Why Is Carp Fishing Popular In Europe
Carp fishing is popular in Europe simply because carp grow to enormous sizes and put up an extremely hard fight. Their rapid growth combined with being extremely common, make them a sort-after fish for many anglers.
The community around carp fishing has attracted a multitude of new anglers in recent years who all share a passion for a fish that is undesirable to most of the world. In the UK this becomes apparent when stepping into any angling store or visiting a fishery.
How Carp Fishing Became Popular In Europe
In many countries throughout Europe, carp fishing is perceived as a sophisticated style of fishing. The amount of time, money, and effort required to learn the craft of landing those monster carp some say takes years of hard work. This makes landing them highly desirable.
From TV to magazines all around Europe, carp fishing has been glamorized over the last few decades causing a rise in’s popularity. This has led to fish farms producing huge numbers of carp to feed into lakes.
This definitely came as a surprise to us but carp as a fish has a multitude of different cultures and traditions surrounding them. Koi carp are often kept as pets and siamese carp are some of the largest to ever exist.
This may seem absurd to fishermen outside of Europe however most British & European anglers can’t seem to get enough of carp. It’s clear that the carp fishing community takes angling extremely seriously. This is proven by the huge amounts spent every year on maintaining and buying lakes, gear, and fish.
How Big Is Carp Fishing In Europe?
Reactional angling in the UK alone is worth £1.4 billion. This figure shows the vast desire anglers place on fishing. As the majority of fisheries throughout the UK are predominantly filled with carp of all shapes and sizes we can instantly see the scale of its popularity.
From an economic standpoint, carp fishing businesses and all things related have thrived throughout recent years showing exponential growth that is rare with such recreational activities. Large companies are often looking at ways to make anglers fishing more efficient. This could be anything from creating new bits of tackle to techniques and baits.
Not only does carp fishing bring tons of fun fighting those monster carp, but it’s also a way many anglers relax over the weekend and catch up with fellow anglers, friends, and family.
Even though it may be perceived as an expensive hobby you don’t need to spend large sums of money to catch some amazing carp.
Why Carp Fishing Is Popular
- Getting into carp fishing can be done fairly cheaply. The upfront costs of buying a rod and reel combo with the basic tackle required will only set you back a few £100. This gives carp fishing an edge over things such as sea fishing which requires a lot more initial time, effort, and money. A fishing license for lakes all across Europe can be purchased easily online or via post offices.
- Day ticket fisheries or overnight stays vary in price however its nothing you wouldn’t expect. A rough idea is anywhere from £5-£20 a day for the majority of fisheries. Given that carp fishing is a fairly cheap hobby to start that brings plenty of excitement and enjoyment, its understandable why it has gained so much appeal.
- Some of the lakes mentioned below are known all around there world for their monster carp. The huge attraction they alone bring in suggests that carp fishing as a whole has had a profound effect on European fishing.
| Fishery | Location |
|---|---|
| Lac de Villedon | France |
| Gigantica | France |
| Atlantide Lake | Italy |
| Monster carp Lake | Romania |
| Green Lakes | Slovakia |
| Lake Pelagicevo | Bosnia |
| Dream lakes | France |
| Linear Fisheries | England |
Disadvantages Of Carp Fishing
Carp fishing outside of Europe has never been as popular. Carp are an invasive species that are considered trash fish in many parts of the world. Anglers just aren’t drawn to them in the same way and the reasons behind this may shock some.
As fish, in general, are completely harmless to humans, their large stature combined with the ability to eat pretty much anything means they cause serious issues within the ecosystem. In counties such as America carp naturally breed. This causes a noticeable decline in the ability of other fish to thrive alongside them
Anglers across the world often target a multitude of different species. When carp come into the equation it decreases their chances of landing anything else. If left, wild carp in particular will take over an entire lake. Another reason for this is they have no natural predators further increasing the population. This combined with the fact that carp live for more than 200 years means they have a significant effect on their environment.
How Does Carp Affect Angling Culture?
In many countries, fishing is always related to catching and cooking. A possible explanation for why carp aren’t as sort after in other countries may be their lack of taste. Carp tend to have multiple bones and some say taste dirty.
Even though carp is eaten in some parts of the world, many countries dislike them for this very reason. This inevitably results in the fish becoming undesirable.
Koi carp on the other hand is considered a prize. Their bright colours combined with their ability to outlive humans can make them extremely valuable. The most expensive koi ever sold is a whopping $1.8 million. Auctions and events are often held to show large koi.
This is a different side to carp which may seem odd to many anglers here in the UK and throughout Europe but it does contribute substantially to the popularity of carp.
Carp Fishing Outside Of Europe?
There are a few carp enthusiasts outside of Europe in countries such as the USA and Canada. These anglers have the same if not more ambition and desire than European anglers and they have managed to land some amazing fish.
Throughout Asia, Siamese carp are often fished for. These carp are the largest and look entirely different from European carp. Due to their environment, they have thick skin and are perceived by many as scary-looking predatory fish.
Conclusion
All in all, carp fishing is very popular in Europe. The reason why is a combination of carp being some of the biggest and most common fish to inhabit lakes.
This combined with the fact that there is a lot less emphasis on the catch to consume in Europe, pretty much sums it up.
