Shock in the angling community in the UK after Benson, a 29 kilo (64 lb) carp was found floating belly up in Kingfisher Lake in the Bluebell Lakes complex near Tansor in Peterborough.
Benson was transferred to the lake in 1995 as part of a restocking exercise and, at that time, weighed a paltry 24.5lb. Since arrival in the lake, anglers from all over the world have traveled to the lake to catch him, sixty of them succeeding. But no more.
Benson appears to have died as a result of eating nuts which are toxic to fish. Because the fish cannot digest them, they swell up and eventually die. A pile of uncooked nuts were found on the bank by the lake, probably left by irresponsible anglers.