Carp Carp Carp!!!

[stainlesssteelrat]

Carp this, carp that, carp here, carp there, is it really as it seems, 90% of the articles I read, websites I look at and stores that I browse are full of carp gear? I've nothing against carp fishing, I've done my share when I fished previously but it was not nearly as popular as it is now. The prices too, it looks like you could run up a second mortgage kitting yourself out. Regular camping equipment painted olive green and trebled in price!
I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice it, but it has tickled me

 

[bennygesserit]

Carp this, carp that, carp here, carp there, is it really as it seems, 90% of the articles I read, websites I look at and stores that I browse are full of carp gear? I've nothing against carp fishing, I've done my share when I fished previously but it was not nearly as popular as it is now. The prices too, it looks like you could run up a second mortgage kitting yourself out. Regular camping equipment painted olive green and trebled in price!
I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice it, but it has tickled me

I'm relatively new to fishing , so to me even a small carp is a wonder to behold, having spent most of my formative years catching tiddlers on the river severn I'm still amazed you can catch fish this big , with not that much skill. Having said that I still cannot catch the magical Barney ( Barney rubble - double figure fish ) so I think I would probably freak out if I ever caught anything over 20.

 

[mol]

Carp this, carp that, carp here, carp there, is it really as it seems, 90% of the articles I read, websites I look at and stores that I browse are full of carp gear? I've nothing against carp fishing, I've done my share when I fished previously but it was not nearly as popular as it is now. The prices too, it looks like you could run up a second mortgage kitting yourself out. Regular camping equipment painted olive green and trebled in price!
I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice it, but it has tickled me

Used to tickle me about the camping gear, the fishing stuff was always alot more expensive and never as good as regular camping gear. I still can't get over Nash tackles BBQ that was £40 or £12 without Nash written on itmg: The whole carp fishing industry is incredible, they manage to sell so much stuff that simply isn't needed but yet the average angler is convinced that it's totally necessary.

I am surprised how much carp and commerical fishing seems to dominate the UK market these days. Are almost all the anglers fishing commericals these days??

 

[sam vimes]

Are almost all the anglers fishing commericals these days??

I consider myself a fairly average angler. I've done a bit of pretty much everything. Nowadays I tend to find myself fishing for barbel as often as not. I will dabble with a bit of carping and I'll drag the general/match gear out to fish rivers and, very occasionally, a commercial. You'll be lucky if I come close to 20% of my time is being spent on commercials. Most of the anglers I know don't ever visit a commercial. I can accept that this probably isn't representative of the average angler but it does indicate that nowhere near almost all anglers are fishing commercials these days. I do suspect that there will be a large part of a generation of younger anglers that will have never fished anything but commies though.

As for the OP, carp certainly have come to predominate. However, I suspect that their dominance of mixed commercial fisheries has waned slightly over the last couple of years. Increasingly we are seeing silvers only matches and match lakes. There plenty of anglers that aren't particularly interested in catching carp, whatever their size. There are also plenty of anglers that, while happy to catch them, are just as happy catching other species.

 

[stainlesssteelrat]

First of all thanks for the replies, I thought maybe I had posted in the wrong place.

I'm glad I'm not alone, I too have fished for just about anything coarse wise, but it's a long time ago, and although I am slowly getting gear together I haven't yet actually wet any tackle

Excuse my ignorance but what actually is a commercial?

 

[sam vimes]

what actually is a commercial?

A type of fishery. Some deem it to be any day ticket water as they are all commercial concerns. I think of the match/day ticket fisheries with high stocking densities, hordes of anglers on them and, often, toilets, cafe and tackle shop on site.

 

[Henrik]

Well, I reckon it's like "the bigger, the better". Carp fishing is like the life vein of tackle industry. If all went fishing for minnows on short poles, many companies would go bankrupt. A lot of it is quite BS, as many carp ponds are overstocked and you can fish them with really budget tackle.

But I reckon it's just the money that makes the hype, which makes the money. For instance Puma trainer shoes cost like 59 quid. You reckon they really cost that much? Nope - it's more like 5 quid in china. The extra money goes to push the hype.

Carp tackle, you don't see the same thing with pricing, as you get a lot of budget options, who make the pricing really tight.

I can't criticize carp fishing, as ATM I'm obsessed with it. Here in Finland, it pioneer work, discovering new lakes. Fishing alone, etc. If you want, you can read about in on my blog:
Carp Of The Thousand Lakes

It's a bit different here. There are 2 shops here from which you can buy carp tackle...

