Modern Specimen Hunting

wanderer · Jan 15, 2016

Yep, as you oldie poldies will have realised, its Gibbos famous title, but seriously where do we go, is it the carp carnival, Barbel busting, Bream never mentioned these days or Perch, a massive resurgence through the commies, or maybe the old Tench or Rudd, why is it that no one seriously targets these fish. Carp fever has set in and a lot of enjoyment has disappeared, campers with alarms, yep me too, but only because there is very little else apart from the odd estate and the river. I remember the days when i couldnt wait to read Alun Wilsons latest bream exploits on Queensford, or sunrise on June 16th at Sywell, are we so totally obssessed with one or two species now that everything else becomes a nuisance, i hope not, love to hear from tench and bream boys if there is any left.

Keith M · Jan 15, 2016

I spend a lot of late evenings after specimen sized Tench and Crucians from 16th March up until June and July.
Tench are probably the fish I love the most.

After that I concentrate my efforts on other species such as Barbel, Carp, Chub, Large Rudd & Roach Etc. In fact most species except for Bream.

If I had to class myself then I suppose I would loosely class myself as a specimen hunter simply because I don't like catching stunted tiddlers and I try to search out swims/venues which I know give me a chance to catch some specimen sized fish or fish that at least present a challenge to catch.

Keith

Bob Hornegold · Jan 15, 2016

wanderer said:
Yep, as you oldie poldies will have realised, its Gibbos famous title, but seriously where do we go, is it the carp carnival, Barbel busting, Bream never mentioned these days or Perch, a massive resurgence through the commies, or maybe the old Tench or Rudd, why is it that no one seriously targets these fish. Carp fever has set in and a lot of enjoyment has disappeared, campers with alarms, yep me too, but only because there is very little else apart from the odd estate and the river. I remember the days when i couldnt wait to read Alun Wilsons latest bream exploits on Queensford, or sunrise on June 16th at Sywell, are we so totally obssessed with one or two species now that everything else becomes a nuisance, i hope not, love to hear from tench and bream boys if there is any left.

wanderer

There are still Specimen Groups around targeting all species, some of them have members dating back to the London Specimen Hunters.

Get yourself a copy of the Osprey Specimen Group and friends book, it might just enlighten those who think Specimen hunting is dead !!

Bob

barbelboi · Jan 15, 2016

Much like Keith, although I 'm not so much an evening or early morning sort

. Although I much prefer the rivers for specimen fish I do target tench roach and crucians from the pits/ponds. Although I've had a few female tincas in double figures the one that gave be the the bigest buzz was this male, taken the year before last, that didn't quite scrape 9lb......

PS Please note it wasn't held at arms length...

peter crabtree · Jan 15, 2016

There's countless speci groups on Facebook covering most species.

sam vimes · Jan 15, 2016

There are plenty of groups out there still, for single species and general specimen hunters. Whilst carp, and to some extent barbel, see the lion's share of fashionable attention, plenty of anglers are targeting other species.

I can honestly say that I did virtually no carping or barbelling last year. The bulk of my time was taken up chasing decent grayling and roach. The previous year I spent a fair amount of time chasing half decent perch.

I tend to chase whatever is available locally, though I doubt that anything I could catch locally would make a ripple amongst any single species group. Fortunately, that doesn't bother me one bit. For me, specimen hunting is all relative to the waters I'm fishing.

wanderer · Jan 15, 2016

barbelboi said:
Much like Keith, although I 'm not so much an evening or early morning sort. Although I much prefer the rivers for specimen fish I do target tench roach and crucians from the pits/ponds. Although I've had a few female tincas in double figures the one that gave be the the bigest buzz was this male, taken the year before last, that didn't quite scrape 9lb......

PS Please note it wasn't held at arms length...

