carp as pike bait?

[Gareth.]

Hello Peter,

Your comments have got me thinking............ I now know what a wondrous fish the humble Carp is

Utilise unemployed trawlermen to catch and fillet the Carp.....That would take them off the dole, earning a wage, paying income tax and NI, thus supporting their local economy, and contributing to he national economy.

The prime Carp fillets could become commercially available as Deadbaits, thus supporting the retail tackle and bait industry.

The second cuts from the Carp, could be marketed as traditional Eastern European Fare, thus making the new immigrants from the recently expanded EU feel more welcome.

The left over bits could be processed into first quality Carp fishmeal, and made available as an organic garden fertiliser and a cheap base for pet food.

The low quality Carp fishmeal could then be processed into a very cheap pellet feed for the Salmon and Trout farming industry, thus reducing costs, and protecting jobs.

This would have the bonus effect of relieving pressure on the Sand Eel and Smelt stocks, which are normally processed into fishmeal. Allowing them to breed, and become more prolific. The knock on from that, is that the Cormorants would then desert their temporary inland haunts, and return to their more natural coastal habitats.

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot..................The left over watery Carp flavoured swill, could then be used in the manufacture of boilies, and then fed to the growing on population of Carp.

[Peter Waller]

Granted Gareth, truly a wonderous fish is the carp. So little wastage! Probably explains why it is rare to see a stuffed carp. Derrick Amies has one in his tackle shop in Gorleston, Richard Walkers one time record is another. Walker, interestingly, called his record after food, calling it Raviolli. So even the Master realised the potential of carp as an exceedingly useful fish.

 

[ 02. May 2004, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[dogfish]

For a while in Queensland Carp were netted commercially out of many of the large reservoirs for use as Fertiliser or fishmeal and it's various uses.There is still a $20000 fine for returning a carp.

Fortunately the native species are makinga comeback and are finding small carp a useful food source.

Ironically it was the carps inability to survive in extremely hot conditions that stopped the farming of wild carp as they were prone to dying in huge numbers during heatwaves.However they would soon make a comeback when conditions became more favourable.

In the cooler southern Australian states the carp are now fished for although is it still illegal to return them in south Australia.I am not sure about Victoria.

A few people are now eating them mainly as a result of increased migration from Asia and eastern europe.

Eventually there will be a balance found and they may be more accepted.They will never be seen in the same light as here though.

Interestingly (as an aside) English Perch (redfins) have been caught up to 5Kgs in Australia although not for many years. They are more accepted as they are quite tasty and considered more 'sporting' although returning fish is not acceptable.

 

As I said: one man's meat....

 

DF

[fenboy]

All joking aside, the people from all these new EC states apparently rushing to the UK (according to certain newspapers) will just LOVE the vast numbers of their favourite food swimming around in over-stocked pools. A fat 20 would make a nice, traditional Polish lunch for a large family.

This isn't racist. The majority of Europeans from the poorer, former Soviet areas, see freshwater fish as food. If the nearest bit of sea is 2000 miles away, it's no surprise that cod and chips aren't an everyday menu item. That's their culture (and one hard to argue against, I'd suggest).

If what the Daily Mail and Co say is true, and tens of thousands are heading this way, they will want to eat... and carp is part of their staple diet.

Interesting times ahead, I'd say.

[Newt]

The majority of Europeans from the poorer, former Soviet areas, see freshwater fish as food.

 

fenboy - the majority of the world sees freshwater fish as food.

 

I think the UK attitude may be unique unless the Japanese share it. Same basic situation for them with way more anglers than available fresh water. I'm not sure if all their waters are owned like yours (other than tidal areas) are but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[ 03. May 2004, 04:33 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Dick Dastardly]

Phill always interested in anything unusual,espesialy if they are predadtry.

Pete it was Kevin ******** whilst he was going through his early catfish days in France.

[Dick Dastardly]

See even though I typed it in it was censored!

 

Oh no just noticed the pred typo!I await correction from DG! If ever I get round to scribbling a book I will post it on here first for DG to proof read .......it should give him hours of entertainment!DG are you a frustrated school teacher?

[Peter Waller]

Budgie, the easy way to avoid the dreaded auto censor is to simply miss out one letter, Kevin *ollocks rather than Kevin ********, if that be the name in question, or Kevin Bo*locks if you prefer !

 

And anyway, I typed in Kevin Ashurst without a prob!! Can't think of any other famous angling Kevin anything else, can you?

 

[ 04. May 2004, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[corydoras]

Newt:

...my preferred way of hooking a live bait ... well it wasn't too well received, shall we say.  

[corydoras]

Newt:

 

I think the UK attitude...

---

It is more an English attitude than a UK wide attitude, Newt. I am a Scot and when I started to fish 30 something years ago I would not have dreamt about going out fishing for something I could not chop up and stick in the pan.

 

Nowadays I only target thick-lipped mullet and I release them all. In fact I release all fish these days.

 

Things have changed in Scotland too. Course fishing is much more popular now and catch and release is common.

 

[ 07. May 2004, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: corydoras ]