How authentic are the British records?

[peterjg]

Some good and interesting points raised here. The record list is interesting in as much as it is a rough guide to how big a particular species can grow in this country.

It is more relevant to keep a list of ones own records. (I would love to catch a 3lb roach and a 6lb chub!) Then there is the issue of the availability (I don't like travelling too far for my fishing) of local quality venues and of course we must never mention the issue of luck, especially when so much of the time we have little control over the actual size of the fish we catch.

Would I claim a record - I very much doubt it.

 

[S-Kippy]

Gonk "Buster" being the operative word Skip ---- if the fish has to be dispatched and sent to the BRFC they could be in a quandery trying to verify a bit of fishpaste.

Ah...but the beauty of a record pongo is that you could take it home in a bucket [preferably not the livebait bucket,Steve !] and then everybody and his uncle could come and marvel at its magnificence & it could be weighed/witnessed properly.

A record gonk would be a hell of a thing. I've seen one nearer 5 ozs than 4 and it was simply hay-uuuuge !

Many, many years ago my mate [not Phil] had a 7 oz Ruffe....and that was a thing to behold too. Went in his pond and was never seen again.

Would I claim a record ? Probably not...I might if it was a species dear to me but if I bagged a spawny old beast through pure luck or a 5lb roach on a boilie I'd be too embarrassed.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I do appreciate records lists - even for particular venues. It is all part of angling history, and is of interest to me. That said, there will always be under-reporting, and so far as the lists for a particular venue are concerned, the records may be so far out of date as to be meaningless - but interesting nevertheless.

Would I ever claim a national record ?. No chance ! . Its doubtful i would even claim a venue record. I am not prepared to give information away as i have seen what happens to places when such news gets out. Maybe like national secrets i would release information after 25 years ..nothing much worth waiting for though.

PS - The BRFC records lists linked at the start of this thread is dated spring 2013 and is now outdated. I think Chub, Perch and Carp records have changed since then, maybe others too? Also the Wels record is no longer maintained by BRFC and would be well over 100Ib if it was.

 

[wanderer]

Fantastic post mate, i totally agree with you.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Well from someone who has been there and done it, I can tell you this much, not many of you know what the rules are, or how it works. Please don't take that as a dig, it isn't.

First anyone could catch a record, if your fishing the waters that hold them that is, and you could claim it, it's not hard, just long winded.

So here goes,

You have to have two Independent witnesses, not related to you in any way.

Your scales have to be checked by weights and measures, you then get a certificate to verify the scales.

Good clear photos of the fish, as an extra, i took the measurements of the fish, in length and girth, and photo's that showed the measurements.

We do need, as others have said, a list so we know the biggest of each species, simple as that. As a kid i used to know every coarse record weight, and the captor, it was something i felt was part of my fishing, and to catch a record was a dream as a kid. The fact I did catch a record, and the Roach, the record i had dreamt of, doesn't mean i am a great or known angler. I was in the right place at the right time.

Is the captor important ?? Yes, to a point, because without the captor you wouldn't have the record would you.

I wouldn't claim a record again, for a couple of reasons. The list is false IMHO. If you are going to have a list of record fish in this country, then it has to be for all species. The Cat fish isn't on the list, because of illegal stocking, that is the official verdict, yet the Zander and Grass Carp are, even when they have been illegally stocked as well, HOW does that work.

The other thing is when the BRFC changes members. If a new member joins, he or she may put a motion forward to have a record looked at and changed if they didn't agree with the record. I can tell you this as fact, as I was informed that some BRFC members were talking of returning my record to the list, I told them to forget it.

Angling has moved on, and as it has, the record list has lost it's appeal to most anglers, and having the same fish breaking the record a number of times, doesn't help, not when it is only a select few who may have the chance to fish for a record.

Claiming is easy, you don't have to be in the trade, or a known angler, you just have to have the correct Criteria to claim.

Hope that helps everyone.

 

[flightliner]

I was fly fishing at Toft Newton in Lincolnshire many years ago, walking around the huge concrete bowl me and the guy I was with came across the parched, dried out body of the largest tommy ruffe you could ever imagine-- certainly bigger than the record at the time --- absolutely huge ---- I figured it had been caught by a fly angler who had simply ditched it high and dry.!

