Carp
COMMON CARP. (Cyprinus Carpio).
Carp have two barbells on their upper jaw one each side of the mouth.
The Common Carp is covered with small uniform scales, which are predominantly silver colour sometimes found with a golden tinge. The Common has a streamlined shape when compared with that of the Mirror Carp The growth rate of a Common Carp is slower than that of a Mirror Carp, making a thirty pound Common Carp a better specimen than that of a 30 lb Mirror Carp.
Carp spawn when the water temperature reaches 18 to 20 degrees C. At Clawford you can see Carp spawning from Mid May until early July. Each female can lay over one million eggs, usually in the bulrushes and pond weed. The eggs stick to the rushes and are a pale yellow colour. The eggs hatch in three to eight days providing the temperature stays constant. Providing the hatchlings can survive the first winter, the growth raters can be fast, the best growers reaching 2lb in the first year.
Common Carp have the ability to grow damaged fins back.
The Common Carp once hooked is the purveyor of the screaming run and is a ferocious fighter.
Try the Specimen Carp Lake for Common Carp up to 36 lb. or Major Johns Lake for carp up to 30 lb.
MIRROR CARP. (Cyprinus Carpio).
The current British Record for the Mirror Carp is over 64lbs 05ozs 00grams and was established by Jonathan Pack in 2004.
The world record carp is reputedly held by an Austrian, christian Baldemair at an incredible 82 lb 3 oz.
The shape of a Mirror Carp is different to that of a Common Carp. Mirror carp are generally having a fuller and more rounded shape. Some Mirror carp are rounded in the shape of a dinner plate. A large swollen belly is not uncommon in larger specimens.
The colours in a Mirror Carp are dependent on the water in which it lives. Gravel pit carp can be almost black; Carp, which are found in clay ponds, can be a light gray or brown with large areas of red/Orange/Gold coloring.
The scale patterns of the Mirror Carp are highly variable. Anglers have subdivided the patterns of the scales into easily identifiable descriptive patterns.
A perfect FULLY SCALED MIRROR. Are completely covered in scales of different sizes.
A perfect LEATHER CARP is completely devoid of any scales. However, Leather carp are allowed to have scales along the dorsal line and at the wrist of the tail. The anal fin often has fewer rays than commons and mirrors and the dorsal fin is often imperfect.
Leather carp (and Linear carp) both carry a potentially lethal gene, making them less hardy than other species of King Carp. Leathers have less blood pigment than other carp, giving them their unique appearance. They have a reduced immune system response and are more vulnerable to viruses and are more likely to survive in oxygen depleted waters.
A perfect LINEAR CARP has a complete straight line of single scales running along the lateral line from the head to the tail.
Try 'Major John's Lake' for Carp up to 42lb. and 'Tanners Lake' for carp up to 35 lb.
GRASS CARP. (Ctenopharyngodon Idella).
The current British Record for the Grass Carp is 39 lbs 08ozs 015 grams and was established in 2004 by B. Davies.
The Grass Carp is a native of Asia/China, and was introduced into the United Kingdom on the advice of local water authorities to control weed growth.
The Grass Carp differs in appearance from the Common Carp in several ways. The scales on a Grass Carp are similar to those on a Chubb with a rich golden brown colour. The mouth is remarkably smaller and the eyes are set lower than a King Carp. The head/nose above the mouth bears a resemblance in shape to that of a Shark.
The Grass Carp’s diet is mainly aquatic weed and the fresh water snails, which feed on the weed. It can be seen basking just below the surface near weed beds and bulrushes, readily taking food floating on the surface.
Grass Carp are very timid and fight like demons when hooked and will give everything to evade capture. Special care must be taken when banking them and the fish must be fully recovered before being released. Sometimes the recovery can take several minutes and for large specimens it may be necessary for the captor to get into the water to force fresh oxygenated water through its mouth and out through its gills to aid recovery.
Growth rates in the UK are slow. The Grass Carp was introduced into certain parts Africa to eat the weeds and the snails, which was the cause of Belhartsia. The disease in these areas is almost completely irradiated and the carp grow to a very large size.
For Grass Carp try Major John's Lake and Julies Lakes.
In British waters the Wild Carp is capable of attaining 5 lb in weight, but can grow on a little larger in ideal conditions in Southern England.
The scale pattern of the Wild Carp is not unlike that of the Common Carp but is much slimmer and streamlined than a Common Carp, much like the shape of a Barbel.
Pound for pound the Wild Carp is considered the hardest fighting of all British Carp.
CRUCIAN CARP. (Carassius Carassius).
The British Record for the Crucian Carp is 04lbs 09ozs 09dms (2kg 85gm) and was established in 2003 from a lake Surrey.
The British Record for the Brown Goldfish stands at 5 lb 11 oz.
The Crucian Carp is considered as the U.K’s. only indigenous species and is unique in appearance. It is the smallest of the Carp family. The Crucian Carp is an oval shape with an even pattern of small scales, which varies in colour from bronze to gold. The Clawford Crucian Carp are bronze in colour with a gold/Red upper half below the dorsal fin. Crucian Carp do not have the two tubercles each side of the mouth unlike the King Carp.
The Crucian Carp is generally confined to England where it grows to an average of 2 lb. In exceptional conditions specimens of 5 lb can be found.
The Crucian Carp swims in shoals of fish of the same age. It is a very shy fish and takes the bait very gently. This Carp is best fished on a light float rig and a relatively small hook size.
For Crucian Carp try Wanda's and Edwards Lake. Specimens of up to 3lbs 10ozs have been taken from Wanda's lake.
The Koi carp originated from Japan and China where it was bred for food.
The Japanese called the fish 'Kishikgoi' with the common name bring 'Koi' which when translated means 'love'. This is because koi were given as presents to friends, just as we would give flowers.
Koi have numerous variations and become very tame and friendly when kept as pets.
The Koi can live to be over
40 years old.
Try Fletchers, Edwards and Gregories Lakes for Koi up to 20 lb.
Ghost carp or Ghost Koi are a cross between a King Carp and a metallic 'Ogon Koi'. This is not a hybridisation between Species but between Carp Varieties of the same species.
Conventional crosses to produce Ghost Koi are Purachina (Platinum Ogon) produce White Ghost Koi : Yamabuki ( Yellow Ogon) produce Gold Ghost Koi.
They come in all scale patters associated with King Carp but are distinguished by the dark gray/Black scull patterns on the head.
Ghost Carp are usually white but different colored Ghost Carp can be found in Fletchers Lake.
Ghost carp are renowned for the way they fight with the typical hybrid vigor, possibly three times harder than their parent species.
They are more intelligent than their parents and catching a large ghost is a bigger achievement than catching a large King Carp or Koi.
Edwards Lake contains large numbers of ghost carp from 3 to 17lb. Predominantly, hard fighting Platinum Koi.
Fletchers Lake contains a large head of Ghost Carp, ranging from 2 to 31 lb.
They have started taking boilies but taking them off the top with dog biscuits or pop-up boilies has been known to pay dividends.
For Golden Carp try Gregories Lake, Specimens up to 22lbs are in this lake.
