Crucian Carp - The Perfect Cyprinid?

Crucian Carp - The Perfect Cyprinid?

by

Rob Read

Above: The Crucian Carp - the perfect cyprinid?

Crucian Carp Carassius Carassius

When most people think of carp, they imagine the king of the freshwater fish world. Anglers dream of broad-shouldered monsters lurking in the depths waiting to test the strongest of tackle with their piscatorial power. A large carp is truly a beautiful sight to behold, but my favourite species in this family is a little more diminutive, but a beautiful fish with real character, the Crucian Carp.

If you haven’t downloaded our latest eMag, then click the image to grab your free copy.

This species is widely distributed throughout Europe from the UK to Russia and can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle. It favours lakes, ponds and slow-moving river systems. It is a species which doesn’t grow anywhere near as large as the Common Carp - the largest recorded specimen weighed in at around 3kg (roughly 6.5lbs), but it rarely gets over 2kg. I remember a fish of 2lbs in weight (I’m old school when it comes to weights) was classed as a fish of a lifetime by most anglers.

But size doesn’t really matter when it comes to this fish. To my mind it is a thing of beauty, a real freshwater work of fishy art. To look at it, you would not mistake it for anything other than a carp, but there is something different about its appearance with that lovely buttery colouration, and deep-set body shape. It somewhat recalls a Common Bream, but it is much ‘stouter’ in overall impression.

This is a species filled with nostalgia for me. As a young child, I remember my first encounters with it at a small local pond, a short cycle ride from my house. This tough little fish was a real scraper as it displayed its objection to being hauled from the safety of its watery home by my rudimentary fishing tackle. It was a species I prized from that pond above all other.

When I think of small mature estate lakes stuffed with lily pads, the Crucian Carp pops into my brain. It’s an image which never fails to make me smile, tempting me to dust-off the fishing tackle and set my alarm for the dawn.

Rob Read. December 2021.