SPECIES ID GUIDE

Scientific name: Cyprinus carpio Identification: As well as common, mirror and leather carp you can also find brightly-coloured, ornamental koi and pale, whitish common-type fish known as ghosties.

Commons have small scales covering their body while mirrors have scales in patches or lines. Leather carp don’t have any scales. Where to find them: Everywhere! Most stillwater fisheries hold carp and mirrors tend to be the most numerous, making this target one of the easiest in the Catch 22 Challenge.

Prime spots on lakes include the margins, close to near-bank vegetation, and at the bottom of the near shelf where they seek food that has fallen down the slope. At the start of the day they may be further out towards islands or the far bank of smaller lakesy.

In warm weather you’ll often spot carp cruising on the surface and this is when pole fishing shallow, the pellet waggler, controller float fishing or freelining with floating baits can be very productive.

On bigger lakes anglers will seek out underwater features such as gravel bars and any deviations in depth, which are a magnet for carp.

Due to flooding, you can now find ‘escapee’ carp from stillwaters thriving in most rivers and canals too. Favourite baits: Almost everything! Maggots, casters, worms, pellets, boilies, corn, meat, dog biscuits – you name it, carp have almost certainly been caught on it. Best time to catch: All year round, but carp tend to feed best in late spring, through the warmer months and into early autumn, when they get their heads down to pack on weight for the winter. Record weight: An incredible fish of 68lb 1oz fish known as ‘The Parrot’, caught by Dean Fletcher from Cranwells Lake on the Wasing Estate in Berkshire in January, 2016.