The History of the Leneys
Donald Leney was a pioneering figure and fish farmer who, played a crucial role in shaping the modern carp fishing scene in the UK. From 1923 Donald Leney had been working for Surrey Trout Farms, but he had started to look at importing Carp into the UK from Holland. Donald Leney did not breed carp and only stocked carp that he imported from a fish farm outside the village of Vassen in Holland. The fish introduced to many lakes around the UK between the late 1920s and mid 1950s, are commonly known as ‘Leneys’. Alfred Gasch was the original breeder of the carp and these became known as the Galician carp strain, so called because the fish had originated from the Galicia region in Poland. This Galician strain was known for its superb proportions and was often scaley with good growth potential and long life.
The Legacy Continues
In more recent years the Leney (Galacian) strain has all but disappeared due to cross breeding and the death of most of these original fish. Antony Hurst who is an advisor at Fensmere Fish Farm developed a passion for continuing the lineage of these magnificent fish. Through his friendship with Les Bamford who controls Redmire Antony was allowed to select some specific brood stock (this was before the introduction of the Ghost Carp at Redmire). For the past 25 years Antony has become the leading figure in the breeding of these fish and his passion has continued the legacy of Donald Leney. His fish have become the targets for many at lakes throughout the UK most notably in the Sussex area with many of the biggest fish from Vinnetrow. Contrary to popular belief this strain when given the best possible environment to grow can exceed many of the growth rates from well established fisheries in the UK. At Fensmere itself the original C1’s which were just 3-5″ long in January 2019 are now into their mid 20’s.
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