The crucian (Carassius carassius) is an oft overlooked species. Falsely labelled by many as a carp, this fish of still and slow moving lowland waterways is actually a species in its own right. Sadly, a tendency to hybridise with goldfish and common carp have led to a massive dilution of population, and true crucians are few and far between. This is a shame, because they are butter and bronze delights. They are handsome, spirited scrappers and the shyest of biters. A swim can bubble and fizz like a witch’s cauldron and yet never does the float dip.
Some anglers overcome this timidity with fiendish self-hooking rigs, but the infuriation is part of the fun and hitting a bite after a dozen missed chances is all the more satisfying for the torture already endured.
Writers and conservationists such as Peter Rolfe (see People we Like) and those at the National Crucian Conservation Project (see Chris Turnbull’s piece in Fallon’s angler Issue 2) are furthering the word of one of our loveliest fish. Go and catch one this summer…