They used to reckon that the biggest female Tench would be double the biggest male ,plus a pound, cracking Tench Jerry, that venue would be worthy of some serious time, makes me long for warmer weather.

swizzle · Jan 16, 2016

wanderer said:
They used to reckon that the biggest female Tench would be double the biggest male ,plus a pound, cracking Tench Jerry, that venue would be worthy of some serious time, makes me long for warmer weather.

Agreed, that fish almost has me salivating. Tench are the only fish that I pursue with any real purpose of getting specimen sizes in the net. From late March up until early July it is all I fish for. This is not helped by the Tench competition last year. ?

Derek Gibson · Jan 16, 2016

Guilty as charged. ''I am a specimen hunter'', starting way back in sixty two, and I have to say it's been an incredible journey with some amazing characters. Regretably one or two of those believed they were the elite of angling which understandably created the wrong impression among many of the general angling fraternity. And I suspect that legacy still exists.

Although in my own case my ''Specimen hunting'' embraced my species over the years,''Pike'' have always been given the lions share of attention, it has never been at the exclusion of others.

So I do think the term ''Modern specimen hunting'' can be misleading insofar as that tackle and techniques may have changed somewhat, but the actual practice remains the same. At least that's the way I see it.

no-one in particular · Jan 16, 2016

I never fished for one species, still lots of humble targets to achieve though but they are just in my mind. A 4lb Chub on one river would be a milestone, any Tench from two waters would be one, a 2lb Roach and a double Barbel and a 20lb+ carp would not go amiss.. Times a running out, not sure whether I should give up and just admit I have been **** for all these years or be grateful for plenty to still look froward to.
Its all in perspective really but I think I would regret it if I got past it completely and had spent a life time fishing for one species. I wouldn't like to have to look back on that as it all flashed in front of me on my last gasp, I am sure it would all look pretty boring.
What was it God said, I have built the earth for you, go and enjoy it all.
Well maybe not that exactly, I haven't been to church for many a year, my altar has a beer pump attached to it, but that's my take on it.

duncan_m · Jan 16, 2016

Cue 2016 bream challenge....

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Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 16, 2016

Well i am not a specimen Hunter at all, but i do try to get the biggest of what ever species i am after.

That to many would make me a specimen hunter, but i am not.

I have said it before.

I see all anglers as pleasure anglers. There is only one reason we go fishing, for the buzz we get from it, catching or blanking. If you don't get pleasure from it, why do you go ?? its not because you don't like it.

I have nothing against anyone calling themselves, matchmen, specimen, carp angler, etc etc.

I target different species during the year, as many others, but i do it for the pleasure as everyone else.

steve2 · Jan 16, 2016

The fish mentioned in the first post as not fished for are the ones that I spend most of my summer fishing for, apart from carp. The new lakes I just joined have all these to large size but very few target them. They are mostly carp boys or people just fishing for what ever comes along.
Be interesting to see what I can catch, I know that these lakes have Tench over10lbs, bream over 12lb, rudd and roach over 2lbs.
So for the first time in over 30 years I will try putting on my specimen-hunting hat.

Bob Hornegold · Jan 16, 2016

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
Well i am not a specimen Hunter at all, but i do try to get the biggest of what ever species i am after.

That to many would make me a specimen hunter, but i am not.

I have said it before.

I see all anglers as pleasure anglers. There is only one reason we go fishing, for the buzz we get from it, catching or blanking. If you don't get pleasure from it, why do you go ?? its not because you don't like it.

I have nothing against anyone calling themselves, matchmen, specimen, carp angler, etc etc.

I target different species during the year, as many others, but i do it for the pleasure as everyone else.

Ray,

Do you really think that Specimen Hunters don't get pleasure from their fishing ?

What you call yourself in completely immaterial, it's up to you, but as you said you try and catch the Biggest of whatever Species you are targeting, that makes, whether you like it or not a " Specimen Angler " ?

Believe it or not we all get pleasure from fishing, what ever form of fishing you do !!

Bob

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 16, 2016

Bob Hornegold said:
Ray,

Do you really think that Specimen Hunters don't get pleasure from their fishing ?

