What fish is this?

[Dick Dastardly]

I've never seriously fished continental Europe, maybe I should give it go next year, but the bureaucracy involved re licences looks formidable. Perhaps it just looks worse than it really is.

 

 

Its not that bad in most countries Ive visited.The coarse fishing in Europe can be second to none.

 

Ive had several species that you dont get here in the UK during fishing trips in Germany,Denmark,France,Spain,Italy and Czechoslovakia. Most of my fishing outside of Germany and France has been on catfish hunts.My catting partner and myself aways made the point though of seeing what non UK fish were present in the waters we fished and made an effort to catch some.

 

One of my greatest catchs was in Czech.Whilst bait snatching I caught a Zingle ( rare member of the Zander family) despite ony being around 4" long it was agreed to be the best fish of the campaign! Allthough the huge Asp I lost at the net would have run it close if landed!

 

Po Roach were easy enough despite what we had read.Iberian barbel easy but great fun and amongst my favourites were a chub like fish (name escapes me) that we caught on a few German rivers. I dont really count some of the weird and wonderfull non indigenous "stocking accidents" that I caught in France. Been able to identify most but some of the "bleak" like species are a bit tricky to be sure so dont count those. Local names are dfficult to look up some times.

 

Sorry gone well off topic here!

[Andy Macfarlane]

Thats the one Andy.

 

A really hard fighting river species found in Europe. Closely related to the much rarer Zharte.Its name "Nase" is German for Nose and if you look closely you can see it indeed has a "nose" in the form of a pronounced bump above its top lip.

 

It was the comedy nose that gave it away. I had an old pocket guide for all the 'Fishes of Europe' for years and I always remember this mad looking fish with its Woody Allen face. It was on the same pages as Ide and Vimba?? I should try to find the book because it had all kinds of things in it and the pictures were surprisingly accurate. It had every kind of blenny you could name and I also remember it saying that Monkfish was a disgusting bottom-feeder with no value as a food-fish. How things change.

[Guest tigger]

Off to the Ockavanga for tiger fish on Wed, so may be out of touch for while.

 

 

Jammy bugger, you'll have to get some snaps Dave and share them with us

[The Flying Tench]

Yup I agree with Ken.Not all Goldfish are actually Gold! Heres its biger brother!-

 

 

Is that definitely a goldfish, Budgie? I had understood that a goldfish had a concave dorsal fin, whereas a crucian had convex. That one looks to me slightly convex - though admittedly it doesn't look right for a crucian. Could it be a hybrid?

[bluezulu]

agree with ken it's a gold fish.

[Vagabond]

I also remember it saying that Monkfish was a disgusting bottom-feeder with no value as a food-fish.

 

I would think they meant the Monkfish or Angel Shark Squatina squatina

 

The fish now sold as "Monkfish" is the Anglerfish Lophius piscatorius - just the tails are used - quite tasty, but its a big fish to kill just for a wee tail.

[Vagabond]

amongst my favourites were a chub like fish (name escapes me) that we caught on a few German rivers.

 

 

Would that be the zahrte, Budgie?

 

After this winter's trips, must get down to researching a few trips to Europe, so will be in touch.

[Tony U]

"Off to the Ockavanga for tiger fish on Wed, so may be out of touch for while."

 

I had a job lined up in Gaborone a couple of years back in between LUL and TfL and was hoping to go out to the Okavanga after Tiger Fish and Vundu and then they started to try to how shall I put it, influence the National Tender Board, I then decided it was time to jump ship and stay in the UK. Pity about the fishing though.

 

Tony

[Dick Dastardly]

Would that be the zahrte, Budgie?

 

After this winter's trips, must get down to researching a few trips to Europe, so will be in touch.

 

 

No I believe Zahrte are the rarer cousain of the Nase Dave. Looking at the guide book showed them to be very similar but we always assumed the species we were catching were Nase as it was said the Zahrte was very rare.

 

I remebered these "Chub" like fish were called Arland in German.The German for the European Chub (same Latin name as ours) was Dobel.Used to be a bit of debate as to whether they were indeed the same fish and it was just a local name.I always thought the Arland had a bit of a Mullet look to it ie a slightly flatter head. Any of your books show it?

[Dick Dastardly]

Is that definitely a goldfish, Budgie? I had understood that a goldfish had a concave dorsal fin, whereas a crucian had convex. That one looks to me slightly convex - though admittedly it doesn't look right for a crucian. Could it be a hybrid?

 

 

The one shown came from the Potomac River in Washington DC John.Ive caught quite a few "strange carp" over the years both n the UK and abroad.Im 99% sure thats a goldfish of sorts.Trouble is there seems to be so much hybridsation between all the carp species (clearly shown by all the various shaped ornemental strains) that the guide lines are a bit out now.

 

The concave/convex fin lark is certainly a good indication between Brown Goldfish and Crucians but when you start puttng ornementals into the equation!