2022 Species Tally

While 2022 was far from a yearly species hunt, it marked a renewed interest in angling. I had shattered my clavicle in a cycling accident late the previous Summer, so had spent weeks awaiting surgery, with nothing to do but obsess over specimen carp fishing. I used to do a lot of day ticket angling on just one complex, now I wanted to branch out! I refreshed my tackle box, bought a bivvy and bedchair, and was ready to get out in the new year, once I was recovered.

All photos/icons are my own catches



#1a - European/King [Mirror] Carp (Cyprinus carpio var.“Specularis”) PB

For the longest time, my personal best was 14lb, something I was content with, as it matched my dad's PB, but I had been craving a 20lb carp. The venue I always fished no longer produces carp of this size, so I decide to try out a little known private lake. The anglers I spoke to said it's a difficult lake to jump onto, having taken them two or three sessions before they've been able to land a fish. Eventually I spot the carp following a channel in the lake, moving around like it's not even Winter! Shortly after I move my baits into this channel, the rod screams off the next time they pass through, after a good fight, a 22lb 8oz linear Mirror Carp graces the net. First fish of 2022, first Winter carp, first twenty, first on an overnighter, and a new PB—very happy! 10 minutes later, (before I had a chance to put the net back together) I manage another 18lb 8oz, luckily Scott was in the adjacent swim to help! Certainly a good decision to try this lake, especially as it later changed to a syndicate in April.

 

#2a - [Yellow] Ghost Carp (C. rubrofuscus "Yamabuki Koi" x C. carpio) PB

Now with a 30lb carp on the mind, I decide to try the sister lake of the one I fished previously. According to the owner, it averages one fish a week, and you can only book a minimum 60 hour session, so I certainly had a challenge ahead of me. The lake holds the Cornish record carp, so a chance of catching that always lingered in the back of my mind. After no bites on the first day, I try stalking in a corner where I had seen a large, particuarly orange carp come and go, and had set up a second rod to the entrance of the corner, it was this second rod which connected with the fish. Immediately I could tell it was a big fish, so I played it cautiously, seeing the thickness of this fish, I thought it was the big one, though it tipped the scales at dead on 32lb! Easter Monday Cornish gold!

 

#3 - Roach (Rutilus rutilus)

I joined a local angling club this year, and fished one of their quarry lakes, predicted to be a "runs water" for 20lb carp by the end of the year. It was the most stunning venue I had fished so far! Chucking out to the far bank, where I heard they fed the carp from the boat, I get a little twitch, it's a roach.

 

#4 - Common Bream (Abramis brama)

The next fish to come out was a bream. Whilst not the target species, I don't mind catching them as long as they're not plague level. Ignore the face-pulling, I love them really!

 

#5a - [Green] Tench (Tinca tinca) NEW SPECIES PB

This fish was a nice suprise, as Cornwall isn't known for their big tench, so I was very happy to land this one of 4lb 1oz, and my first one too! I end up getting the target species, a couple of Mirror Carp around 18lb during the night. The lake was incredibly deep, so they bombed it for the bottom, very hard fighting; my first carp in the middle of the night too!


#1b - European/King [Common] Carp (Cyprinus carpio var.“Communis”)

I head back to the quarry lake the following month, to try a swim called "The Beach", which is absolutely gorgeous, although it comes with a caveat—it's extremely snaggy, and seemed to throw up more of the smaller carp. Though you can't complain in a swim like this, which produced several Commons and Mirrors.


#2b - Amur [Domesticated/Koi] Carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) NEW SPECIES

Myself, Huw and Alex head up to Angler's Paradise to fish the day ticket lakes in hopes of some catfish. The trip didn't go completely as planned, though a couple of small catfish came out for the guys, but packing up, we tried the small Koi lake, freelining with some bread. Although only small, I caught a couple to tick off.



