish, with Neil worried that the disruption caused by these anglers who visit Lindholme to fish its ‘Big Lake’ could have a negative effect on the rest of his business.

“I’m sick of having to deal with carpers. I’m sure there are many decent, responsible ones out there, but enough is enough.

“I walked round to a group of three guys recently who had 14 rods out, a handful of which had been cast into one of the other lakes where specimen fishing is forbidden.

“Along with this I’ve had litter problems, people trying to light fires and many of them shout around plus, judging by the way they handle some of the fish, I think drinking and having a laugh with their mates is more important than the safety of the carp.

“This fishery is very successful and I won’t let anything jeopardise that. That’s why I’m not going to try to promote or grow specimen carp fishing at Lindholme any longer.”