Carp

Unlike trout, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are unattractive, slimy, feed almost exclusively below the surface, and rarely inhabit clear mountain streams - choosing instead to live in turbid or brackish waters. For these reasons, the species was denigrated as a "trash fish" by generations of fly fishermen, who saw carp as somehow too unsophisticated for the long rod. But a small cadre of anglers realized that carp are actually difficult to hook, and once they are on the line, they fight with power an enough tenacity to test both tackle and an angler’s resolve. It is these qualities that earned the carp the nickname "freshwater bonefish". There are two variants of the common carp - mirror carp, which has much larger scales, and the leather carp, which has virtually no scales except near the dorsal fin. Originally an Euroasian fish, there seems to be no definitive evidence of when carp first came to the U.S., but it was most likely in the mid 1800s, when fish were imported from Germany or France.

Nutritional value: The good, carp is low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B12 and Selenium, and a very good source of Protein and Phosphorus. The bad, it is high in Cholesterol.