RECORD PERCH IN ANGLER'S MAIL MAGAZINE

[Anderoo]

I have often wondered why anglers above all others are so quick to disbelieve fish size claims, is it that we judge others by our own standards and we are all just a bunch of exaggerating liars.

 

Perhaps we should all take a moment to reconsider what we say and not exaggerate and just be honest and truthful.

 

I agree. It's a particularly petty and nasty side of angling. Having recently read a whopping 125 pages on the P&P forum regarding the authenticity of a big (not even record!) pike from the broads it is alive and well.

 

BUT - people do photoshop pictures, they do exaggerate weights, and they do innocently mis-weigh big fish. There have been many examples of all 3. Often the motivation is fame or fortune (prizes in the mags, etc.).

 

I am not hinting that anything like this has happened with this perch though; all the info I have on it is from this forum, and even with good photos it's impossible to accurately guess a weight, as we have proved on here several times. A 6lb perch is definitely possible, and they can turn up anywhere.

 

Is there a picture on the web anywhere? I'd love to see it! Well done again to the captor.

[PatrickALeigh]

Not dead and realistically the 6lb it was weighed at. The pictures I've seen show an old very fat fish. Possibly holding some serious amount of spawn which has stretched it out and that combined with the stress of capture has faded the stripes a tad. Although caught from a very clear lake as stated, that does not necessarily mean a stripey fish. If it had spent the last couple of days laying up in a weedbed it's stripes will have faded out.

 

Here's a pic of a big 4, very much alive and very faded in colour:

 

Yes, pictures are not the greatest of the 6 in the mail, but more than adequate from the mobile phone they were taken from. Independent witnesses too for the capture, weighing and pictures. A very real capture and worthy of claim if he decides too.

 

Bear in mind that a lot of the Cotswold water park lakes have crayfish in and I know of other big 5's from lakes in the area then it is a very real capture and well done to the person caught it. Wether or not it was caught whilst targeting pike is totally irrelevant, it was caught fair and square.

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes I know some lie and cheat for what ever reason but I honestly believe that 90% of these daft weight claims (Ive not seen the pictures of the perch yet so Im not commenting on this case specifically) are simply down to inexperience.

 

The weight is either guessed or more often its just a miss weigh (definitely the biggest thing with the smaller species such as Perch,Roach etc).While "forgetting" to zero the scales,subtract the weight of the sling etc wont make much of a difference on a 30lb fish on a 3lb one it could add almost half again! Now an experienced angler wouldnt make such mistakes and would also have a "rough idea" of what he expected the fish to weigh so would double check any result that seemed wrong.

 

I often feel sorry for the guys who do make an honest mistake as its often the press or the fishery owner who really push the false weight knowing it to be most likely incorrect as this suits them better.

 

People often say does it actually matter what the true weight was as the captor is only deluding himself or as long as the captor enjoyed catching the fish.I would agree that in general it doesn't.............but it does when that false claim is presented as a fact.

 

If the "true weight "of a fish for either record or personal reasons doesnt mater then simply why bother weighing or giving a weight full stop?

 

I know of a local record that many hold in high esteem that is now held by a fish that was miss weighed so badly that it will never be beaten by a genuine fish.Doesn't really affect me but I do feel sorry for the people who do gain extra enjoyment through trying to break records.I also just dont like seeing something that's "not right" as in incorrect reported then later referred to as a true fact.

[Kappa]

While "forgetting" to zero the scales,subtract the weight of the sling etc wont make much of a difference on a 30lb fish on a 3lb one it could add almost half again! Now an experienced angler wouldnt make such mistakes and would also have a "rough idea" of what he expected the fish to weigh so would double check any result that seemed wrong.

 

I know experienced anglers that make this mistake, fish + or - 2 or 3 lbs!

 

Just for fun and to prove how hard it is to guess the weight of fish from a photo, who wants to guess the weight of this fish.... witnessed by Anderoo!

 

 

Rich

[Dales]

Just for fun and to prove how hard it is to guess the weight of fish from a photo, who wants to guess the weight of this fish.... witnessed by Anderoo!

 

[Rich

 

1 lb 3 oz.

 

I know I am going to be wildly out, but I find Perch the hardest fish of all to estimate.

 

I was looking recently at some of my Perch pics, and the one of my PB 3.06 looked to me like it could be 4lb + but it was not. It looked and was much bigger in length and depth then any other 3 pounders I have caught. Had some one else caught it and said it was over 4lb I would have believed them.

[Tigger]

I reckon about 2lb 10 ounces to 3lb lol.

Edited March 31, 2010 by Tigger

[Anderoo]

I have a couple of photos of my PB perch in the net next to some forceps - it honestly looks about 1.5lb. If someone had sent it in to the mags and claimed 3.11 I'd have rolled my eyes and turned the page...

 

So I always give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

I caught a perch from Wingham last autumn that looked in real life and in the photos getting on for - if not over - 4lb. It was huge! Yet it weighed 'only' 2.15.

 

Tricky buggers, perch!

[Dick Dastardly]

I reckon Im quite good at guestimating in the flesh but from a photo its a lot lot different! The camera definately lies!

[Rusty]

I’ve had very recent experience of a Perch picture/weight issue when a 2lb 1oz fish was photographed next to my centrepin reel. Looking at the pic when I got home I thought there must be a problem with my scales but they checked out to be accurate. It was a fat spawn laden fish and had I taken a shot from above or head on the weight would’ve been more credible (photo in my blog)

 

The Perch in the pic isn’t a late season one judging by the green foliage so I’d guess at 1lb 10oz even though it looks bigger than my 2lb 1oz example.

[watatoad]

Perhaps every angler should carry a tape measure and photograph with the fish lying next to it either on the landing net or unhooking mat and another of it being weighed showing the scales, the fish and if the angler clearly if he or she wants fame or credit. Then without such information any claim could simply be just disregarded.

 

That does not change my opinion that we would sooner disbelieve than believe...come on we are not all politicians or members of government departments. Or are we spin doctor anglers...hehehe

 

Incidentally I do not know the claimer nor do I care what any claimer is claiming, if they cannot be honest that is their problem. I tend to believe what I am told as I cannot see the point in lying or exaggerating.