Hollow Pond and the Wanstead Park Ponds. It was formerly present in Strawberry Hill and Earls
Path Ponds (Wheeler, 1958). A specimen weighing 25 lb. was taken from the Hollow Ponds in
January 1980 by Mr, Gary Harvey (Gazette and Independent, 18th January, 1980).
Carp Cyprinus carpio L.
Present in many of the Forest ponds - Wake Valley, Connaught Water, Warren, Eagle, Hollow and
the Wanstead Park ponds. The typical form and the 'mirror' and 'leather' varieties have all been
recorded; the latter, however, only once from the Warren Pond in 1906 (Fishing Gazette, 21st July,
1906, p. 56). This report also referred to the Warren Pond having been cleared out and restocked
some one or two years previously. Mr. Bernard Ward (1951) reported three large specimen carp from
the Warren Pond - a 19 lb. 8 oz. fish taken by a Mr. Fisher in July 1919, a 21 lb. fish under ice on 24th
December, 1933 and a 16lb. fish under ice on 24th December, 1950. All three of these are preserved
and can be seen in the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge Museum at Chingford. More recently (1991)
two Carp in excess of 24 lbs. have been reported from the Wanstead Park ponds (Plate 32). Carp are
extremely tolerant of the low levels of dissolved oxygen found in some of the Forest ponds. A Koi
Carp, a colourful bred variety, was recorded from the Ornamental Water, Wanstead Park in 1987.
Crucian Carp Carassius carassius (L.)
This fish is widely distributed and has been recorded from the ponds at Theydon Green, Goldings
Hill, Strawberry Hill. Fairmead Bottom Ponds, Connaught Water, Eagle Pond (Harris Ms) and the
Ornamental Water, Wanstead Park. The Crucian Carp can withstand very poor environmental
conditions (e.g. drought and ice cover) and is well adapted for survival in the small, eutrophic ponds
of the Forest.
Goldfish Carassius auratus (L.)
Reported from a number of waters - Bell Common Pond (north). Loughton Horse Pond,, Earls Path
Pond, Strawberry Hill Pond and the Ornamental Water. Wanstead Park. As these fish are highly
visible, they probably do not avoid predators for long.
Tench Tinca tinca (L.)
Another species tolerant of low dissolved oxygen levels, it has been found in many ponds - the Lake
(Lower Forest), Baldwins Pond, the Lower Wake Pond, Fairmead Pond, Hollow Pond,
ConnaughtWater, Warren Pond, Highams Park Lake, Eagle Pond and the Wanstead Park Ponds.
Tench weighing up to 8 lb. are reported from the latter locality.
Bream Abramis brama (L.)
Has been stocked into the larger Forest ponds, e.g. Connaught Water, Warren Pond and Eagle Pond
(Harris. Ms) and the Wanstead Park Ponds. Bream weighing up to 6 lb. are reported from the
Wanstead Park Ponds. These introduced fish survive for a few years, but usually die out and do not
establish a self-sustaining population.
Gudgeon Gobio gobio (IJ
In the 1940s were common in Connaught Water, but seems no longer to occur. Dr. Jonathan Cox
fished a single specimen from the Eagle Pond in 1968. A specimen was dip-netted out of Fairmead
Bottom Pond in June 1990 - probably within a short while of its introduction.
Golden Orfe Leuciscus idus (L.)
In the early 1950s there was a population of this species in Earls Path Pond, but recent work there
has failed to catch any specimens.
Roach Rutilus rutilus (L.)
Probably present in all the larger ponds and many of the smaller ones. Recent records from The
Lake (Lower Forest), Baldwins Pond, Wake Valley Pond, the lower Wake pond. Connaught Water.
Warren Pond, Highams Park Lake, The Hollow Pond, the Eagle Pond (Harris, Ms) and the Wanstead
Park Ponds. I have caught young of the year in the Ching, adjacent to Highams Park Lake. Because
of its popularity as an angler's fish, and its ability to adapt to eutrophic conditions, the Roach is very
abundant and widely distributed.
Rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.)
I know of only one established population in the Forest in Earls Path Pond. Dr. Jonathan Cox
reported it from the Eagle Pond in 1974. This and additional reports of its presence in other ponds
need verification as when young it is frequently confused with the Roach.