There is something about small fish...

About 10 days ago I was fishing in our tiny little river and caught a strange (to me) fish that turned out to be a stickleback, thanks to identification here. Also in that post, there was talk and a picture of the male stickleback in its spawning colours... Well, yesterday I caught one!



I was only out for an hour, only caught a few fish, but it was worth it. I had no idea fishing could be so rewarding. I am discovering all sorts of new things and have been reading up on these tiny little fish. I am amazed that such a small fish can excite me and the wonder of nature makes me forget about any worries (like the blooming bugs that munched on our legs for an hour) and I feel like a kid again, well, I suppose I am as I am only sixty-one and a half.

Ralph.

Great story Ralph. I caught a tiny perch ( the size of your stickleback) on a 6mm pellet a few weeks ago and could not believe it had managed to get it in its mouth!

A great looking 'red breast', it reminds me very much of my early years as a kid with a fishing net on the local park stream :thumbs:

Looks like a male in it's spawning suit.

Fish like this is why I could never be a "carper".

Much more fun and interesting catching fish like this and many other different species.

I'm hoping to head down the canal in Sheffield for a couple of hours after work in hope of catching a few fish.

When I was a kid using a cane and some cotton for my rod-n-line with a size 16 goldstrike hook-to-gut that I pinched from my father and with a matchstick or crows quill for a float; my two favourite fish from my local stream were the stone loach and the millers thumb as they seemed harder to catch; closely followed by the minnow.

The stickleback were very common but it was great if you saw them protecting or building their small nests amongst the debris and weed along the bottom.

I hear that these fish are not quite as common as they used to be; and that's a shame if it's true.

Keith

I once tried to keep sticklebacks in a goldfish bowl as a kid; wasn't successful sadly!

Cant remember that last time i actually saw a Stickleback in the flesh too many years to think at least have been told there are some in the cut i fish but never seen one plenty of those ronie and regie things with red gloves ( just wait till they get big enough for the pot .


PG ...