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

I was fly fishing at Toft Newton in Lincolnshire many years ago, walking around the huge concrete bowl me and the guy I was with came across the parched, dried out body of the largest tommy ruffe you could ever imagine-- certainly bigger than the record at the time --- absolutely huge ---- I figured it had been caught by a fly angler who had simply ditched it high and dry.!

Strange that flight,

I know a member on FM, who knows of a guy also fly fishing, who caught a hugh Bream 25lb on the fly. Thats smashes the Bream record now, and that fish was caught a few years ago.

I am sure if some of the Trout waters were to open up to coarse angling, a number of records would tumble.

 

[S-Kippy]

Strange that flight,

I know a member on FM, who knows of a guy also fly fishing, who caught a hugh Bream 25lb on the fly. Thats smashes the Bream record now, and that fish was caught a few years ago.

I am sure if some of the Trout waters were to open up to coarse angling, a number of records would tumble.

They would indeed and I'm surprised they haven't already. The obvious candidates are pike, zander and bream.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

It's the Bream i am on about Skippy, you told me about it

 

[daniel121]

PS - The BRFC records lists linked at the start of this thread is dated spring 2013 and is now outdated. I think Chub, Perch and Carp records have changed since then, maybe others too? Also the Wels record is no longer maintained by BRFC and would be well over 100Ib if it was.

Oopps sorry - must try harder :doh:

---------- Post added at 15:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:56 ----------

Ray

I won't highlight your post because its massive but its brilliant :thumbs:

I can honestly say I agree with most you say, in particular the same fish breaking the record several time. I'm in no position to debate with you as your knowledge of the British record claiming procedure outstrips mine. However I will say this particular guy claims the anglers mail campaigned for the process to be made simpler?

I'm a little green eyed as even though I've had some clonking Roach, a River Roach well they are may favorite fish by a country mile I'd love just to of seen your 4lb 3oz fish mate.let alone caught it.


Thanks for all the replies I've really enjoyed reading them all

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Daniel,

Sorry mate, I don't know about the Anglers Mail trying to get record claims made easier.

The problem is, if you make it to easy, I know this much, the circus would have a field day. There have been known Anglers, who cheated to get onto the record list, and got caught out.

Make no mistake, there are those who would do it now also.

The one thing that could be changed is the time it takes for a claim to be approved. Now with laptops, Face Timing, Skype etc etc, you shouldn't have to wait for the committee to have a meeting.

 

[flightliner]

Strange that flight,

I know a member on FM, who knows of a guy also fly fishing, who caught a hugh Bream 25lb on the fly. Thats smashes the Bream record now, and that fish was caught a few years ago.

I am sure if some of the Trout waters were to open up to coarse angling, a number of records would tumble.

Ray, google the Toft newton website and reat the homepage. Theres a guy holding a huge roach-- on appearances alone tell me how that fish compares to the one you had.
Also a guy holding a huge bream that they reckon is fifteen pounds or thereabouts---- no way--- my best is a 14-3 and the one being held dwarfes mine!.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Flight,

I had a look at the website.

Some great fish. One Roach the picture says 2lb 10ozs, the other Roach has no weight but is a big Roach, hard to tell a weight.

Nice Bream, and a great colour to it. I saw one guy had a nice Perch, and the same guy, had a Tench that was very golden in colour, but still had the Green in it also, nice looking fish.

 

[The bad one]

I'm taking up fly bream fishing......very soon

 

[flightliner]

I'm taking up fly bream fishing......very soon

last day tomorrows "any method" day.
Great day, dont miss out !!!.
A friend had some huge perch last year---

 

[daniel121]

Daniel,

Sorry mate, I don't know about the Anglers Mail trying to get record claims made easier.

The problem is, if you make it to easy, I know this much, the circus would have a field day. There have been known Anglers, who cheated to get onto the record list, and got caught out.

Make no mistake, there are those who would do it now also.

The one thing that could be changed is the time it takes for a claim to be approved. Now with laptops, Face Timing, Skype etc etc, you shouldn't have to wait for the committee to have a meeting.

Yes I understand, with photo editing and jobs for the boy's style witnesses it could become a right dogs dinner!

I had little time for the record list, however after reading this thread I have a little more time for it I think the notion we need a record list is valid and good point. It made me smile and feel good when I saw the dace record, my PB is 1lb 4oz. I was chuffed I was so close.

End of the day as others have said its a guide and It made me happy its obviously made you happy - nothing wrong with making people happy is there