What you call yourself in completely immaterial, it's up to you, but as you said you try and catch the Biggest of whatever Species you are targeting, that makes, whether you like it or not a " Specimen Angler " ?

Believe it or not we all get pleasure from fishing, what ever form of fishing you do !!

Bob

Bob,

Did i say specimen hunters don't get pleasure from fishing ??? NO.

I am NOT a Specimen Angler, thats a fact. What ever your take on a Specimen Angler is, it isn't mine. As i said, I see all anglers as pleasure anglers, what they want to be known as, is up to them. To me they are all Pleasure Anglers.

Hunters? we are all Hunters. Your bait what ever you are using is a trap, just like a hunter.

As i also said, we get pleasure from it, we don't go because we don't like it.

no-one in particular · Jan 16, 2016

steve2 said:
The fish mentioned in the first post as not fished for are the ones that I spend most of my summer fishing for, apart from carp. The new lakes I just joined have all these to large size but very few target them. They are mostly carp boys or people just fishing for what ever comes along.
Be interesting to see what I can catch, I know that these lakes have Tench over10lbs, bream over 12lb, rudd and roach over 2lbs.
So for the first time in over 30 years I will try putting on my specimen-hunting hat.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob Hornegold · Jan 17, 2016

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
Bob,

Did i say specimen hunters don't get pleasure from fishing ??? NO.

I am NOT a Specimen Angler, thats a fact. What ever your take on a Specimen Angler is, it isn't mine. As i said, I see all anglers as pleasure anglers, what they want to be known as, is up to them. To me they are all Pleasure Anglers.

Hunters? we are all Hunters. Your bait what ever you are using is a trap, just like a hunter.

As i also said, we get pleasure from it, we don't go because we don't like it.

Ray,

May I suggest you re read your own posts and tell me that you did not say you try to catch the biggest fish of the species you are fishing for ?

That makes you a Specimen Angler, even if you do not like the term !!

Bob

thecrow · Jan 17, 2016

I have seen some specimens angling

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 17, 2016

Bob Hornegold said:
Ray,

May I suggest you re read your own posts and tell me that you did not say you try to catch the biggest fish of the species you are fishing for ?

That makes you a Specimen Angler, even if you do not like the term !!

Bob

Bob,

I don't need to read my post again, I know what i said.

Just because i try to catch the biggest specimen of a species doesn't make me a specimen angler, and it doesn't make you one either.

The fact is, we don't catch the biggest specimen every time, do we.

Most of todays so called specimen anglers, DONT do any of the ground work to find the fish, or the venue. That also applies to a great number of older specimen anglers. ( I am not saying you are one of them).

So many make claims regarding catches and venues, but the facts are they go to waters after reading catch reports. Some I know even take the paper with them, so they can try and find the swim by looking at the back ground of the pictures, Fact.

I think you need to read my post again, as i said, I see all anglers as Pleasure anglers. Anglers can call themselves what ever they want, but at the end of the day, we all go for the pleasure.

It doesn't mean i don't respect anglers catches, what ever they may fish for, or however they fish for the species.

Like it or not Bob, I am NOT a specimen hunter/angler. Just an angler who gets great pleasure catching fish, and seeing others do the same.

wanderer · Jan 17, 2016

Can i define a specimen hunter through my own eyes, Ray is correct about the guys who endlessly follow the publicity trail, wishing to catch the same big fish that has featured in some article to improve his PB or break a record on that particular species. Then there are guys who try to catch the biggest fish from the venues currently open to them, most big fish anglers fit this category and it involves effort and watercraft rather than aligning somebody elses picture to a landscape. Of both types must enjoy what they do but perhaps the motivation differs and so is the publicity that each will give to his capture. It would be nice if the circus and the exclusive syndicates would disappear, but at the end of the day we are all pleasure anglers and the day i aint, i will give my tackle to someone who is.

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