What is this little fellow?

fishplate42 · Jul 7, 2017

While fishing our local river today, I caught this little fellow it has a couple of spines on its back and one each side. Can someone tell me what it is?

Sorry about the fuzzy picture.

Ralph.

103841 · Jul 7, 2017

I haven't caught one since a nipper but I'd say that was a stickleback Ralph.

iain t · Jul 7, 2017

It's a male Stickleback. That takes me back 50 years. Used to catch them in those little kids nets

Philip · Jul 7, 2017

Yes its a Stickleback and a 3 spined one by the looks...there will be a 3rd smaller spine just before the dorsal fin on its back.

Nice little fish, real characters, they are very territorial. They can actually live in fresh or salt water. A very interesting little fish.

fishplate42 · Jul 7, 2017

Wow! Great fun, I never caught them as a kid, or if those were what we used to catch in jam jars, I don't remember them looking like that. He was a feisty little fellow, he swallowed a whole maggot on a 16 hook. I had to dig out my tiny disgorger, but he was okay, it came out easily.

Thanks guys, I could get to like this river fishing lark.

Ralph.

103841 · Jul 7, 2017

A pb Ralph! Was that the extent of today's catch?

rich66 · Jul 7, 2017

Bit jealous now, I've never caught a stickleback on rod & reel
In fact not see a stickleback for a few years now

binka · Jul 7, 2017

A rare sight in my neck of the woods these days.

The town centre dam which I fished yesterday was stuffed with 'em when I was a kid up until the point when chub were introduced, they cleared 'em out like a dose of wild fire which I always think is pretty amazing considering their spines.

I would certainly be pleased to see one these days if only for the novelty...

fishplate42 · Jul 7, 2017

s63 said:
A pb Ralph! Was that the extent of today's catch?

Yes my PB stickleback.

No, in an hour and a half or so I has several species. First out was an decent chubling about 8 inches long! then small roach, perch and of course a stickleback!

I am writing the story up for the blog at the moment it should be up tonight.

Ralph.

---------- Post added at 22:51 ---------- Previous post was at 22:46 ----------

binka said:
A rare sight in my neck of the woods these days.

The town centre dam which I fished yesterday was stuffed with 'em when I was a kid up until the point when chub were introduced, they cleared 'em out like a dose of wild fire which I always think is pretty amazing considering their spines.

I would certainly be pleased to see one these days if only for the novelty...

rich66 said:
Bit jealous now, I've never caught a stickleback on rod & reel
In fact not see a stickleback for a few years now

I am fairly sure there were lots of them in the small river we fished today as I could see lots of small black fish toying with the bread bait we were using as feed.

Ralph.

fishcatcher60 · Jul 8, 2017

That picture brought back some memories.
When i was about 7 or 8 we used to fish a very small stream near to where i lived and used to catch sticklebacks and another fish which we just called a robin red breast which was also a small fish.
It may seem like a cliche now but we did used to fish with a twig,cotton and bent pin or just a small net which you could get from a pet shop.
God i feel old now.

If memory serves there was also a fish called a stoneloach.
How anything lived in the steam i will never know as it sometimes used to have an orange colour to it.
Happy days though.

Tee-Cee · Jul 8, 2017

London's Regents Park canal used to be stuffed with them back in the late 50's. Never could understand how something so small managed to give a perfect roach bite with float gradually sliding away. As someone else said, they make a mess of a single maggot and very frustrating once in the swim!

Certainly stroppy little bu**ers and a 1lb specimen could have ben interesting!

Lovely colours during breeding, from memory

binka · Jul 8, 2017

fishcatcher60 said:
When i was about 7 or 8 we used to fish a very small stream near to where i lived and used to catch sticklebacks and another fish which we just called a robin red breast which was also a small fish.

Tee-Cee said:
Lovely colours during breeding, from memory

You beat me too it Tony, the breeding colour being one and the same fish that many also knew as Robin Red Breasts.

They were quite stunning when they developed that colour but aggressive little buggers for their size...

thecrow · Jul 8, 2017

fishcatcher60 said:
and another fish which we just called a robin red breast

I think that the red breast was when the males were in breeding colours, very aggressive little fish that build a nest for their eggs/young.

fishcatcher60 · Jul 8, 2017

I didn't know about them being the same fish.
Thanks for the info lads.
You learn something new everyday.

itsfishingnotcatching · Jul 8, 2017

Anyone remember this

https://simkl.com/tv/514256/the-great-rod-race/season-1/episode-11/

One of my favourites

fishplate42 · Jul 8, 2017

Thank you for all the information on my little fish - I had no idea that was what it was. I am pretty sure the small fish we used to catch in jam jars as a kid did not look like that, but we called all small fish 'sticklebacks' or rather my Mum and Dad did...

...none of my family were interested in fishing, and that included me as a kid.

That is what makes this place a pleasure to be a member of. I learnt something today.

Ralph.

binka · Jul 8, 2017

itsfishingnotcatching said:
Anyone remember this

https://simkl.com/tv/514256/the-great-rod-race/season-1/episode-11/

One of my favourites

Yes it epitomised fishing for me with two fully grown, hairy blokes scrabbling around beside some water trying to catch one of the smallest fish in existence

As bonkers and as good as it gets imo...

rayner · Jul 8, 2017

Used to spend hours as kids fishing for sticklebacks and even smaller perch in a pond that was inches deep in the margin. Good memories.

Peter Jacobs · Jul 8, 2017

rayner said:
Used to spend hours as kids fishing for sticklebacks and even smaller perch in a pond that was inches deep in the margin. Good memories.

Me too . . . many a summer holiday day was spent wit my grandparents who loved close to Mitcham Ponds.

A net a jam jar and a whole day catching those little beauties was pretty typical back in the 50's

Until today I never knew that they were a euryhaline species though.

What is this little fellow?

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