Crucian Conservation
BARS OF GOLD in THE ROSIE
In keeping with the club’s commitment to crucian conservation and the continuation of the clubs grade ‘B’ status for The Rosie, January 2023 saw the club take delivery of some additional pure crucian carp to keep our stocks healthy.
As most people will already know the Rosie is renowned for its crucian carp with people travelling many miles to try and catch them. The addition of these additional fish will keep generations of anglers happy in the knowledge these exceptional bars of gold are there to be caught for many more years.
Speaking to the older generation of anglers at the lake it is apparent that it has always been known that some very special crucians lurk beneath the surface.
Over the past few years crucian fishing has excelled at The Rosie, with anglers travelling many miles in an attempt to catch them.
During the warmer summer months these buttery gold looking fish provide some great sport, as what they lack in size is most certainly made up with their energetic fights, especially on light tackle.
The average size of our crucians in The Rosie is 1-2lb, however there are some larger specimens hiding, waiting to be caught.
The potential of a Welsh record is still a possibility, and waiting to be discovered.
Background
The club works extremely hard throughout the year to ensure these special and remarkable fish are looked after, so they live long and happy lives, and are around for many more years.
We aim to make the environment they live in the best possible, this helps encourage the fish to not only feed well, but to thrive which in turn promotes breeding.
This is evident in the fact that lots of younger specimens are making a splash and anglers are catching these home grown fish.
As a club we know how important keeping the crucian strain as pure as possible is, that’s why every year during the annual netting, any Hybrids along with the mysterious gold fish which have made their way into the lake are removed
The clubs hard and meticulous work has gained the club a ‘B’ grading on the prestigious list of waters which containing pure crucian carp.
This list is featured on the “National Crucian Conservation Project” website. This achievement is the highest possible grade that can be given whilst king carp are present in a fishery.
The club along with a few others across the UK are determined to ensure the pure breed crucian carp is maintained, appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come.
THE HARD WORK HAD OBVIOUSLY PAID OFF AS THE ROSIE, AND ITS CRUCIANS, HAVE FEATURED IN 'HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COURSE FISHING MAGAZINE' SEVERAL TIMES
Andrew and Ben from AE Fisheries and BP Milling who are given the task of netting the Rosie.
During the winter the club prepares for its annual cropping of the excess fry in the lake.
This is done to reduce the amount of fish in the lake and bring the whole bio-mass of the lake to more manageable levels, this allows the fish to grow better and more healthy. It also allows oxygen and nitrate levels to stabilise.
It is quite surprising how much oxygen these small fish consume, so keeping on top of water quality is paramount for the club.
This time of year and the netting also allows the club to see how well these fish and especially our crucian carp are doing, it’s a spectacle lots of members are excited to see.
As can be seen above, our bars of gold are plentiful, these are just some which came out on a recent annual netting, most average the 2lb mark, we are extremely please how these fish are growing with many decending from fish stocked many years ago…
THE CLUB ARE ALSO OVER THE MOON TO SEE THAT OUR CRUCIANS ARE NOW BREEDING WELL IN THE LAKE. SEVERAL SMALL CRUCIANS LIKE THE ONE ABOVE SHOWED UP IN THE NETS.