The Great Rod Race

[Simon Vicos]

My brother and I have decided we will re-create the great rod race and catch every species of freshwater fish in britain between now and the end fo the year. I know messrs Brown and Hayes did it in 30 days but we are both early 40's with jobs and is his case, a family.

We've managed 7 species in our first two goes and last week during a horrid windy session on our local River Wey we were on the verge of packing up early when I sneakedout a Bleak. I must have looked a right idiot punching the air and posing for a photo but I was elated !!

We're now planning a visit to the streams where we learned to fish in our childhood in search of Bullheads, Minnows and Stone Loach !!.

It's certainly given new life to my fishing mindset and the boyish enthusiasm has well and truly returned. Can you imagine two grown men having an excited conversation about where they might bag a Stickleback !!

Any of you ever done the full set ?

 

[Lord Paul]

Good luck to you

 

[Andy "the Dog" Nellist (SAA) (ACA)]

Their list of Species was as follows:

Common Carp

Mirror Carp Same Species as Common Carp

Crucian Carp

Koi Carp Same Species as Common Carp

Ghost Carp Same Species as Common Carp

Wild CarpSame Species as Common Carp

Grass Carp No Breeding Population in Britain

Catfish

Orfe Orfe arevarients of the SpeciesIde

Tench

Bream

Roach

Rudd

Perch

Pike

Zander

Eel

Barbel

Chub

Dace

Gudgeon

Stone Loach They caught this Species but with a net !

Stickleback There are three species of Stickleback in Britain

Ruffe

BullheadThey caught this Species but with a net

Minnow

Bleak

Brown Trout

Rainbow Trout

Sea Trout This is the same Species as Brown Trout

Salmon

Arctic Char

Grayling

One Species Silver Bream was missing

 

[EC]

This site has run a 'species hunt' for the last3 years mate!

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Must be getting old. I seem to have forgot the 3 sticklebacks. 3 & 10 spine i can remember but whats the 3'rd.

 

[Fred Bonney]

15 spined sticklebackis a shore pool fish, Kevin will know that!/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

The 10 spine, is normally 9 spine, but can have from 7up to 12!

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Thanks Fred.

 

[Yoggy999]

Good luck Simon. You`ll have a great laugh I`m sure.

 

[Philip]

Good luck ! Its a Great idea...I dida similar sort of thing but trying from one swim on a rivera couple of years back...I think I got to 13 or 14species from the same spot in about2 monthsI think ! Itsone of the things I love about angling...there are so many twistsyou can put to it if you really want to....amazing the average non angler thinks of us as garden Gnome holding one rod and contemplating our navels...

Btw...was that an official list of UK species or one made up for the specific challenge ? I ask as I wonder whatshappened toWalleye ? ....prob non existent I agree but I seem to remember that appearingin the BritishRecord lists when I was a kid....

 

[Kiwi Carper]

what about Powan?

But its a great idea and certainly a good way to make the fishing interesting again, I think we all go through a "stale" patch now and again...