The Wharf is home to more than 300 carp, with the largest weighing in at more than 47lbs – the equivalent of five bowling balls
Nestled just south of a city centre and wedged between flats, a county hall and a steelworks is a thin stretch of water. You wouldn’t normally give it a second glance.
But this bit of water is home to a fish that weighs the same as a small child — and people come from all over the UK to try and catch it. But few succeed.
The Bute East Dock in Cardiff is fondly referred to by locals as the Wharf. Described as an “urban Mecca” for fishing enthusiasts, the narrow half-mile stretch of water attracts anglers from near and far, with its 300-odd carp proving a tempting challenge. However, it’s not open to all; only syndicate members are permitted to cast their lines here.
“The lakes back home are green all round. Here’s different. It’s very urban but it’s cool,” shared Brad Taylor, who travelled from Swindon to fish at the Wharf.
Brad was prepping his gear amidst the dying winds of Storm Darragh; the high winds playfully stealing seabird calls from the air, while the lake danced against its barriers in a steady beat.
“Come here on a 30-degree day and all you’ll see is fish but in the winter the carp tend to stick to the bottom and middle layers,” said the 24-year-old angler.
The Wharf’s underwater landscape resembles an egg carton, with carp congregating in the warmth of the 15ft-deep indentations during the cold months, reports Wales Online. Successful fishing here may involve laps around the Wharf to suss out the carp’s chosen nooks.
For Brad, this pursuit is part of the allure. It’s only his second time at the Wharf, but he’s determined to snag a prize, explaining, “It’s different as a sport but I love it. People don’t know much about it unless they do it.”
Many of those who visit the Wharf are in pursuit of Ebenhaezer, known as “The Queen of the Wharf” and the largest carp in Wales, a catch that has eluded many. She is one of the Wharf’s “A-Team” – a group of notable fish that often have distinctive markings or are the biggest in their area, making them highly prized catches. Her name pays tribute to the Eben Haezer, a Dutch sailing barge that sank mysteriously in the East Dock a decade ago after being owned by the local Brains Brewery.
Many are yet to catch Ebenhaezer, as carp are notoriously elusive. The 1496 text the Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth refers to the difficulty of catching them: “He is an evil fish to take. For he is so strongly armoured in the mouth that no light tackle may hold him.”
Ebenhaezer is an exceptional carp, weighing over 47lbs – equivalent to five bowling balls or a seven-year-old child. Nathan Brana, a former secretary of the Wharf Fishery and current water keeper, is one of the select few to have caught Ebenhaezer.
With 40 years of fishing experience, Nathan began at age seven, guided by a neighbour who took him to local streams and ponds, as well as sea fishing in coastal Barry.
“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 43lbs 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,” said Nathan, who admitted 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 45.06lbs when Nathan dragged her from the depths, which remains his personal best. Nathan has two photos with Ebenhaezer, the largest carp at the Wharf. One shows him looking proudly into the camera, while in the other he’s seen studying the intricate patterns on her scales as if searching for a hidden message.
But Ebenhaezer’s gaze remains unfathomable, almost mocking. Yet, the contest is far from over.
“Eben is still Queen of the Wharf and currently its biggest carp,” Nathan said.
Once caught, anglers follow a code to protect the fish, using cradles or mats to prevent injury and applying beeswax or antiseptic to any wounds.
Nathan added: “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.”
“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.”