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Common name: Carp
Latin name: Cyprinus carpio
Family: Cyprinidae
There are different variants of Carp, the main being:-
Common Carp - fully scaled Carp
Mirror Carp - scaled with large, uneven mirror like scales. Where there are
no scales the body is smooth.
Linear Carp - scale less except for a row of large scales that run along the
lateral line on both sides.
Leather Carp - smooth bodied, virtually unscaled except near dorsal fin.
Grass Carp - similar to the Common Carp but normally has a longer, thinner
body.
Ghost Carp - same as the Common Carp but it is all white with two black eyes.
Koi Carp - this is more of an ornamental fish. Similar to the Common Carp
but its colours include orange, black, red, yellow, and a combination of these
colours.
Description:
A Carp has four barbules round its mouth. The Carp is brown to greenish brown
or golden brown in colour with a lighter brown, cream underside. The Leather
carp and Mirror Carp are usually a darker colour than the Common Carp. Carp
are amongst the longest living fish species in the Britain and live up to
around 20 years of age but carp of 60 years have been recorded. A Carp of
10lb to 20lb is considered a good fish.
Carp are found in all waters, but are fished for predominantly in stillwaters.
The Carp feed extensively on bottom living invertebrates, fresh water shrimp,
snails, insect larvae, caddis larvae, nymphs, crustaceans and molluscs, grubbing
around among the bottom debris for the many micro-organisms which live there.
They will also consume water plants and fish fry.
Fishing Methods for catching Carp:
Carp are caught using various methods including float, ledger or feeder. The
feeder or ledger is generally the first method anglers try when fishing for
Carp and is a popular method used by specimen anglers fishing for Carp. There
are also many baits for catching Carp and some Carp anglers swear by the use
of boilies. Although boilies are a good bait don't overlook the other baits
such as sweetcorn and those listed above. A guide to the basic tackle needed
for Carp fishing is; a rod with a 2 lb test curve (or a heavy feeder rod)
fitted with a fixed spool reel filled with 10 lb main line and 18 - 24 inch
4 lb hook length and size 4 hook. Throw some 'free' offerings into the water
where you are about to fish then get tackled up. If feeder fishing, bait your
hook and use an open-end feeder filled with a groundbait mix with some of
your hook bait mixed in. Cast in over the free offerings and when the feeder
has reached the bottom, wind up the slack in the line then wind in a bit more
till there is a sleight bend on your rod tip.
Baits for catching Carp:
Luncheon meat, boilies, trout pellets, Chum mixer or any other dog or cat
biscuits, tiger nuts, peanuts, maize, worms, dendrobaena worms, red worm,
brandlings, bloodworm, bread (either crust, punch, flake or paste), casters,
maggots, pinkies, and sweetcorn. Carp are also caught using a floating bait
like bread crust. Carp respond well to groundbaiting so if you can, pre-bait
the area you are going to fish. Lay a bed of groundbait using brown crumb
or continental groundbait with hemp or sweetcorn, casters, chopped up worms
or a mix of these and some of your hook bait mixed in. Tiger nuts and peanuts
are also used for groundbaiting but these should be thoroughly soaked beforehand.
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