Identify this Fish? (2) American Falls Res.

[Bronco66]

Caught this today on a fly in American Falls Res. below the Dam. Other than this we caught a ton of small browns and a few rainbows on Hare ear nymphs. I think this is a mirror carp but could use some input. Thanks!
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[jeremypeace]

Just a common carp.. some have very little scales some have allot of scales. Guess it just depends. But that there is a common carp.
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[cpierce]

Mirror Carp

Sounds like you had a nice day out.
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[gstott]

That's kind of a cute little mirror carp. Sounds like a fun day.
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[cpierce]

I haven't seen any carp that size before. I was beginning to think that they morphed from the egg to 20inches instantly. [laugh][laugh] They must not stay small for very long..


Common Carp have very regular scales of appropriate sizes completely covering their sides. Mirror Carp are a genetic mutation of the common carp. They have irregular scales of varying sizes and sometimes almost no scales. Basically they are the same fish except for the scale trait. The Bear River is predominately mirror carp. At least that is what I usually catch there. I think from the ones I have seen on the Snake River, that it mostly has the common carp and the mirrors are fewer.
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[jeremypeace]

I figured it was a common carp. Because that's all I ever catch in the portneuf and they always look like that. The one my dad caught from the bear river was covered full of small scales I thought it was a grass carp. Because as I've understood common carp have large scales and generally. Have few on them and mirror carp or usually not having scales. Just like a leather carp..
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[gstott]

One day when I was in high school, my friend and I played hookey to go fishing at Deer Creek Res in Utah. We found hundreds of little 3" carp where the Provo River comes in. The water was pretty low and the carplets were in just a few inches of water. We had a vendetta against carp in those days and I have no idea how many we scooped out onto the mud flats for the seagulls to eat. Fun times.

Around the same time I also caught around a 10-12" carp and thought it would be funny to throw that in my mom's lilly pond in the back yard along with some green sunfish. She started complaining about all the baby goldfish disappearing. I came clean and it made it's way into the garden.

Here's one other little carp I ran into in my travels. I was looking for bass in Cutler Marsh and skewered this little guy. [inline "skewered carp small.JPG"]The place was thick with them. No wonder there are some huge but hard to catch bass in there with all the micro carp to munch on.

I've actually been working on some baby carp patterned flies and soft plastics for the smallies and walleye in Oneida. I'm anxious for spring to get here so I can go try them.
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[cpierce]

They are prolific buggers! The egg sacks in one out of Oneida reservoir were huge. I looked it up and a large carp can have a million eggs. No wonder they are a problem.

I wish they grew slower so that more fish had a chance at eating them!!
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[gstott]

Yeah, they're pretty awful that way. I wonder how it would work putting tiger musky into Oneida as they can eat a bit larger prey.
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[jeremypeace]

I had asked the IDFG about putting a larger predictor like flathead cat fish or tiger musky and I got told. No because the problem is not of there concerning. I've. Givven up all hope on the IDFG. There just as bad as over in Washington as far as knowing what is right.. DC that is not state.
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[gstott]

Well, I still think they do a better job than Utah, but that's too bad. I guess that answers that question.
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