True Crucian?

[Zerkalo]

I've been told about this park lake I've just started fishing there's a few 3lb+ Crucians in there. There are also King Carp in there.

Now I'm not really one that you could call a purist when it comes to Crucians. On the other hand I understand why their purity is important, especially when it comes to assessing specimen fish. Apparently fish to 3lb 12oz have been in the Anglers Mail from this venue.

I text my dad to tell him I'm going to fish it tomorrow evening and he replied by telling me a 3lb 12oz Crucian came out yesterday. I said, damn, that's the fish I wanted to catch. And he sent me the below photo. I think I know already people are going to say it's not a true Crucian, but maybe someone with expertise can do a scale count or something and tell me what they think other than just looking at its fins, mouth and shape.

 

[Zerkalo]

Another Crucian from the water. A lot lighter in colour than the fish above but it could just be a big old fish?

 

[Trent_Fisher]

Another Crucian from the water. A lot lighter in colour than the fish above but it could just be a big old fish?

That looks very crucian like to me, what a specimen.

 

[Zerkalo]

I'm determined to catch one of them this summer. A chap who fishes there regularly tells me he catches 8 Crucians a year and some are quite big.

 

[Peter]

Have to say that both fish look like true Crucians to me.

 

[Silverfisher]

They look real to me as well without doing a scale count

 

[Deejay8]

Well they look like crucians, so I think you would be entitled to consider one of those as a crucian. I have fished a water where carp and crucians hybridize, and they are basically naturally occurring F1 hybrids and look the same as the F1s we find stocked in commercials. So it's a safe bet this is a crucian.

 

[Markywhizz]

I don’t want to hijack Steve’s thread but I have a similar question. I rarely catch crucians but I had this rather sad looking fish from a mixed lake on my favourite commercial. Just wondered how genuine a crucian it was.

 

[BBear]

Not sure about that one, but the earlier ones look like Crucians to me.

 

[Zerkalo]

Wow I'm surprised in a way that they might be true Crucians. I'm even more excited about the prospect of catching one now. I'm getting them sent off to a leading expert for verification. The first fish looks very dark to me but other than that looks good to me and the fish of a lifetime for many, including me if I catch one.

 

[Tinca Steve]

Both look like true crucian, as an aside Johnson's lake where the record has come from several times has crucians and king carp in it. Older fish look darker than younger ones. Johnson's is only 25 minutes from where I live.

 

[Greeny1178]

They look stunning crucians to me .

 

[Zerkalo]

More Crucians have been stocked, only small ones I'm told, on Tuesday of this week bought from Furnace Mill, so it's good to know that the people running the park know what they've got in terms of attractive stock. Can't complain for a day ticket park lake can you. Though I'd imagine the bigger Crucians have been in there for a long time. I'm told that 30 years ago it was completely covered with lilies until the council took them out.

@Markywhizz it's a nice looking fish whatever it is, I'm not qualified to say really, but I know on another water I fish for Crucians (also has King Carp) there's a load of Brown Goldfish in there and despite me once saying I've never really noticed much hybridisation, another member fished there and caught a few that potentially looked part Brown Goldfish.

Pure Crucian waters seem hard to come by.

 

[IanG1]

Both the pictures at the top of this thread look like crucians to me, both fish of a lifetime, love one of them gracing the bottom of my landing net.

 

[WickerDave]

I'd count the first two as proper crucians, fantastic fish.

Two of my Hurst Farm brown fish definitely weren't, the third probably wasn't either...

 

[RedhillPhil]

I'd count the first two as proper crucians, fantastic fish.

Two of my Hurst Farm brown fish definitely weren't, the third probably wasn't either...

That's not a Crucian. It's certainly
Crucianish but there's some Carp in there somewhere.

 

[Lee Richards]

Its a great looking fish whatever it is and I would be very happy catching those all day

 

[Silverfisher]

One of our club lakes has pure crucian in apparently although don’t know how they can be certain given there’s carp in there. They don’t get caught very often at all though so don’t suppose I’ll ever see one to judge. All the “crucians” I’ve ever caught have come from commercials that obviously have carp in them but in most cases they did appear to be the true variety. Not caught one in a good few years now though.

 

[Tinca Steve]

Have a day trip down to Marsh Farm, Harris Lake. True crucians to over 3 lb as there are no king carp in there. Also it's a good tench water. Only 1 1/2 hours from Bicester.

 

[IanG1]

Caught from club pond a few years back, they disappear for months with non caught then come back briefly in an endless cycle. Lovely species though and personal favourite of mine.