I was curious to learn if the cover information on this little book could possibly be correct. How could such a hand-sized almost pocketbook offer a fascinating read for conservationists, anglers, freshwater biologists and those with interest in the natural world? I am, to a greater or lesser extent, all those things. I turned to the introduction with appetite whetted.
It’s a mystery! Toya Wilcox could very well have been singing about the Crucian. Mark explains its Asian roots and why the science remains uncertain and points to many superpowers that this carp-like fish has, not least that it is elastic. Read the book to find out more!
I particularly enjoyed the evocation of times past introduced early in the book and that provides context for much of the detail and discussion that follows. As a native of Northern Ireland, I have no experience of the ponds in the 1960’s landscape of the Home Counties of England. I did however read about them in angling books and latterly watched on television as Chris Yates, John Bailey and the like went hunting for them with simple tackle and much watercraft. I loved this. Mark can rightly join this ilk in bringing to life the atmosphere and sheer joy of catching a little ‘golden coin’.
There i
s much talk of ecosystem services these days. The value of something from our 'First World' Promethean perspective which perceives the Earth as a resource whose utility is determined primarily by human needs and interests. Mark takes a different and yet very comprehensive and compelling slant on this in his section on Crucians and people. That this is a beautiful little fish that graces artists canvases, colour plates in ichthyological tomes, and postage stamps yet is entirely edible for those who would eat it, is described. For me, and I suspect Mark, its value is the joy it brings in simply finding it in those few remaining wild places where it lives, fastidiously identifying it, and a possibility of catching it. Should we be empirical about this value or simply know it and seek to preserve it?
I could write a lot about the section on Crucian fishing. The thrill and charm of this comes across to me and excites. I could even question or caution on some of what Mark writes. Suffice to say here that if you are an angler with a hankering for the art of fishing (informed perhaps by Izaak Walton and Bernard Venables), and/or the challenge of catching a specimen (weight), you will be enthused and excited too.
The pleasures of fishing notwithstanding, Mark makes some important observations about conservation imperatives in today’s Britain as it strives for post Brexit growth. His analysis of the evolving meaning of nature conservation is worth a read of itself.
If a gorgeous little fish of benign ecological impact irrespective of whether it is truly native or not cannot compel us to want to remain connected to nature and understand our dependency upon it, then our future security as we have known it is, as Mark postulates, at risk. Are we content that the only golden coins we have left are in the Royal Mint? This little book might help you decide.
Crucians (Carassius carassius) Biology, Ecology, Angling and Culture
Mark Everard | ISBN: 9781032909745 | Published: Jan 2025 | Publisher: CRC Press
