Ed T, you are displaying your cultural bias by your disparagement of carp as a food fish. Carp is appreciated in many parts of the world and there are many recipes that reflect it's popularity. Most Asian countries prize it and they have myriad ways of preparing it. It is also much prized in the cuisine of eastern Europe and is often used as the main ingredient in the Jewish dish gefilte fish. Indeed as a youngster I would often accompany my parents on shopping expeditions to the ethnic/Jewish quarter of Montreal AKA the Main or St. Lawrence street which had many shops that had tanks of live carp swimming about oblivious to their impending fate. Our family ate it once a year on Christmas eve, which for Catholics was a meatless day, prepared in Polish style ie. in aspic, much like this recipe:

Carp in Aspic
Karp w Galarecie

3 lbs. carp                         1 T gelatin
4 cups vegetable stock       2 T water
4 peppercorns                   1 egg white
3 bay leaves
Clean fish. Remove head and clean it. Cook head and spices in vegetable stock for half hour. Strain. Place whole fish in a pan. Cover with strained stock and simmer for half hour until tender. Remove fish and place on a serving platter. To clarify stock, add slightly beaten egg white and bring to boiling point, stirring lightly. Strain through napkin twice. Dissolve gelatin in water, add stock. Pour over the cooled fish. Garnish with carrot rings, hard boiled eggs, and lemon slices.
         
I didn't much like it as a kid but would probably appreciate it more now.