One Fish, Two Fish Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bluebell Lakes

There are five lakes in total at Bluebell Lakes, and they are all what are known as "day ticket" waters which means they are open to casual anglers. People can just turn up and buy admission to fish for one day without needing to be members or make any other commitment. Benson was very unusual in being such a large fish in 'day ticket' waters.

Other fish of her calibre tend to be kept in club waters, and some of them actually have long waiting lists for membership and fishing peg slots.

Answer: Hedges

The pair were named "Benson and Hedges" after the UK brand of cigarettes. This was because Benson had a small hole in her dorsal fin which was said to look like a cigarette burn.

Answer: True

Benson did indeed make the BBC News that day. Her death was also reported on Sky News, and in almost every major daily newspaper in the UK, including the "Times", "Daily Mail", "Telegraph", and "The Guardian".
The BBC (and Sky) referred to Benson as "he" throughout their reports and also reported as fact that Benson was poisoned deliberately, although this was later proved wrong, and of course, Benson was actually a female.

Answer: Uncooked tiger nuts

A quantity of uncooked tiger nuts was found on the lakeshore, and several empty packets were also found in a trashcan nearby.
When a fish eats raw tiger nuts, they can swell up inside its stomach, and in sufficient quantity can cause illness and death. The finding of the nuts and packaging led people to believe that an inexperienced angler had perhaps inadvertently poisoned Benson, or even that she had been deliberately killed.

Answer: Complications of pregnancy

It turned out that something had gone wrong during the reproduction process, with Benson's egg laying equipment so to speak, and this is what had eventually killed her.
Although her age at death of about 25 may seem a long life, for a carp she died young. They can easily live to well over 40 years old given the right conditions.

Answer: She was stuffed and mounted on a wall at the fishery where she lived

Benson was stuffed and mounted in a display case, and now has pride of place on the wall of the main building at the Bluebell Lakes Fishery. Visitors are welcome to view her and take photographs of her.

Answer: Britain's Best Loved Carp

Benson was voted "Britain's Best Loved Carp" by the readers of the magazine.
In his report of her death, in "The Times" newspaper, one journalist likened her to both Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana.

Answer: Common

Mirror carp have been known to grow larger than she was, but crucian carp tend to be smaller. Rainbow are of course trout, not carp.

Answer: A type of bait made by boiling in a pan

'Boilies' are bait, and many anglers make their own to their own recipe. These recipes can be closely guarded secrets, passed down from father to son for generations, and great store is set in 'the mix' if a particular one is deemed to be a success.
Nowadays many bait shops sell boilies made to their own recipe, or will even make them up to an angler's own specifications as long as a minimum amount is ordered. They are often kept in the freezer to make them last longer.

Answer: First carp weighing over 40 kilos was caught

The record-breaking fish weighed 88lb 3oz, and was named Kylie as it weighed almost exactly the same as the singer Kylie Minogue!
Kylie was the first carp ever caught with a rod and line to weigh more than 40 kilos, and she was taken by an English angler called Graham Slaughter, at Rainbow Lake in France. His bait was tuna and yeast boilies with tiger nuts in the recipe.