BIG CARP APRIL 2026 RICHARD - Flipbook - Page 167
ANDY
ASH GEDEN
LITTLE
e n ergy. Unfortunately the a b i li t y to u s e c el l u l o s e a s a n en e rg y
s o urce is not open to many a n i ma ls ; ru mi n a n t s ( c at tl e e tc . ) h ave
evolved a unique four-cha mb e re d s to m ac h to d i g e s t i t . Ca rp
d o process the enzyme cel lu l o s e, wh i c h re le a s e s t h e gl u c o s e
m olecules from the molec u le , b u t th i s e n z y m e o n ly wo rks a t
te mperatures above 2 4 deg re es C, wh i c h me a n s th a t t h e B ri t i s h
c a rp population can only us e c el l ul o s e ra re ly a s a n en e rg y
s o urce (in warm summers ). U n d i g es te d c el l u l o s e p rovi d e s a
h i gh fibre diet . Cellulose d o e s have o n e a p p l i c at i on i n f i s h i n g
a s a bait b inder. (Wallpap er p a s te i s m ad e o f c e l l u l o s e . ) U s e d
i n the right concentratio n , i t fo r m s st ro n g g e l s i n n a t ure to
o b tain any benefit from c e ll u lo s e , a n d t h e f i s h m u st fe e d o n
a q uatic inhabitants that c an ut i l i s e i t .
Starches
Carp possess the full ra n ge o f e n zy me s to u ti l i z e sta rc h e s ,
i . e ., amylases, maltases an d i nve rt as e (re m em b e r c om p l ex
m olecules need to be broke n d ow n i n to th e i r b a s i c un i ts b e fo re
t h ey can be used for ene rg y ) , t hu s g ra i n s a n d c e re al s o f fe r
t h emselves as a rich food s o u rc e fo r t he f i s h . As b o th c el l u l o s e
a n d starches are large re la t ive ly i ns o l u b le s u b s ta n c es , t h ey
h ave a very bland taste an d a re un l i ke ly to s e r ve a s a t t rac to r s
o r flavours. The attraction p o te n ti a l o f th e se p ro du c t s i s m o s t
p robably related to the ra n ge o f s ma l l m o l ec u l e s a t t ra c te d to
t h em. Seeds and cereals, e. g . n ut s , p a r ti c l es , s e m o l i n a , b a rl ey,
e tc., will contain a whole ra n ge o f o i ls , p ro te i n s a n d a m i n o
a c ids. Chit in, the tough ma te r i al t h at m ake s up t h e exo s ke l e to n
o f many invertebrates, is als o an i mp o rt an t d i et a r y co mp o n e n t ;
t h ere are however doubts a b o u t i ts d i g e s ti b i l i t y.
FR E ELINE 45
