Carp angling is becoming more and more popular in the United States. Despite the fact that many American anglers have long considered the carp a "trash" fish"; carp have recently gained the respect and admiration of a growing band of enthusiasts in this country. Fishing for carp is a "religion" for a huge number of European anglers. The level of sophistication and ingenuity that has gone into the development of carp fishing tackle and techniques is incredible. European carp anglers often consider themselves as a breed apart, with carp fishing defining their lives. Most American anglers find this baffling, if not amusing or ridiculous.
So, what is it about carp that has so intoxicated Europeans and confounded Americans? Attitude! Carp are probably one of the most widespread and abundant fish in American waters. Although present in this country for less than two hundred years, they have made it home. Considered worthless as a food source by the general public and a nest robber by game anglers, the carp has survived harsh treatment by all but the converted. The carp, which pound for pound, will fight as hard as any fish, emptying a reel of line the moment it feels a hook point, has been the victim of a bad attitude that pervades much of the angling community in America.
At the other extreme, the carp has become a fish of mythic proportions in the minds of European anglers. A fish that is considered to have supernatural intelligence, legendary strength and an uncanny knack of thwarting the best efforts of the most well-intentioned enthusiast. Carp are credited with the ability to recognize a hook-bait that has fooled them before and reject it, with lifetime recall. Carp have been known to play an angler to his wits end and mock him with a slap of their tail at the lip of the net, breaking line and heart at the same moment.
So, what is the carp… a fish or a legend? Carp are whatever you want them to be, princes, thieves, or something in between. Carp may or may not be responsible for destroying bass nests, but for all the controversy, bass continue to thrive. After two hundred years, if carp were going to cause a problem, it would have happened by now. Also, carp are not as intelligent as European anglers would like to think. As an example of the carps limited powers of deduction, I personally have caught a fish with the remains of a recently snapped off hook in its mouth, and I have the pictures to prove it.
I fish for carp whenever I get the chance. Sometimes I catch a lot of fish, sometimes I catch nothing, but that is not what is important. When the reel screams and I strike to set the hook, at that moment my consciousness freezes and my heart stalls until my muscles register whether this is just another carp or the fish of a lifetime. Carp grow to a very large size, and when in good condition, fight like a revolutionary. During the many carp fishing sessions I enjoy throughout the season, passersby often ask me what I am fishing for. After I respond they usually smile sympatically or shake their heads and inquire as to my mental state.
Carp are relatively easy to catch. Carp fishing requires only a fraction of the financial investment for equipment typically spent by game anglers. Give carp the respect they deserve and the opportunity to prove that they are indeed a worthwhile pursuit.
Conor Dowling
