the 71lb NEW record carp that won’t be claimed...

A carp eclipsing the current UK record of 68lb 1oz has been banked, but its captor will not be submitting a claim, Angling Times can reveal. 

Martyn Lowe 71lb mirror carp.jpg

Martyn Lowe (46) slipped his net under the huge mirror weighing 71lb during a two-day session at Cambridgeshire’s Holme Fen Fishery. 

However, he revealed that he has been deterred from potentially taking his place in the record books following the rejection last year of another huge Holme Fen mirror by the British Record Fish Committee (BRFC) on the grounds that it was stocked into the lake at too high a weight. 

Although Martyn’s fish was stocked at a much lower weight, and would stand a strong chance of being accepted as the new bona fide record, he has chosen to stay out of the limelight.

Martyn said: “For me, catching  a UK 70lb-plus carp is more than enough, and it’s just great to see that fish of this calibre can be caught in the UK.

“I know other ‘British record-beating’ fish have been banked from Holme Fen in the past but rejected, so I just thought it wasn’t worth going through the rigmarole of submitting a claim with the possibility of the same happening again.”

Martyn was alluding to the BRFC’s decision in late 2018 to reject the credentials of the Holme Fen mirror known as Captain Jack, which was caught by Vinny Parker at 69lb 10oz in September 2018. 

One of the contributing factors to the rejection was the fact that the fish was imported from Israel and stocked into the fishery at a weight of 41lb. The case is different with Martyn’s catch however, as he explained…

“Martin Dawson, who is the owner of Holme Fen, informed me that my fish was stocked into the fishery at a weight of 15lb 8oz in 2013, so I guess there is a chance it could been accepted, but I’ve still decided it’s not worth it. I’ve had a British 70 and I’m just really pleased with that.”

In November 2018 the BRFC released a statement highlighting all of the factors that are considered when judging a record carp. These include the weight of the fish when stocked into the water from which it was caught, the length of time the fish has been in the water of capture since its stocking and whether the fish reached the weight with the help of supplementary feeding by the fishery owner.

Nick Simmonds, Secretary of the BRFC, said: “Any captor wishing to submit a claim for a potential record carp may do so and the committee will consider each claim on its own merit under certain factors. 

“Martyn has chosen not to submit a claim this time, but if he was to change his mind then the fish will be judged fairly and on its own merits.”

As things stand, Dean Fletcher’s 2016 capture of The Parrot from Cranwell Lake on the Wasing estate at 68lb 1oz remains the official British record.

The Unofficial British record carp list


  • 83lb 4oz | Unknown | Wingham, Kent Nov 2017

  • 71lb 4oz | Rob Harrison | The Avenue Oct 2016

  • 71lb | Martyn Lowe | Holme Fen Oct 2019

  • 69lb 10oz | Vinny Parker | Holme Fen Sept 2018

  • 69lb 3oz | Tom Doherty | The Avenue Sept 2016

  • 68lb 5oz | Unknown | Holme Fen Sept 2017

  • 68lb 4oz | Nigel Ludbrook | Holme Fen Oct 2017

  • 68lb 1oz* | Dean Fletcher | Wasing Estate Jan 2016*

  • 67lb 14oz | Oz Holness |Conningbrook Aug 2008

  • 67lb 4oz | Dave Smedley | Holme Fen Nov 2017


The BRFC’s judging criteria

  • The weight of the fish when stocked into the water from which it was caught. 

  • The length of time the fish has been in the water since it was stocked. 

  • The origin of the fish and its history prior to stocking. 

  • Whether the fish reached the weight claimed by feeding on natural food and anglers’ baits only, without supplementary feeding or other treatments. 

  • Evidence of the growth rate of the fish. 

  • Consideration of whether the fish would be able to naturally sustain its weight in the fishery concerned.

Rob Hughes says:

“There is every chance Martyn’s fish could be acknowledged as a new British Record, and in my eyes, the catch certainly passes the BRFC’s considering factors.

“The fish was caught on rod and line, stocked into Holme Fen at a weight of 15lb-odd in 2013, and has reached that weight over the last six years in that lake. 

“The BRFC have raised the point of carp waters being excessively fed in the past, but this is happening at every other fishery in the country. Fishery owners feed their fish, and it’s no different at Holme Fen.”