IDENTIFYING CARP

[The Gardon Hunter]

Hello all

I've been catching these long lean carp this year in a French lake. They are certainly mirror carp but I've never seen any so long or with such big tails before. They really do fight and as you can see are magnificent looking fish. Can anyone put a label on these as to what type they are - would they be Italian, wild, French??? And has anyone else caught any like these before.

[starlight]

what a strange looking mirror, i have caught lots of long thin commons here but have never seen a mirror like that, it almost looks sort of stunted, what sort of lake are you catching them from?

[The Gardon Hunter]

what a strange looking mirror, i have caught lots of long thin commons here but have never seen a mirror like that, it almost looks sort of stunted, what sort of lake are you catching them from?

Hello starlight,

That was a quick response. The lake is in the Deux Sevres area and it's about 5 acres. There are also the deep bodied carp in the lake as well as commons and crucian. I should imagine the fish in the lake are only about 3 or 4 years old. In the flesh they don't look stunted at all - they're just long and lean, and clean and healthy looking fish. There's a lot of millefoil weed and natural food in the lake. Maybe it's just an unusual cross-breed. The biggest one I've caught at the moment is just over 10lbs. I'm sure there are bigger ones in there - not landed them yet though as whatever was on the end of the line, it managed to snap it and swim away. Still, that's another story......

[starlight]

certainly seems to rule out being stunted if there are deep bodied ones in there and plenty of food. maybe some one else will have an idea. imagine how long a twenty will be if there is one in there!

[Anderoo]

They look like a kind of 'carpel' (carp+barbel) I've never seen a carp like it, I bet they don't half go!

Edited December 10, 2007 by Anderoo

[Dick Dastardly]

Strangest looking mirrors Ive ever seen! No answers thiugh to why they are like that though! Just one of those things.

[Oldfellah]

The fish in the picture looks like a very, very underfed Galician/common cross. Also looks like it has vitamin deficiency causing blindness. If the lake has been stocked with young farmed carp the original 'wild' carp will be a lot older and will not be able to compete for food with the younger, more vigorous farmed carp. Seems to me that the lake owner could do with feeding with a quality carp pellet to ensure that desease doesn't set in in the spring.

Sorry to seem a bit negative but it saddens me to see such a poorly conditioned carp.

[peter mccue]

To be honest they really do look undernourished to me, they show all the classical signs, large heads, angular body shape & almost concave stomachs. Could there be parasitical problems with these Carp? Are the more heavyset Carp a recent stocking?

 

Wherever I've encountered Carp that are genetically slimline, they've almost always had rounded bodies & proportional heads, if they've had plenty of food & are healthy.

 

Oops, oldfellah got there before me.

Edited December 10, 2007 by peter mccue

[Peter Sharpe]

My first thought on looking at the eyes as well as the shape of the fish, is that they are suffering from a very heavy parasite infestation.

[The Gardon Hunter]

Hello Oldfellah,

 

Thanks for replying and for your comments. I can't go along with the underfed part as all the fish I've caught have been in perfect condition. They haven't been hollow or tucked up in any way. In real life they look brand spanking new.

 

In fairness, the photos weren't the best in the world and the flash has obviously interfered with the true colouring of the eye.

 

As I understand it, the lake was drained 4 years ago and any big carp were taken out leaving all young fish. The lake was an old established fish farm which is now used for private pleasure fishing only.

 

Before this gets too far out of hand and we go down the wrong track, I want to assure you and everyone else that these are not poorly conditioned carp. In my mind, this is clearly an odd breed.

 

But thanks again for your contribution.