#1c - European/King [Leather] Carp (Cyprinus carpio var.“Nudus”)

A fun Summer's day fishing on Gwinear's pleasure lake with Becca, plenty of carp out on the method feeder. It go so busy, only one rod was needed! I caught my first Leather of the year, completing all of the recognised C. carpio variants: Communis, Specularis, and Nudus.


#6 - Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) NEW SPECIES

For the Summer, I booked a two week holiday to Angler's Paradise. I set myself a goal of catching Grass Carp and Wels Catfish. I arrive early and ask to fish one of the lakes before I checked in. With permission, I set up on Easy Access lake, and within minutes get the first fish of the trip, a little Mirror Carp, then shortly after, I land a Grass Carp! 11lb, I've ticked off the first target before even getting into the accomodation!

 

#7 - Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus)

Myself being the completionist, I had the goal of catching on every resident lake during my stay there. I started the morning on the Begginer's Carp Lake, caught plenty of Commons, Mirrors and Linear Mirrors, then spent the afternoon on the Float Lake. Here I did well, catching some stunning Koi, a fully scaled Mirror, and three Rudd with questionable heritage. One was clearly a typical Angler's Paradise Golden Rudd, another had dark markings like you see on Koi, and another was a lumisecent orange; perhaps there is some Golden Orfe mixed in, I couldn't say; though I know during my stay, they had all but lost their Orfe (luckily restocked the following year).

 

#2a - [White] Ghost Carp (C. rubrofuscus "Purachina Koi" x C. carpio) PB

On the fourth day I moved over to Magic and Pixie Lakes where I had a variety of Koi, Mirrors, two-toned Commons, and a single white Ghost Carp. It was great action picking them all out by sight, certainly the most enjoyable fishing I've done. I wasted far too long trying to get one paticular Common Carp that had interesting markings; maybe next time!

 

#8 - Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis) NEW SPECIES

Now entering my second week at Angler's Paradise, and I had caught on most of the lakes, I started fishing with Julian, who I had hired as a guide earlier in the year. With some of my targets I set with him already ticked off, we decided to hit the ones I hadn't yet go round to trying. A 20lb carp from the surface was big on the agenda, so we walk down to Main Lake with some dog biscuits, a float road, and freelined in amongst weeds. A whisker breaks the surface, then suddenly the dog biscuit vanishes in a vortex; it's a kitten! My first ever catfish, and it was a surface caught one! Definitely memorable!

 

#5b - [Golden] Tench (Tinca tinca) 

On the morning of one of the last days here, I decided to try the Specimen Tench Lake, armed with a method feeder rod and a float rod, it quickly became apparent that I only needed the float rod. In the short morning session, I caught a wild amount of Golden Tench to around 3lb, and decided to end on 30.

 

#5c - [Blue] Tench (Tinca tinca) 

During the morning, in amongst the Golden Tench, I caught the elusive, platinum-like Blue Tench! It made for one of my most memorable catches this year!

 

 

NOTABLE CATCHES

On top of the species tally, there were some incredibly memorable catches not listed above I wanted to share:

My PB Grass Carp, caught on light gear, freelining dog biscuit on the surface, 23lb 2oz. The lake manager, Ashleigh, said, although not its largest weight, this was the biggest in the lake. Easily my favourite catch of the year!


On the same method, a couple of classic Angler's Paradise strain Mirror Carp, 23lb 3oz and 21lb 5oz respectively.


My PB Common Carp, 32lb 5oz, caught on the Specimen Carp Lake. This one, named Arthur, suprisingly bombed it in my direction, so graced the net in moments. This fish won me Catch of the Week!

 Lots of interesting looking Koi came out too, here are some of my favourites (including the image at the top of this article). The biggest being 7lb 5oz (first picture), and second biggest 6lb (second picture), although it looks like it should be the other way around!


I had a good amount of catfish during my stay too, and I learned just how effective freelined meat or pop up worms can be over halibut pellets. The biggest, a PB, 37lb 2oz (first picture) and second biggest, 35lb 2oz (second picture).

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