France has some truly huge Carp with the current record standing over 100lbs, it is not hard to see why thousands of British fisherman flock to France each year for Carp fishing trips.
So why do Carp seem to grow much faster and larger in France?
There are many different theories on this, but the main reason seems to be related to France having a warmer and longer summer than the United Kingdom. This in turn means the water temperature in the lakes is warmer and for longer periods of time.
The water temperature has a huge effect on the Carp’s feeding patterns. They will often only start actively feeding once the water temperature rises above 12°C and then feed heavily once the temperature rises above 18°C. The optimum temperature for a carp’s maximum growth is between 20°C and 25°C. The growing season for carp in France is much longer, which means it is much more likely that the carp will grow faster and for longer periods of time when compared to Carp that reside in colder countries.
On average, Carp can only grow for about 15 years before they stop getting any bigger. This is a very short time for them to reach the monstrous size of 60lbs plus, which means they need a growth rate of at least 4lbs per year. The United Kingdoms climate is just not warm enough to cater for this amount of growth.
Many French fisheries will implement feeding programs to take full advantage of the long summers in order to grow some truly monstrous Carp which will keep anglers entertained for years to come.