What species haven't you caught for a while?

binka · Feb 16, 2015

I was pondering this one yesterday.

I've kept up with most of the mainstream and mini species such as ruffe, minnows and bullhead but I haven't seen a stickleback for years or even a loach for that matter... I've only ever had two or three of these in decades.

Of the more mainstream species it must be ten years since I last caught a crucian and it's getting on for a couple of years since I last had a grayling although I could cure that one easily if I got myself over to the Derwent which I used to fish a lot on the Matlcok AA book.

What species haven't you caught for a while and why do you think it is eg. change of venues, species decline etc?

peter crabtree · Feb 16, 2015

I haven't caught any species at all recently.....

S-Kippy · Feb 16, 2015

I've not had a barbel for about 6/7 years now or a chub for maybe 4 which speaks volumes about how much river fishing I've been doing. Likewise gudgeon & ruffe which used to follow me everywhere I went.....a position now held by bloody carp !

I've never,ever caught a catfish. I'd quite like to but I'm losing no sleep over it.

sam vimes · Feb 16, 2015

I don't see many crucians in my neck of the woods and don't recall the last one I caught. There are marginally more waters with them in than there used to be, but they are still thin on the ground.

I've not caught either catfish or zander, but they are even more scarce than crucians. I've not heard of a zander north of the Humber and catfish do exist, but are hardly common. Neither are in any of the waters I fish with any regularity.

simon dunbar · Feb 16, 2015

I haven't caught a Barbel since 1994 , even though I live near the Dorset Stour !
For a few years up until 1994 I caught a good few Barbel each year , I had a season ticket at Throop Fishery at the time. I was desperate to catch a double figure Barbel and that year I caught one of 10 lbs 4 oz.
After that I moved to a local angling club with stretches of the Stour further up river, where there are less barbel. Then I got into Catfish big time and only fished the river in winter for pike.
I do a few trips to the river in summer , but mostly after perch now.

cattyfatty · Feb 16, 2015

sam if you where after some crucians they got a good stock at southfields fisheries at rainton just off A1 j49 not that far from you, i had them they're going to 3lb mark they are in the far lake just passed the car park....
that's the lake with 5lb plus perch in it.

binka · Feb 16, 2015

cattyfatty said:
that's the lake with 5lb plus perch in it.

That's got my attention...

cattyfatty · Feb 16, 2015

there's a photo of it in the toilet there

itsfishingnotcatching · Feb 16, 2015

Never Caught:

Catfish, Pike, Zander, Ide, Loach and probably Silver Bream

Only caught Stickleback and Bullhead in a net as a kid.

Haven't caught a Barbel in eighteen months, must try some more spots on the Severn or head to the Wye

barbelboi · Feb 16, 2015

Silver bream - then again I try not to own up to catching any bream......

sam vimes · Feb 16, 2015

cattyfatty said:
sam if you where after some crucians they got a good stock at southfields fisheries at rainton just off A1 j49 not that far from you, i had them they're going to 3lb mark they are in the far lake just passed the car park....
that's the lake with 5lb plus perch in it.

I knew about the big perch in there but hadn't heard that the crucians had grown on so much. Might have to give it a dabble again sometime.

Keith M · Feb 16, 2015

It would be nice to catch my first ever Zander; the only common coarse species in our waters that still evades me, but they are quite scarce near me.

Keith M

neil1970 · Feb 16, 2015

I'd be happy to catch a cold at the moment

mg:

The Runner · Feb 16, 2015

Never caught a catfish (well, I suppose I have in a way, had three of some local species of them about 4oz each from a little river in the Philippines...) or a zander.

Must be at least five years since I caught a ruffe, they seem to have really declined. Think the last one I even saw was three or four years ago on Farlows Match Lake when the lad on the next peg wound in to find one jammed inside his feeder.

tincatim · Feb 16, 2015

I haven't caught a river barbel since the early nineties (my first time round as an angler), I've caught them at Barnburgh lakes but I don't count them

I had a crucian from a local pond last September, beautiful fish and my first one since returning to fishing. And I've not seen a stickleback since I was about ten!

john step · Feb 16, 2015

The little species seem to be scarce in recent years. Not seen a gudgeon/ruffe/bullhead and even bleak seem to be rarer.

