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Common Carp |
Mirror Carp |
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Leather Carp |
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Common Carp |
Mirror Carp |
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Leather Carp |
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The
common carp is golden brown in colour, and fully scaled, with a pair of barbules
either side of its mouth. The mirror carp has fewer and larger scales that are
shiny and distributed along the side or back. They can vary in colour from a
dark grey to gold. Leather carp have either no scales, or a few near the tail or
on the back. These species of carp have deep bellies and high backs. Other types
of carp include Wild Carp,
Grass,
Crucian
and Linear. Linear carp have one line of scales down the length of their body.
Carp can grow to a maximum length of 89cm, reaching 21-25kg in weight. Their
lifespan is known to be 40+ years. The first recorded, and most famous
record-breaking carp was that caught by Richard Walker, a 44lb specimen called
Clarissa in 1952.
The British Record has recently been broken by a 61lb 0oz fish known as 'Two Tone' that had twice broken the record in 2001.Two Tone was caught by Gary Bayes at Mid-Kent Fisheries, Conningbrook Lake in Kent, in 2001.
They can be found in ponds, lakes and slow flowing rivers. They like shallow still water with a mud bottom and heavy vegetation. They will feed in small groups, and are most active between the months of May and September. Carp are nocturnal and can be found feeding from the bottom at dawn and dusk, though during warmer spells can be seen cruising across the surface, basking in the warmth, and sometimes tempted by floating bread.
Natural food consists of water bugs, mayfly larvae, pond snail, cyclops, daphnia, water slater, fly-larvae, caddis fly, fly larvae, worms, water spider and plant seeds. Carp are omnivorous meaning they eat all types of plant and animal matter. They suck up mouthfuls of mud , then expel the mud into the water picking out any insects, crustaceans, worms and algae.
When the carp can be seen to be cruising the surface then a carefully positioned bread crust or floating pellet can be lethal! Bottom fishing methods are varied, the most successful is to suspend some bait or float it just off the bottom, and then to bait the swim with loose feed. Protein baits are very successful – these can range from cat food to baby food. Particle baits such as sweetcorn, maggot and worm have caught their fair share of specimens too.
More commonly anglers are using boilies, pastes and trout pellets that are often enhance with sweet or spicy flavourings.
What tackle should you use? Strong tackle!!
