what fish are in the thames?

[Elton]

I was looking up vintage roach poles used on the thames (following on from my vintage pole thread) when I found this quote

 

“The Thames is now home to over 119 different species of fish." EA spokesman 2005. (http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/3900)

 

Are there really that many species in the thames and can we list them? It seems a little high to me

 

Get with the times...

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/News/greater-weever-fish.html

 

[Anderoo]

This is all nonsense. I've fished the Thames a couple of times recently and I can categorically state that there are no fish in there whatsoever.

 

[jedibond]

Are they including that whale that got stuck in their last year ?

[Peter M]

Good start Bluerinse, but you will have to reduce your list by three as Nos 3 and 4 are the same species, so are Nos 20 and 21, and also 36 and 37.

 

Against that you could add Twaite and Allis Shads, Houting, and Atlantic Sturgeon. (although it is probably some years since these fish were present)

 

That makes 42, and then a few "exotics" released from home aquaria and maybe surviving could take it to (say) 45

 

and counting everything in the estuary, another 74 marine species would not be too hard to find.

 

(and whilst I was typing, Steve has kindly done it for us)

 

In the nineteenth century, up to 500 tons PER DAY of mackerel, herring, cod, turbot, brill and many other species were landed at Fish Street Hill (off Thames Street) ..........Peter Ackroyd in Thames - sacred river

 

actually i caught a shad (probabaly a Twaite shad) in the thames Estuary last year.

[Steve Walker]

actually i caught a shad (probabaly a Twaite shad).

 

I saw a carp angler lose one of those on a local lake.

 

At least, I think that's what he shouted when it came off...

[Chris Plumb]

Here's another!

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...-by-angler.html

 

 

C.