Wales’s biggest carp lives in Cardiff’s ‘cool’ urban lake and has become a ‘passion bordering on obsession’ for some
JUST south of Cardiff city centre, pinched between flats, the council building, and a steelworks, is Bute East Dock. Locals call it the Wharf.
The narrow, half-mile stretch of water has been called the “urban Mecca” by anglers who voyage from all over the world to try their luck with the 300-odd carp it boasts.
“The lakes back home are green all round. Here’s different. It’s very urban, but it’s cool,” said Brad Taylor, who came from Swindon to fish in the Wharf.
It’s the tail-end of Storm Darragh as Brad is setting up his gear. The skies are clear now but the high winds snatch the calls of seabirds from the air. The lake laps at its walls with a steady rhythm.
“Come here on a 30° day and all you’ll see is fish, but in the winter the carp tend to stick to the bottom and middle layers,” the 24-year-old explained.
The topography of the Wharf is like an egg carton. In the winter, the carp gather in groups in the 15-feet deep pockets at the bottom of the lake for warmth. This means that to catch them, an angler might have to do circuits of the Wharf to spy which of these pits the fish are hiding in.
But this is no problem for Brad. It’s only his second time here but he’s resolved to make a catch. “It’s different as a sport, but I love it. People don’t know much about it unless they do it.”
One ardent local angler, Tom Braund, even stayed out overnight during Storm Darragh’s red weather warning. His tent is pitched by the doorway of a Thai massage parlour to shelter from the fierce gale.
“The storm’s a good time to fish – low pressure’s good for fishing. I fished all through the night the last few nights. It was mad last night mind, I probably shouldn’t have. It’s a bit scary – I was up all night to be honest.”
The wind has torn down fences just metres from his tent, but the 32-year-old isn’t deterred. What could make someone stay out overnight, through howling winds and lashing rain, during a ‘threat to life’ warning?
“I love fishing like, so I just don’t stop. It’s worth it. I love it. There’s nothing like getting a fish on the end of your line. It’s a hell of a buzz.”
The storm winds and the shuddering A-road are competing to be the loudest sound on the lake’s surface. Tom’s breath steams as he talks.
“I haven’t had any big ones unfortunately. The biggest was 24 lbs. Thought I would’ve had bigger but there’s still time. Be out tomorrow, probably.” He’s tired but determined.
Tom has caught seven carp by this time. It’s a good number, but the one they really hunt is Ebenhaezer, the largest carp in Wales. “The Queen of the Wharf” is a beast that may as well be a myth for the many who pursue her.
“No, I didn’t have Ebenhaezer… Yeah, of course I know her.”
She is one of the Wharf’s “A-Team” – named fish that usually have a unique scale pattern or are the largest in an area, and are seen as the most desirable fish to catch. Her namesake, the Eben Haezer, was a Dutch sailing barge moored in the East Dock. It had belonged to the local Brains Brewery before mysteriously sinking below the winter fog a decade ago.
Tom is far from the only angler not to have caught Ebenhaezer.
Right: the Eben Haezer at night. Credit: Nathan Brana
Carp are notoriously difficult fish to catch. The earliest mention of them in Britain, the 1496 text the Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, makes specific reference to this: “He is an evil fish to take. For he is so strongly armoured in the mouth that no light tackle may hold him.”
He is an evil fish to take. For he is so strongly armoured in the mouth that no light tackle may hold him.
And Ebenhaezer is no ordinary carp. The Queen of the Wharf was over 47 lbs when last weighed – the equivalent of five bowling balls, or a seven-year-old child.
Nathan Brana is one of the few men to have ever captured Ebenhaezer. He used to be the secretary of the Wharf Fishery — the syndicate that looks after the lake — and is currently one of its water keepers. Water keepers help ensure anglers respect the rules of the lake and the local bylaws.
Nathan’s been fishing for 40 years. It started when he was seven and a neighbour would take him to the local streams and ponds to fish. As they were from coastal Barry, he also learned to fish in the sea.
“In my early 20s I got involved in carp fishing and I caught the bug,” said the now 47-year-old. “Fishing is where I can apply that natural hunter’s instinct and experience a bit of me time; away from the rat race.”
Nathan started fishing in the Wharf 10 years ago, and it wasn’t long before he had set his sights on its queen. At the time, his personal best was an impressive 43 lbs, so Ebenhaezer was the only fish in the Wharf that could have topped it.
“She was obviously a target of mine for that reason, but also from the time she was stocked for the first couple of years, every time she was caught, I seemed to be on the lake fishing myself.” Because of this it became personal – “she started to become my nemesis”.
The idea of catching Ebenhaezer was “a passion bordering on obsession”.
“I did have a spell where I fished in certain areas of the lake at certain times of the year using a certain colour bait as carp often have patterns and will get caught in a certain area at a certain time.”
But when Nathan did eventually defeat the beast, beneath billowing smoke stacks and an industrial crane, it was “an absolute fluke”.
“I jumped into a swim next to my usual fishing partner as he had seen fish near him. I cast out a single pink, 12mm, pop-up boilie as my bait and that was that!”
Ebenhaezer was 45.06 lbs when Nathan dragged her from the depths – which is still his personal best.
There are two photos Nathan has with Ebenhaezer. One has him looking proudly into the lens. But in the other, in a reflective moment, he holds Ebenhaezer like a heavy tome, as if studying the hieroglyphic patterns in her scales for a message he can’t decipher. Or else maybe he’s gazing into her eyes, scanning for a sign, some recognition, but no. Its blank stare is inscrutable – taunting.
Left: Nathan studying Ebenhaezer. Credit: Nathan Brana
But, alas, the game is far from over. “Eben is still Queen of the Wharf and currently its biggest carp.”
There is a code for once the fish are caught. Anglers use cradles or protective mats to stop the fish from injuring themselves, and will use beeswax or antiseptic liquid on any damage the fish has suffered, be it from the hook hold or sustained naturally.
“One of the best reasons for going carp fishing is being a part of a lake and watching the carp grow and mature – it is like they are your own children. They make our dreams come true and the majority of the carp anglers will treat them with the respect they deserve.”
So the unconquering queen still reigns over her watery domain, the riddle written in her skin as yet unsolved. Will it be answered the next time she bites, or will her mystery remain, continuing to draw brave hopefuls for years to come?
“After appreciating the battle with any carp there is nothing better than watching them swim away healthy to make a fellow angler’s day or dreams come true.”
‘After appreciating the battle with any carp there is nothing better than watching them swim away healthy to make a fellow angler’s day or dreams come true.’
- Click here to find out more about the Wharf Fishery: Wharf Fishery – Cardiff – Urban Carp Fishing
