100lb carp!

[poledark]

As far as this country is concerned, you can't fish for natural unselected carp anywhere. They are an introduced species, by man, for man(and woman)

 

It MAY still be possible to find a lake somewhere in Eastern (?) Europe where there exists a strain of carp untouched by mans influence, but even if you were to find it and catch one, just how sure could you be that someone didn't do a crafty bit of fish moving?

 

Den

[Dick Dastardly]

Conningbrook and Paquier des Graviers both have the same thing in common that all waters that produce (rather than having stocked) giant carp have! they have a very high water quality,very rich in food,very few other species and a handfull of carp! Simple as that.Yes Im sure Two Tone and Scar have put a significant amount of weight on due to anglers bait but they were big fish (with an obviously higher than normal potential to grow) to start with.

 

I have fished both waters before they became heavily fished (and therefore lots of bait started going in) and also caught both fish at far lower weights,lower but still very big compared to their lake mates! as angling has increased on both more bait has goe in and the weights have incresed dramaticly. It isnt just down to bait going in though,the other factors I mentioned being far more important.

 

But as Den has just said it is (despite my not liking "instant" biggies) a bit hypocritical to get snobbish over big carp being created by man!!!

 

It is also quite suprising that so many thinkthat the big carp in the rest of Europe are there because of the same "manmade" /"man assisted" circumstances as the UK! They grow bigger in Europe because of a combinationof the same factorsI mentioned earlier and the simple fact that it is from Europeand its prevailing conditions that they have evolved!

 

Any "man influenced Carp" snobs who want to be ultra cult and fish "un interfered" carp need look no further than european rivers! no on bothers stocking/feeing those! I have seen several "natural" 50lb+ fish from the Saone, one from the Seine and two from the Petite Rhone. Not caught or weighed but Ive also seen fish in the Po in italy which are around similar weights as well.Dont forget also that the one time world record came from the River Weser in Germany. You want "natural carp" then dont expect to find them on waters where people are making a living out of selling big carp fishing!

 

I would like to think though that the nearest you would come with this type of fishery is the lake at Brognon though as least its not stocked with fish (other than those moved over from the small lake,who have both been born and grown naturally in there) and the only "artificial element" is the anglers bait going in.

 

Please note Im only trying to give the facts for those who are interested in this disscusion and not tying to promote!as there is hardly any need for such really!

[peter mccue]

I think the task of finding a completely unadulterated wild Carp would be immense, but as far as I have read, the S.E. European rivers leading into the Black sea still hold a vague promise of an original wild Carp.

 

It's a little unfair to call anglers who want to catch a Carp as close to it's original form as is possible, snobs or hypocrites. Surely anyone who has a passion for the fish itself would like to experience the Carp in its natural form. You could equate it to trying to catch a true Crucian with no Goldfish in it, or perhaps fishing for Trout in a river where they have survived without man's help & are a strain like no other, even maybe targeting Whitefish in our deep coldwater lakes. The reality is it's not snobbish, nor hypocritical... it's fascinating! plus it provides a driving force to learn more about the fish you love to catch other than how to catch them.

 

I think a couple of misunderstandings have cropped up as well, There are no Wild Carp in their original form in W. European rivers, they are domesticated Carp living wild, there's quite a difference, they're great size comes from that domestication. As far as I'm aware, Carp originated from Asia & therefore evolved as an Asian fish not a European one, I understand that there is some dispute over this, but I think opinion has swung strongly back to the Asian beginning.

[Dick Dastardly]

I take your point Peter,its realy down to what you call a natural carp I suppose.For me its not whether it is a "wildie" or any of the "king carp" variations but more the way the fish has been created,lived and ultimately fished for.

 

I dont like fishing for carp in "over" artificial circumstances or situations.Once again a personal preference and also one that is determined by personal criteria.

 

Despite the fish in most (if not all) European river venues not being of the "wildie" strain the mere fact that they and many of their predecesors were born naturally and live naturally (and have done so for many decades) without any direct input from man means they fit my criteria. Also due to the very nature of these venues most carp you catch have probabley never been caught before.