Roger's Angling Pages
The Carp Cyprinus carpio		Carp family Cyprinidae

This is one of the most popular fishes in Europe, not only among anglers but also among the non-angling public. In Europe it was the first fish reared in artificial ponds, a development which soon spread extensively in some parts of Europe, such as Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany, France and Yugoslavia. The large rivers flowing into the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Aral Seas were the native waters of the wild Carp which had a body that was very long, cylindrical and covered with scales. In the vicinity of the river Amur it is still found.

The Carp inhabits slow-flowing waters and moves about in shoals. It can be found in the part of the river inhabited by Bream and likes dams on the lower reaches of rivers. In winter it moves in large shoals to the slightly salty lakes adjoining the sea or even to the sea itself. At this time it grows to a length of up to 1 m and can weigh over 40 lb.

The females mature sexually in the fourth or fifth year and the males one year earlier. Carp enter shallow (20 to 40 cm deep), warm and marshy places when breeding. They spawn early in the morning. They disclose their presence in the spawning grounds by their great activity. The female sheds from many thousands to a million very small eggs, which stick to the vegetation. The fry hatch in a few days and continue to adhere to the water vegetation by their sticky glands. They first digest the contents of the yolk sack, then later start feeding on plankton before passing on to food found on the bottom, such as crustaceans and insect larvae. Owing to a natural resistance in the wild Carp to disease and adverse environmental conditions, in some places it has been put into open waters, where it hitherto did not exist.

Monasteries, where fishes were regularly consumed for religious reasons, have contributed in their time to the spread of Carp from their original habitat of streams and rivers to ponds and artificial reservoirs. Current breeders have succeeded in rearing various forms; for instance a cultured Carp from such ponds has a very deep body, with an arched back and sometimes the body is only partly covered with scales, whereas at other times it is completely smooth. Even golden varieties are known. Today there is no continent with favourable climatic conditions, into which the Carp could not be imported and artificially reared. It has been introduced into America and Australia, but because it breeds prolific- ally it is not a very popular fish there.

Certain differences in colour also characterise the cultured Carp. Golden brown and yellow prevail over all other shades. The back is darker than the sides and the belly is yellowish white. There are even blue coloured Carp, which owe their coloration to their thin skin. Small Carp with scales can easily be mistaken for Crucian Carp, from which they only differ in respect of four barbels at the corners of their fleshy mouths. In some places the cultured Carp is anually deposited in great numbers in open waters. The product of such planted fishes is not usually very great as they are used to a protected lazy life in ponds and succumb to various diseases and the competition for food with other fishes.

The Carp has great economic value, although the demand for it is not the same everywhere. In central Europe heavy 4 to 7 lb, Carp are popular but, for example in Java or Israel, Carp which are substantially smaller, weighing only 10 to 20 oz, are sold. Carp production is rising all the time and now the fishes are intensively fed, whilst the ponds are fertilised and disinfected and the water warmed. Waters, warmed by electric power-stations, have been exploited throughout Europe with great success. For the time being they are experimental and aim at prolonging the growth period of Carp to a whole year and so substantially increasing its numbers. Almost unbelievable results have been obtained in small reservoirs with regulated conditions of temperature, oxygen and water change; the volume of fishes has become almost greater than the water volume. The fishes ate according to their appetite from automatic feeding places, and in several months they weighed 2 lb and were able to breed.

Although very temperamental and shy, the Carp is still a good sporting fish. It starts to feed at a water temperature of about 10°C. In autumn this period lasts until October or November, especially in deep water, where the water layers become cold more slowly. Fishing in autumn is regarded as the best time, as this is the period when the fish's fat reserves are at their highest for the ensuing winter. In summer, fishing can be successful early in the morning, early in the evening and at night. In autumn it is possible to anticipate catches throughout the day and certain success can be ensured by regularly feeding the fishes, although this should not be overdone as the aim is simply to keep them in one place for as long as possible. They can be fed with bread paste, boiled potatoes, wheat, chaff, boiled beans, peas, sweet corn, lupin seeds and lentils. Worms can be used effectively as bait in the spring. Pieces of bread crust floating on the surface can also be effective. This method has also proved successful when fishing for Chub. Adverse conditions for fishing exist in August when algal blooms appear on the water .

All types of rod can be used, if they are long (about 3 m) and strong enough. The reel must have an effective checking mechanism. A medium strength line is selected, for example of 7 to 12 lb breaking strain. Sometimes treble hooks are used, particularly when using pieces of potato as bait, but fishing for Carp with a hook with a short shank is more sporting. When ledgering, the line should not be too slack. The Carp, when hooked, immediately moves sharply forwards.

Ledgering and float fishing from a boat is also popular When float fishing, shallow places are most suitable or an open expanse of water near the bank. It is advisable to use sharp hooks, whilst the float should be very delicate, sensitive and correctly balanced, that is almost submerged. A good net is equally important, as this will help to land fishes on steep banks or into a boat.