Roger's Angling Pages
The Asp Aspius aspius		Carp Family Cyrpinidae

This is the only predatory species of the Carp family. Its asymmetrical body shows it to be a good swimmer. The large caudal fin with its deep curve enables the fish to launch sudden attacks on its prey. The mouth is wide, with the lower jaw protruding upwards over the top one. Both jaws are toothless but have very hard lips, which resist the hook. Small Asp are similar in appearance to Bleak for which they can be easily mistaken.

Asp live in the lower reaches of the river, in Barbel and Bream waters. They like to stay near bridge pillars, near tributaries, under weirs, in deep currents and overgrown parts of the river and in quiet bays of the river bends. They give away their presence to anglers by sudden attacks on prey near the water surface, especially on shoals of Bleak. This swift attack is reminiscent of an oar splashing the water with its flat side. In European waters, except for Denmark, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and southern regions, the Asp is more numerous than the angler's haul would suggest.

Breeding takes place in spring, in shallow, running water. The female, depending on her size, lays 50,000 to 400,000 eggs on gravel. This is the only time Asp gather in shoals otherwise they live a solitary existence, although young fishes in twos to fives like to swim near the surface during sunny days. They grow relatively quickly and at the age of three are 30 to 47 cm long. In a suitable environment they can weigh 18 to 22 lb and in exceptional cases even more. The Asp is a very valuable sporting fish as it is not easy to outwit. It is very shy and if the angler does not become perfectly acquainted with its pattern of life, and its behaviour in certain stretches of the river, he is not likely to be able to boast a good catch. Only occasionally will it react to ordinary types of bait. In slow-flowing water spinning is effective, using spoons supplemented by a red fringe on three hooks. A silver spoon up to 5 cm long is suitable for fishing in midstream. The line should be thin, about 7 lb breaking strain, and without a wire trace. The line is always cast several metres further away from the spot where the fish first revealed itself by its sudden surface movement. The lure is then retrieved only a few centimetres below the surface. When hooked, the Asp frenziedly tries to escape and so the check on the reel must be released. It is advisable to frequently change the type of lure being used.

Dead fishes, such as Bleak (if hooked at the side), trailed along the surface can prove effective. Live Bleak on a small hook and a thin line unimpeded by weights and other supplementary devices have also been employed with success, if left to mingle freely with a shoal of its companions near the surface. When the Asp attacks, the shoal quickly disperses, leaving only the bait, but the Asp and sometimes other predators do not usually leave it alone very long. Favourable times for fishing are early in the evening, at sunset, or in river currents all day long. Surprising results have been achieved when fishing with small or large artificial flies of light colour, white proving best of all. An Asp caught on a fly rod fights vigorously and its stout defence is comparable to that of members of the Salmon family.