Heather the Leather
{{Short description|British scaleless carp}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}
Heather the Leather (1960 – 1 June 2010) was a 50-year-old scaleless (also known as leather) carp, described as "Britain's most famous fish" before Benson superseded them.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/anglers-mourning-the-end-of-the-line-for-heather-the-leather-5k30399mxjb |title=Anglers mourn end of the line for 'Heather the Leather'|newspaper=The Times|date=8 June 2010|page=12}} Heather was an old and large carp, weighing {{convert|52|lb|kg}} and despite incorrect allegations in the press of being caught over 1000 times, she was likely caught by fishermen approximately 75 times.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} A full list of the captures was recorded by Yateley anglers on the that-aint-no-bream website.{{cite web |url=http://forum.that-aint-no-bream.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2061 |title=Heather captures |website=that-aint-no-bream.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082727/http://forum.that-aint-no-bream.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2061 |archive-date=4 March 2016}}{{Unreliable source?|reason=Internet Forum, self-published|date=September 2015}} She was deemed by many carp anglers, both in the UK and across Europe, as the ultimate fish to catch given her age, history and catch difficulty.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
At the time of her death in June 2010 she was around 50 years old and worth £30,000. Heather was discovered dead at the edge of a lake at Yateley Complex on 1 June 2010, and is thought to have died of old age. The fish was buried by anglers near the lake with a headstone and memorial rosebush.
Recorded and published captures
- 41lb 12oz Robin Dix 1985 {{cite news |url=https://www.carpology.net/article/other-stuff/the-25-greatest-captures-that-shaped-carp-fishing-part-5/|title=25 Carp captures that shaped carp fishing - Part 5|publisher=carpology.net|date=October 3, 2020}}
- 47lb 2oz Steve Pagulatos 1998 {{cite news |url=https://www.carpfeed.com/fishing-features/articles/carpfeed-heritage-the-day-two-legends-met |title=Carpfeed Heritage: The day two legends met|publisher=Carpfeed|newspaper=Carp times|date=June 17, 1998}}
- 54lb 8oz Steve Fudge Nov 2002 {{cite news |url=https://carpworld.co.uk/from-the-bivvy/news/one-to-shout-about/ |title=I Shouted her name across the Pit - Steve Fudge Heather at 54lb 8oz|publisher=Carp-Talk|date=2017}}