Regarding a previous entry on this thread I suspect some of those big crucians one hears about are not true crucians. Not doubting any FM members of course!
Whilst on the subject, if its not weighed accurately it is no good estimating it.
I have seen "5lb tench" at most under 4lb, "huge roach" doubtfully a pound and especially overestimated are perch. A perch over 3lb looks a big fish and I have seen anglers exaggerate their size with every telling. Especially 2nd hand tales.
As I said this cannot apply to FM members

greenie62 · Feb 16, 2015

john step said:
The little species seem to be scarce in recent years. Not seen a gudgeon/ruffe/bullhead and even bleak seem to be rarer.

Regarding a previous entry on this thread I suspect some of those big crucians one hears about are not true crucians....

Ruffe & Bullheads I haven't seen for years - and bleak are very rare in these Northern parts - thank goodness! Had a number of stickleback a few months back - one could argue they weren't caught legitimately - they just sucked on the end of the worm - one on either end at one stage! - but were landed.

I have made my opinions about the Tru Cru's known a few times - I caught loads of 'crucians' at the tag-end of last season but when reviewing the odd photos of the better ones - the lateral scale counts were all wrong - mostly hybrids & brownfish! Not caught a 'Tru-Cru' since! Still be trying when the weather warms a bit!

Anyone seen any Bitterling?

sam vimes · Feb 16, 2015

greenie62 said:
Ruffe & Bullheads I haven't seen for years - and bleak are very rare in these Northern parts - thank goodness! Had a number of stickleback a few months back - one could argue they weren't caught legitimately - they just sucked on the end of the worm - one on either end at one stage! - but were landed.

I have made my opinions about the Tru Cru's known a few times - I caught loads of 'crucians' at the tag-end of last season but when reviewing the odd photos of the better ones - the lateral scale counts were all wrong - mostly hybrids & brownfish! Not caught a 'Tru-Cru' since! Still be trying when the weather warms a bit!

Anyone seen any Bitterling?

Bullheads, rare to catch on rod and line, but I still see plenty in the upper reaches of Dales rivers.

Ruffe, very localised. When you get one you often get a few. However, they've never been common in my usual haunts.

Sticklebacks, never saw them as a kid, never see them now. I have encountered them on my travels further south. The last time I saw one was in a big carp (only) commercial in Lincolnshire.

I had the surprising misfortune to catch several bleak last summer on the lower Swale. I do recall catching them in mother Ouse (Yorkshire) many years back, but I've never caught them in the Swale before.

Bitterling, never seen one in my life. I don't know of anywhere in my neck of the woods that has ever held any. To the best of my knowledge, I've never knowingly fished a water with them in, even on my travels.

terry m · Feb 16, 2015

Keith M said:
It would be nice to catch my first ever Zander; the only common coarse species in our waters that still evades me, but they are quite scarce near me.

Keith M

Ditto - never caught a Zander, though when working in Germany or Hungary I regularly eat them in restaurants - lovely.

binka · Feb 16, 2015

There's a very special place in my heart for the humble stickleback from memories as a small kid with a net and a bucket on a local stream, day in day out throughout the school holidays and weekends.

I was probably five or six when I scooped my first "red breast" and peered into the net in disbelief at the stunning red colour of the male in his mating suit.

Certainly brings a another dimension to how fish interpret colour if mother nature equipped them to bring on a recognisable display to the female...

As much of a nuisance that they could be when fishing with rod and line in later years I reckon it's such a pity they're now fairly uncommon and the strange thing is I can't think what's filled the gap in small streams as you don't tend to come across the large numbers of minnows either.

What species haven't you caught for a while?

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