The Carp (Cyprinus Carpio)
Carp have a very long dorsal fin with two long and two short barbules on the upper lip. Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) have no barbules. Naturally fully scaled common carp have been domesticated and cultured for thousands of years to produce fish with few scales (mirrors) and with no scales (leathers). All three variants interbreed freely.
Often found singly or in small groups where stocked in slow moving water, they are also stocked in may still waters where they roam freely but particularly in margins and under cover of weeds and lilies.
The adults are strong competitors for available invertebrate food supplies - especially midge larvae. Like bream they often dig down into sediment to seek out food. When present in large numbers this can often lead to a reduction in submerged weed beds and thus to a decline in other species. Carp can often be encouraged to feed up in open water, particularly during the summer months when the water is warmer. Especially in warm weather, carp can be voracious feeders and will take most bait.
The Bream
Bream are characterised by having a deep, laterally compressed body with a thick layer of slime overlaying the bronze skin. Skimmer Bream are silver and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from roach/bream hybrids.
Bream gather in large shoals when young. However, the adults are more often found in smaller groups although larger groups sometimes congregate in deeper water. During spawning (May to June) the males become aggressive and defend small, exclusive territories.
Adult bream have two feeding methods. They are generally bottom feeders using their long protrusile mouth to dig down deep into sediments sucking mouthfuls of silt to filter out food. When bottom living invertebrates are reduced to lower levels they often feed by filtering Daphnia from open water. They prefer lakes, slow moving rivers and canals and often compete for food with carp that enjoy similar habitats. Bream take a variety of bait - maggots, pinkies and casters all work well as does sweetcorn in the summer. Worms can be a real winner at any time as can bread.
