Would you claim a record fish?

[Steve Burke]

This follows on from Wordbender's thought-provoking topic "Valid capture or not?"

 

1) Would you claim a fluked catch as a record?

Or would it depend on the circumstances?

 

2) Would you even claim a record in any circumstances?

[Andy Macfarlane]

This might be a selfish statement but I think it depends on the species of fish caught.

I'm a Pike and Perch angler by choice. If I caught a record Pike or Perch, I would have a really difficult time deciding wether or not I wanted everyone to know where I caught it. There is a strong possibility the fish would never see a claim.

If I caught a record Tench for instance, I'm unsure that I would have the same difficulty. I don't normally fish for Tench so revealing its whereabouts would affect me less in the long run.

I can tell that's a terrible way to look at it but I think I am being honest.

[kleinboet]

Steve, thats an interesting question as the old gremlin of money pops up. I know of someone (who shall remain nameless) who caught a record fish and was approached by Tackle Companies with offers of Tackle and cash if they could use the capture "as an endorsement of their tackle!"

[me]

I would definetly.

[Peter Waller]

I would, a couple of years after it happened!

 

There is the dreaded 'circus' out there. Whatever species you fish for the worst thing you can do is to share your good fortune. I don't blame circus members hitting the 'on' water, so long as it is nowhere near me!

 

Interesting bit in Coarse Angling Today mag about double standards & the circus. However its not an opinion that I share.

 

My own locality used to have three known thirty pound pike. Now we have none. Unfortunately, and I suppose that I'm partly to blame, clues as to the good fishing to be had round here were broadcast on the net. Other folk were blatent, with pictures in Anglers Mail. Boats were coming 100 miles and more. The fishing has been ruined. No, inviting the circus in is in no one's best interests, least of all the fishs'.

 

We used to have a forty on another nearby bit of water. She came out three times before we found her dead last spring, she hadn't shed her spawn. Thankfully everyone had kept quite. No, I didn't catch her at that weight, wish that I had. But she made that weight because we all kept quite.

 

I do know the ######## record has been beaten more than once. The shame is that the captor insists that it has to stay a secret. I can't blame him.

 

Unfortunately we can no longer share & record our history unless we wish to see a fishery destroyed.

 

[ 04. January 2004, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Leon Roskilly]

If I was fishing for carp, and a record pike picked up my boilie, I wouldn't.

 

If I was fishing for general coarse fish, using a maggot, I would.

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Steve Randles]

Having never had to claim a record (yet!) Is it a standard that the location has to be revealed? Can it not perhaps be listed as Norfolk Stillwater, Hampshire River etc etc..And if it cannot, why not?

 

Surely this would stop the circus?

 

Anyway, I would claim a record if I could keep the location a bit blurred as Peter says it can cause so many problems. If I mention the Ouse near bedford and how Local anglers where pushed of their own water because of sizeable fish being recorded, you'll see my point.

 

I also agree with Leons sentiments here..

[Peter Waller]

Wish it were that simple Steve. If I were to claim a record perch for example. People who hit the net with any regularity know I fish the Broads, know that I live near Lowestoft. My address is easy enough to find, either via the net ot the phone book. Then they find my car number plate. No, I can't return to the fishery, someone will follow me. This has definately happened with ref the recent Fens 39er.

 

I have a friend, a keen piker. His boat has no name on it, it changes colour at intervals. He feels that he has too. I use one of three different boats.

 

I used to post on the Predator Forum, made some good friends. We refered to one particular area that was yielding big fish as 'The Flats', no direct reference to Oulton Broad. Yet awhile back a complete stranger goes up to one of our boats and asks where 'The Flats' is. Obviously this bloke had been lurking and had put two and two together. Judging by the influx of strange boats on the Broad this bloke was not alone. Now Oulton Broad is finished as a pike fishery. We have all abandoned the Predator Forum and now use a closed forum.

[poledark]

If I were fishing a lake/pit where it was known that the big bream or tench or chub or catfish or whatever were being caught on carp rigs and boilies then even if I were "fishing for carp" it could also be legitimately construed that I was using the right tactics for the bream/tench/chub or whatever and any of these caught would count, and I would certainly claim a record or PB.

 

I HAVE however,spent a considerable amount of time trying to catch a ten pound bream on traditional(?) feeder tactics, and yes, one caught thus would give me a great deal of satisfaction.

 

Despite this, there are many anglers who would tell me to use the best known tactics for the species I am after, be it maggots or boilies. It is common knowledge that one of the best ways to catch a big roach is to use tiger nuts or mini boilies on a carp lake and that is legitimate fishing by any standards.

 

I for one hope that the"had any luck mate?" element never leaves fishing.

 

Den

[Lid]

I doubt I would claim. I usually only fish seriously when I am on my own and I do not carry accurate scales.

 

If I did catch a record, I would probably just weigh it as best I could, take lots of photos and put it back. If there was some-one around with better scales, then I'd consider getting it weighed with them, depending if I thought that person would keep stum. I doubt I would make an official claim; for a start I haven't a clue what you have to do to make a valid claim in the first place.