 

[bigsean]

interesting thread .... i'm very much of the opinion of live n let live, if carp anglers want to spend a small fortune on camouflage underwear and teacups and wotever else, good luck to em .... i dont understand it but the carp industry is massive and it is a moneymaker, so i dont see it slowing down just yet
i have fished plenty of commercials lately, although its been a case of i'll catch wotever is in front of me, rather than just wanting carp ... i do also think they are good for youngsters to learn at ... not many kids are willing to sit all day by a river waiting for that barbel
my one massive gripe with carp anglers is the amount of lake they think they can use
turning up at a lake with 20 pegs and only 3 ppl there, then having one or all of those 3 telling you where u can n cant fish cos they've got 3 rods each fishing 2/3 of the lake is not on,
last time it happened it nearly came to blows ... and the bailiff said if i didnt calm down i'd have to leave lol,
if the carp guys explain where they are fishing and ask if u could possibly not fish over their lines, most ppl would be fine .... but being told 'oi u cant fish there' is it any wonder ppl are either intimidated or confrontational
off my soapbox now ... thanks for listening

 

[dezza]

it's more like 5 quid in china

A bloody site less than that.

And they probably cost about 25p to make.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Carp this, carp that, carp here, carp there, is it really as it seems, 90% of the articles I read, websites I look at and stores that I browse are full of carp gear? I've nothing against carp fishing, I've done my share when I fished previously but it was not nearly as popular as it is now. The prices too, it looks like you could run up a second mortgage kitting yourself out. Regular camping equipment painted olive green and trebled in price!
I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice it, but it has tickled me

Absolutely correct and my thoughts exactly. Like you i am returning angler - for about two years now. A real struggle round these parts (North Herts) to find waters that are not full of carp or carpers - and fish with mouth damage unfortunately. If its not carp its bloody catfish.

 

[stainlesssteelrat]

I must point out I've nothing against carp or carpers, I had the bug myself about twenty years ago, before I had to pack it all in and sell my gear
Actually I was probably more of a 'Noddy' than I care to admit (Carp Strikes Back has to be the best fishing book I ever read, and I've just managed to get a copy from Amazon, had to pay through the nose for a tatty one, I wish I knew what happened to my original, seen them for £150+ on the net!)
I've yet to experience "swim-rage" could be a factor in deciding where to fish around here.

Chub on the Block - Where do you fish? Anywhere you recommend for a bit of all round leisure angling? I've been thinking about Poppy Hill Farm, I used to be a member there when it was Henlow Grange back in the early 80s.

Henrik - Great blog, really interesting reading I urge everyone to take a look!

BennyGesserit - You're right of course, even a small carp is a wonder to behold, but then so is any other fish I think. I did manage a Barney once, 18lb 12oz Mirror from Stanborough, I guess that was around 1985.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Chub on the Block - Where do you fish? Anywhere you recommend for a bit of all round leisure angling? I've been thinking about Poppy Hill Farm, I used to be a member there when it was Henlow Grange back in the early 80s.

You would possibly not recognise the place, but i am told the changes are for the better (smaller islands/more waters etc). Plenty of fish and very nice surroundings - would recommend.

 

[904_cannon]

Any product that displays the word 'carp' or even 'barbel' these days, I avoid like the plague.

 

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[Bob Hornegold]

Unless you can control the Numbers of Cormerants that invade inland fisheries (as they can on commercials), silver fish are now a under huge treat from from predation.

Coupled with Pollution, Crayfish, Mitten Craps and threats from many different eaters of fish and Fish Eggs.

Carp Stocked at a decent size are the only alternative option for many fisheries.

It's all very well saying, I HATE CARP ?

But what are the alternatives ?

I belong to a club that stocked Silver fish last year, in a water within the Lea Valley Park, where No linences for Cormerants removal are allowed, there were 12 Goosander and numerous Cormerants eating away at the new Silver fish Stocks last Winter.

Hardly a Silver fish was caught this year and the only thing that remained were the Larger Carp

Bob

 

[chav professor]

The flip side of the coin, is that some specimen carp waters hold silver fish to mouth watering sizes. I have seen evidence of some of the 'nusience' roach that carp anglers try to avoid using 20mm plus sized bollies.

Guess what i shall be trying to catch this year and where I might be trying!!!

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Chav,

I suppose it depends on what part of country you live in, but in the South of England it's dire !!

Anything below a couple of pounds in weight is Food for the Cormerants and it's almost a complete waste of time stocking anything else ?

Bob

 

[peter crabtree]

Chav,

I suppose it depends on what part of country you live in, but in the South of England it's dire !!

Anything below a couple of pounds in weight is Food for the Cormerants and it's almost a complete waste of time stocking anything else ?

Bob

Absolute tosh. There are commies, rivers and canals full of silverfish in the south.
Maybe you are doing it wrong.......

 

[sam vimes]

Absolute tosh. There are commies, rivers and canals full of silverfish in the south.

If it's anything like this neck of the woods, relatively shallow commercials and canals won't suffer unduly. It's the deep stillwaters and deeper parts of the rivers that are seeing the attentions of the local cormerant population.

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Absolute tosh. There are commies, rivers and canals full of silverfish in the south.
Maybe you are doing it wrong.......

Maybe !!

But I don't think so

And Bow Locks to you

Bob