Fly'n Fish

My largest ornamental carp is no more, it is in the immortal words of the Monty Python team defunct, extinct, a non fish. It floated magisterially to the top of the pond this morning and confirmed my fears that it was no longer of this world.

With due ceremony I lifted it in the net, and transported it with due solemnity to the woodland over the lane, where in solidarity with The Archers, I intended to give it all the respect of a green burial.

Unfortunately it was impossible for its siblings to attend, they would literally have been like fish out of water and definitely out of plaice.

In the time it took to fetch my camera it was already being visited by woodland insects, so I quickly dug a small depression and let it slide in to rest.

The six remaining fish all seem healthy and lively and feed well. This one was huge and bloated and looked as if it had been inflated. I have no explanation for its death but they are all about 4 years old so maybe someone can tell me if that is a reasonable life span.