Carp fishing
For all ages
Het Timmerholt offers waterfront holiday homes, and land-based homes. Some houses have their own fishing spot, but all our guests are allowed to cast a line at the centrally located fishing spots around the lake. This way you can always look for your ideal fishing spot.
Carp fishing has been popular among both novice and experienced anglers for many years. Carp are known for their cleverness and the challenge they offer anglers. Carp often have a firm bite, and because they also like to stay in the muddy parts of a lake or river, they can be very difficult to catch.
Successful carp fishing often requires not only a good understanding of fishing techniques, but also knowledge about the water and carp behaviour. Many anglers use special baits, such as boilies or corn, and different techniques such as static fishing or using a feeder.
This sport combines patience, technique and relaxation, making it the perfect way to unwind in nature.
Carpfishing for starters
Our first tips
Are you casting for the first time at Timmerholt and hoping to hook a carp? At our reception, we have various articles for sale for novice and experienced anglers.
Carp fishing is all about patience, cleverness and proper preparation. We advise beginning carp anglers to start with: a solid carp rod, a reel with good carp wire (0.30 mm or thicker), an unhooking mat and a landing net.
A common bait is the boilie - a boiled dough ball that carp love. Our front desk has them for sale in various flavours. Use a hair rig (thin wire) to hang your boilie right next to the hook. This way, the carp can eat the bait without immediately feeling the hook. This increases the chances of a successful catch. and wait for the carp to bite. A simple bite detector or hanger will help you see when the carp is biting.
Then there is the moment of hooking the fish. This is the moment when you as an angler react to a fish's bite, by pulling the rod up or making a quick movement to secure the hook properly. In carp fishing, the fish will often pull or swim with the bait a few times before it actually has the hook fully in its mouth. It is important to wait until you clearly notice that the fish has the bait fully in its mouth.
Choose a quiet waterfront spot, preferably with some reeds or obstacles nearby, carp feel safe there. You can throw a few boilies into the water to lure carp, but above all, be patient. Carp fishing is a long-term sport.
Types of carp
The giants of our lake
Pangolin
The pangolin or scale carp can be called the ‘primal form’ of the carp. The pangolin can be recognised by its uniform pattern of small, golden-brown scales that cover the fish completely. As a result, this carp looks quite even and streamlined.
It is a fish that mainly searches for food on the bottom. Its diet includes plant remains, insect larvae and small aquatic animals.
Pangolins can grow quite large, as long as 80 centimetres, and are known for their strength and stamina. When caught, a pangolin can offer considerable resistance, making the species popular among advanced anglers.
Originally from Asia, this species of carp was spread across Europe by humans centuries ago. Today, the pangolin is a familiar sight in ditches, lakes and rivers. Being adaptable, they thrive in all kinds of freshwater with sufficient oxygen and not too much pollution.
Mirror carp
Mirror carp are a striking and popular species of fish which can be found in the lake at our holiday park. This member of the carp family is particularly recognisable by its irregular, often large scales that shine like ‘mirrors’ on their otherwise smooth skin. These unique scale patterns make each mirror carp visually almost as recognisable as a fingerprint in humans.
The mirror carp is not originally native to our regions, but was imported centuries ago, as was the scaled carp. The fish were bred for their fast growth and tasty, fatty texture. Today, they are mainly known and released in fish ponds and rivers for sport fishermen. Because of their size, strength and the exciting fight they put up when hooked, the mirror carp is a challenge for any angler.
Although they are strong and adaptable, mirror carp depend on clean, oxygen-rich water. Therefore, they are also a good indicator of water quality.
Grass carp
The grass carp is a special fish that is increasingly common in Dutch ditches, ponds and lakes. Also on Holiday Park Het Timmerholt, the grass carp is a permanent resident. Originally from East Asia, it was introduced to Europe in the 20th century because of its remarkable eating habit: grass carp mainly eat aquatic plants. This makes them ideal for naturally keeping watercourses free of excessive plant growth.
Grass carp can grow impressively large. They are sometimes over a metre long and weigh more than 20 kilos. Unlike other carp, such as the mirror carp or scaled carp, grass carp have a slender body and a more silvery colour. They have small scales and a straight, more or less arrow-shaped build that suits them well for gliding quietly through the water in search of food.
As grass carp are vegetarians, they pose no threat to other fish.