Like Tench, True Crucian Carp are a relatively slow growing fish when compared to Common Carp, thus we grow crucians for at least two summers to attain a minimum saleable size of 4 to 6 inches.

The angling press has reported that the Crucian Carp in its true genetic form has become very scarce in the wild due to hybridisation with introduced goldfish. The loss of many of the tiny farm ponds that held populations of these feisty little fighters has also had an inevitable impact on their availability to anglers.

At Cob House, we breed Crucian Carp that are externally verified to be genotypically 'true' each time we have them health checked.

As usual, our True Crucian Carp broodstock are kept on site in their own pond and are artificially spawned indoors, so there is no chance of hybridisation.

True Crucian Carp are very tough little fish. A recent study showed that they can tolerate zero oxygen for long periods of time by producing a natural anaesthetic and entering a state similar to hibernation in mammals. Therefore, they should be easily capable of surviving the conditions found in densely stocked commercial fishing ponds. We have also found that our crucians feed well in the winter and we have even recorded increases in growth during the colder months