A 14lb bass was caught inshore on the River Blackwater on John Rawels charter boat the Kingfisher.

My saurse said there was a concern that the fish was deaply hooked but the hook was removed with little troble
.The fish then was returned and swam off healtherly.

This in my opinion is the way forward in the promotion of sports angling, and as more and more skippers and anglers are returning these large old bass it sets a good standard for new and young anglers.

Hi Sam

I agree entirely

Heartening to read.

Well done John Rawle and the lucky rod.

on my return to sea fishing arfter a 5 year absence, it seems through talking to old sea fishing mates that atitudes ar realy chainging! c&r is defo the done thing now to the point of snobbery as in its only pikys and chavs that take, real anglers throw back! and lets face it as anglers we do like to look down ar noses




wer is the bloody spell check on this thing! (miss spent youth fishing)

I belive in catch and release, I also belive in my god givern right to keep one or two fish of certain size for the pot.

And there aint no toffee on my bloody nose mate.lol

oih! easy, not saying that i hadnt a few mackys for the barby in the summer, just think its a good thing even if we ar just tossing back for the trawler!
in a way be good to see sea fishing going down the same road as carping (tho maybe not to that extreme) as far as fish care gose anyway!

We treat our fish with care, unhooking matts for our tope and large hounds.

That fish would have made a great bait.....live or otherwise.......or mibbes fishcakes...cos it would certainly be too tough too eat....
Would it still have been of a "breedable " age...or would it be too old.........

It would still be breeding and it would have more eggs, its offspring would be stronger with more surviveing winters.

Perhaps there should also be a max size that can be taken as well as min........