Putting a big fish in the papers

[Andy Doughty]

A simple question that should get you all going! Hehe.

If you caught a big fish, ie a few ounces/pounds off the British Record, would you send a picture into AT or AM?

My thinking is that I wouldnt send a picture of a zander in for a few ounces under the record, but I would for a couple of pounds under. I would also send in a picture of a 25lbish pike. Got to catch one first, but I would just like to see my name and picture in Anglers Mail. If by some chance I broke a record, then I would send pictures in, but only if you couldnt tell where they were taken.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

The problem of reporting big fish is highlighted with what has happened with the record barbel stretch at Kickles Farm and Adams Mill. As soon as big barbel were reported in AM/AT, the water was mobbed 24 hours a day.

I think if I took a big fish from a known big fish water, then there is no problem with naming the venue, as its probably pressured already....but if its a quite wee water, then I think I would be selfish and keep the venue a secret.

 

[Chris Bishop]

Hardly anyone round here reports anything to the papers from what I can work out.

Either that or there's a large amount of male bovine by-product circulating on the grapevine.

Catch any Tuesday..? Have got to get organised and start getting some nights in, what's the river like..?

 

[GrahamM]

The simple answer is yes, I have and do publish my catches if I think they're newsworthy for the area, never mind close to record weight. If I don't want to give the location away then it's a Cheshire mere, the Dove, the middle Severn, whatever (as long as it's the truth). And in nearly 40 years of doing that I've never had a problem.

Why do I publish (regardless of any possible fee or prize being paid)?

Because we wouldn't have AT, AM, or any other angling journal if we all kept everything secret. If Venables, Walker, and right back to Walton and before him, had been secretive we wouldn't have such a wealth of angling literature.

And who the hell would we have to whinge about if it wasn't for people like me?

There's nothing I dislike more than the closet 'star' angler who boasts about his success, secretly feeds the grapevine, and basks in the glory of being the strong, silent type. But is the first to rush out and buy AT and AM to enjoy reading about what other anglers have caught.

What a bloody dishonest, self-centred attitude.

Give me somebody any day who will stand up and share his good fortune and say, "look, this is what I've caught, and this is how I did it."

Go about your fishing with pride, what the hell have you got to hide? (Apart from exact location).

Could be a good slogan, that.

 

[Chris Bishop]

We're not closet stars up here. We rarely catch anything worth publicising anyway.

I think my worry is always that hordes of people will descend on the place - like last season, someone had a 32 from a King's Lynn gravel pit.

KLAA only has one gravel pit with pike in, so everyone knew where it was.

It's not a big pit either, so there were literally people walking around the place trying to see which swim it was from by looking for the undergrowth in the background to the picture.

The place was mobbed for the next couple of weeks.

This sort of thing has gone on for years and probably always will.

Problem is there are very few really special big fish in this part of the world - probably not unlike everywhere else.

If I ever caught one, I wouldn't want some idiot to come along the next week and deep hook it or keep it out of the water 10mins while they take 200 photos.

 

[GrahamM]

But better than nothing is to say a Norfolk stillwater and take a picture with a brollie or something in the background. As long as it isn't a downright lie, as often happens, then vague news is better than no news. And at least folk will know a good fish has been caught from somewhere in Norfolk, and by whom, that's the main thing surely.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I know you're right if I sit down and think about it.

 

[David Will]

I tend to follow the advice of a well known Specci man given to me years ago. If the fish is from a day ticket water tell all if not give the media the story if you wish but never the venue.He had suffered from being too open and learned his lesson.He also thought the welfare of the fish came first not the anglers self esteem.

 

[GrahamM]

The welfare of the fish does come first, whatever anyone's sentiments about publicity.

 

[Paul Williams]

The problem i have is catching fish i consider worth while telling the world about!!!!...every time i get close that particular species takes a size hike......i'm now up to having to catch 16lb barbel and bream of about the same size!!!! can you all stop whilst i catch up please!!! 10years ago my PB list looked pretty good!! ;o)

 

[Ron Clay]

Actually Paul your PB list looks just as good today most likely. There are not many anglers who have access to 16lb barbel or bream.

How big is that perch you are holding?

 

[Philip Inzani]

Just catching up with this thread. I do agree with a lot of the stuff written and as I have said before giving general info like Grahams, "Dove" or "Middle Severn" is generally OK.

However I also have to say that the lengths people will go to nowadays to find out where something was caught is incredible. If your picture includes any type of landmark like a Chimney, building etc then chances are you are dead meat?.someone will know it or track it down. Believe it or not I met a guy from the UK a while back who tracked down a swim on the Seine which had produced some big fish and was only ever reported as from "the Seine". The guy gave up a week of holiday to come over just to track it down! I also seem to remember stories about Zander anglers on the Fens paying farmers to hide their cars as people where scouring the countryside for them to find the "secret" drain that they had been catching from. Another example I think Tony Miles wrote about was a guy who tracked him down on the Leam, walking miles of bank for a number of days just to find him.

It is getting to be a Joke. If they put that much effort into finding the fish the would probably be better off anyway!

 

[Paul Williams]

Ron,
I honestly can't remember!!!! someone emailed me to ask the same question and all i can say is it would be 2+........my PB Perch is 3lb 12oz, but really when you think it is irrelavent....in the late 70s i caught what was then a huge zander at 14lb 7oz, i can't remember how many trips i had made to the fens then but it wasn't many!!...i was nowhere as good a zed angler as most fishing up there at the time....i was just in the right place at the right time and that in my opinion is a large chunk of the rub.
With regard to predator records i think the Zander is the most probable to fall, the Pike record is also a possibility and Gary certainly pinpoints a water with as good a chance as anywhere i can think of.....Eric, that Gary is a p**s taker.....i would make a far better boat partner for the next session, )

 

[Paul Williams]

I'm tired and just read this thread and the record one....thats why i went on waffling about records!!!

 

[Andy Doughty]

'I was just in the right place at the right time and that in my opinion is a large chunk of the rub.'

How much of chunk though? If you had to put percentages on paper, how much would be down to the angler i.e. water craft, technique/skill and how much would down to pure luck?

I think its about 50/50. You can only sway the odds so far in your favour, if the fish aint feeding, you wont catch them.

 

[Paul Williams]

Andy,
I don't know what odds but i do know that to give yourself the best odds you need to have the available time to maximise your chances, the biggest plus point i know of is the chance to get out fishing when the time is right at the drop of a hat.......most guys work and that reduces their chances of catching it "soc on".
A lot is talked about watercraft, technique, etc and yes it does come into it but only if the fish are having it, you are right if the fish aint feeding you wont catch.....but you can prepare for when they do switch on, then if you are in the right place at the right time perhaps a new PB?

 

[Gary Knowles]

Oy brummie.........hands off my spot !