UK Rod-caught species list now 104

[Vagabond]

Here, to fill in the background for new readers, is what I posted in 2008

 

"Fishing in the Ice Age for the elusive Charr"

 

For years I have wanted to add a British Charr to my species list. I have caught the American Lake Charr and American Brook Charr, both of them in Colorado, but have made no serious attempts this side of the Herring Pond – there always seemed something else to do.

 

Not this year, though. Lots of research on where there might be relict populations of charr, (not many places cold enough and deep enough for them except in Highland Britain). Lots of thought on the methods of catching them, and several days booked with No 3 son Brian to mount a serious expedition after them.

 

The crux of charr hunting is the depth at which they usually swim. Anywhere between 20 ft and 60ft deep is where they spend most of their time, with only rare visits to the upper layers of the deep lochs in which they are found. Charr will go for spinners and/or artificial flies, but how might we present these at depth?

 

Downriggers were the answer, so Brian knocked up a homemade pair of downriggers – a plank held by strong bungee straps across the boat. Mounted to the plank were two large reels, each holding 100 feet of 25lb mono, marked with a pole elastic tag every ten feet, and with a 2lb vaned lead weight at the end. There was facility for locking the reels when the required depth was reached. A wide roller at each end of the plank, over which one of the downriggers rolled, and a couple of "rocket tube" rod holders completed the outfit.

 

Light spinning rods were used , with Size 1 Mepps or similar , attached to the lead weights so as to provide a firm resistance on a take, but to pull free once the fish was on.

 

The outfit worked perfectly, and Brian had a pike from 20 ft depth – hooked in the scissors and landed after a spirited fight on the light rod.

 

However, no charr – just gale force winds which made trolling a bit difficult, and rowing the boat upwind EXTREMELY difficult. Nevertheless, we persisted, trolled at 10 ft, 20 ft. 30 ft, 40ft, 50 ft and 60ft , trolled along the shelves, trolled across the very deep water, up wind, downwind, across the wind like marlin boats do, but never a strike had we. Three days we spent rowing up and down and to and fro – tried spinners of various sizes, streamer flies, shrimp flies, everything we could think of. Zilch.

 

Finally Norma (Certhia) decided to have a half-hour in the boat as a change from her birdwatching. I rigged her up to trail a Mepps 1 along the surface in the hope of a trout for tea. Needless to say, after ten minutes she hooked and boated – a CHARR!

 

Lovely fish – look at the delicate cream spots and the red lower fins edged with white.

 

Ah well, must go back next year to see if I can catch one also. All I got this time was plenty of fresh air!

 

2009

 

Much the same as last year, perch from various depths and a seatrout from 80 ft down – what business has a seatrout to be down there ?

 

2010

 

More perch, lots and lots of rowing, although the addition of a small 2.5 HP Mariner outboard helped us get the boat upwind

 

2011

 

Borrowed a bigger boat this year, with a bigger engine, which Brian (lutra) towed up to Coniston. Nevertheless I still took my little Mariner along as backup. Just as well, as the main engine gave up the ghost on the first day.

 

Brian and I had discussed alternative strategies (despite the fact that we had already tried every fly, streamer, spinner and plug we could think of). We even tried worm paternoster (predictably, still more perch) but went back to spinning at depth.

 

We just kept plugging away at various depths between 20 and 80 ft, and after each blank day, Norma would wind us up by telling us that her charr took a spinner just a couple of feet below the surface.

 

Faith, skill, or bone-headed persistence ? I think deep trolling for charr, like fishing for Ferox trout, needs all three !

 

There we were, heading for another blank day, when we had a strike on the rod with a spinner trolling at 40 feet depth. Brian very sportingly suggested it was my turn to take strike, so I did. As I pumped the fish up from the depths, fully expecting another perch, Brian, who had his head over the side of the boat suddenly shouted "Charr!" and reached for the net.

 

At last ! Here it is, my first charr. My 104^th UK species, my 94^th English species and 425^th World species.

 

 

 

Just look at the size of that tail! Acceleration, or what ?

 

 

Catching that charr was very much a team effort, with Brian providing much of the hard work of rowing at trolling speed, launching and recovering the boat, devising and making the down-riggers and never complaining about the long unproductive hours of pulling spinners up and down the lake.

 

Norma played her part too, acting as quartermaster to the expeditions, geeing us up to persist - even in the rain, and "managing" the logistics, from reminding me to get the outboard motor serviced to making all the requisite site bookings.

 

Normally, one would try to find some local knowledge, but no-one seems to fish for charr any more. The annual charr-catching competition ceased some years back. There is no substitute for local knowledge other than to try to acquire some of your own – hard work when you live 300 miles away!

 

Lots of angling and culinary "celebrities" have appeared in TV series with the intention of catching charr – few have succeeded.

 

For anyone wanting to have a go, be prepared for blank days. Remember that if you want to troll for charr with two rods, then, like trolling two rods for trout you need TWO licences (and No, you can’t legally troll with more than two rods)

 

The upside to all the repetitive hard work is to actually catch one of these handsome but elusive fish.

 

The final irony for us was that as we landed from the boat, mission accomplished, a small charr charged into the shallows after minnows – so we saw two charr that day, making a total of three charr seen in about fifteen days of fishing spread over four years !

 

Brian had to leave so as to be at work next day, but Norma and I put light spinners through those shallows that evening, and early the next morning, without adding to our life totals of one charr each.

 

　

[Tigger]

Congratulations Dave

[gozzer]

Nice one Dave, congratulations.

 

Well done to Norma too, it's taken 3 years for her to teach you how to catch one, but she's succeeded at last.

 

John.

[Dales]

Congratulations

[Ken L]

Nice.

A lot of effort for one little fishy but a goal is a goal.

You must be well chuffed.

[jedibond]

Congratulations Dave, a long pursuit but you finally got your quarry, well played !

[Chris Plumb]

Well done Dave - as you say - what a tail those fish have!

 

C.

[Emma two]

Yes, well done, what did you do with it? Char are excellent bait for ferox.

[lutra]

Yes, well done, what did you do with it? Char are excellent bait for ferox.

I'm not sure if it was ferox i was after that i would bother with Coniston. Having spoken to a few locals the general impression we were given is that the charr numbers aren't what they used to be and having fished, i couldn't argue..... So i would presume any ferox must be extremely thin on the ground in there now. Do you know if other waters like Windermere are standing up better these days Emma? Most of the resent stories I've read or heard about English charr and ferox seem to come from Windermere.

[Emma two]

I'm not sure if it was ferox i was after that i would bother with Coniston. Having spoken to a few locals the general impression we were given is that the charr numbers aren't what they used to be and having fished, i couldn't argue..... So i would presume any ferox must be extremely thin on the ground in there now. Do you know if other waters like Windermere are standing up better these days Emma? Most of the resent stories I've read or heard about English charr and ferox seem to come from Windermere.

 

 

 

I'm usually very open about where and what when it comes to fishin', I would rather share info than be all secret like many seem to be these days, perhaps they ae right and I am naive? I have kept quite descreet about one very significant catch I have had this years, mostly what I catch is fairly ordinary. However you seem a decent and genuine fellow, I shall send you a PM.