What happens to the fry

[The Flying Tench]

I walked round part of one of lakes today and saw thousands of fry an inch long. What happens to them? I mean what reduces the numbers. I've always assumed it was predators like perch, but there are so many fry.... Is there some additional reason for their numbers reducing?

[Leon Roskilly]

All fish eat fry, not just those that we regard as predators.

 

Especially carp!

 

Much more of a (small) fish killer than a pike!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[poledark]

Sorry to ask this Leon, but where do you get this info about carp eating fry?

I have fished for carp for 55 years, and fish for them for over 200 days a year now.

Much of this fishing involved stalking carp during the time of year when the fry is at its thickest.

 

I have watched Trout striking at fry, Pike striking at fry, Perch striking at fry and chub attacking fry...but I have NEVER onc in all those 55years seen any sign of carp attacking fry.

 

I see them working thro the weed beds and fry seem to scatter, fry get out of the way when a carp gets to close, but the carp do not strike or show any other signs of aggression.

Of the many hundreds of carp I have caught and probably thousands I have seen others catch I have never seen any carp cough up a fry.

 

I have to say, that on the evidence of my (if I may be permitted to say so) considerable experience, I would have to question your statement that carp are "more of a fish killer than Pike".

 

Den

[Steve Walker]

Not forgetting predatory birds. I was watching what I think was a common tern catching fry this evening. There were also some grebes tucking in. I haven't seen kingfishers on the lakes, but I've seen them on nearby streams, and herons are never far away.

 

There are also insects; dragonfly nymphs and particularly diving beetle larvae will take quite large fry. Water scorpions too, though they're not so common.

 

It's a wonder any of them survive, really, but given how many eggs are produced, it's just as well.

[Dick Dastardly]

Den,Iused to be very sceptical about carp feeding on fry as well. After never having seen it despite fishing many waters.

 

Im no longer in any doubt though! The only water I have actually seen it on was a very rich water on the Romney Marsh.

Since having done a lot more live and deadbaiting with small fish for eels I have caught several carp from several different waters on fish baits.At Claydon Lakes I have also caught and seen caught several on quite large baits!

 

Having also caught roach,bream and tench on small lives I would have to agree with Leon that most species are predatory to some extent.

[Dick Dastardly]

John,Winter is the biggest killer of fry in their first year especially if it has been a cold year and they havnt put on enough weight.

[blob]

The generally accepted figure for cyprinid survival is that for every 10,000 eggs that hatch 1 will survive and grow to breed again. Budgie is correct in that the largest mortality is due to starvation in the first winter (pollution incidents aside).

[ayjay]

Steve Walker:

Not forgetting predatory birds.

I think the most succesful fish catcher I've watched would be a Little Egret, (and there's lots of them around now and increasing) I've seen them at times catching one fish after another at a prodigious rate, two or three a minute would not be exaggerating.

[A Worm OOE]

I am convinced that on my local rivers a lot of the juvenile fish get swept away when ever we have rain. Both the Medway and Rother are controlled by sluices and as soon as we have rain they are opended and the rivers run off at top speed but without the river actuaaly rising over the banks. Consequently the small fish can't hide in the slack water that would be created by the rising water.

[Leon Roskilly]

Den,

 

I've been told that carp eat the spawn and fry of many fish by a number of people that I would regard as knowledgeable.

 

My own experiences of keeping carp in ponds and aquariums shows that they are quite capable of making a meal of fry.

 

They don't actually 'chase' the fry, just suck them in as though they were any other form of pond life.

 

Tight Lines - leon