Catching carp...This method is NOT recommended!

I was fortunate enough to go to Canada on holiday in 1998.
I was in Ontario fishing the lake of the same name in September and really struggling.
The fish were absolutely unbelieveable, shoals of common carp numbering over 50 and between doubles and over 50lb in weight.
These fish would swim right in to the shore(this was more like a beach as the lake is so huge)and turn and just face into the incoming waves. Nothing I did could entice them to bite. I have never been so frustrated in my life!!
On one day we went into Walmart which had its own fishing section (listen in ASDA !). I thought I would get a little inside info from a local, so I asked the guy working in the angling section how to catch the carp.
He replied that it was easy, in fact he had one of 43lb only the week before.
By this time I was practically drooling with anticipation!
What was his secret? Bow and arrow!!
I told him he was taking the piss but he denied it and said it was genuine. He even pointed out on the back of the licence where it stated that this was a legit method!!
Apparently carp are regarded as a nuisance species over there and generally killed on capture.
Anyway, I had the last laugh as you should have seen his face when I told him that it was probably worth about ?5K in the Uk(havent got a clue what it would be worth but it has to be a lot!)
I even managed to bag myself a 36lb common which was the thrill of a lifetime for me. By the way, I caught it with a rod using local cherries as bait!
Anyone else come across this method of catching carp?

Tony,
Cherry's or bow and arrow?
Seriously though,"bow fishing" as it's called is,unfortunately,very popular in both Canada and the U.S.. Tony Davis-Patrick has mentioned it in some of his "Globetrotter's World" article's in Carpworld magazine and to see some of the picture's accompanying them will break your heart;Carp to 40 plus and mostly common's.
It is a fact of life though that different culture's place different value's on their animals. Take India for instance and tell them we eat Cow's!! or a Korean that it is repulsive (to us) to eat dog's.These example's,whilst a tad extreme, are just to point out that what you and i think to be disgraceful, to other's may be normal.
There is a groundswell of opinion,especially in North America, that the revenue generated by Angling tourism,especially Carper's may help stop thing's like catch and kill and bow fishing but in the mean time we may have to "agree to differ" when it come's to people who,until educated to the contrary,consider what they do to be ok.Remember,as recently as the 50's some of our most respected Angler's still Gaffed their Carp!We only learn by Education and Experience.
G.D.

An entirely useless fact here but it fits nicely... in japan, koi are known as "warrior fish", because when they are killed for the table, they are done so while they are alive. however, unlike most creatures which have a knife put through them, koi apparently do not struggle, hence they are regarded as courageous warriors... shame their relatives don't sit there so peacefully while you try to photo the buggers.

Pat
"because when they are killed for the table, they are done so while they are alive......"
Thick Gypo,slightly confused here mate.(yeah,yeah,i know,easily done etc,etc)
G.D.

Alright Tony,

The worst thing about bow hunting is that they chuck em on the side of the lake to rot when they are done, once the comps are over they just dump em!

I guess some would eat em but the majority are just left to rot; and don't forget they are going for the largest to win the competitions...... what a waste!

It's their way of life I guess so I won't critisize what they do but I certainly don't like it, what can we do but watch.