Top Ten

In order to clear my mind of the nonsense caused by my opinions of a bird, and my auditory health, I have chosen to revisit the template, as laid out by Mr Gale. A top ten - this time it is the ten most significant fish that I've landed since returning to the hobby. Benno and I are already in advanced stages of planning for our weekend pike fishing - a return to the RMC and a search for that elusive "big girl" who must now be at peak weight, prior to spawning?
I have chosen these fish because of their importance at the time of capture - therefore they aren't just a list of the heaviest fish. You will see that I have opted for the traditional "chart run down" and start with number 10.

10.) - Carp (Italian strain) Stream Valley Fishery, East Sussex - 10th June 2012

A chunky fish of 17lbs+ which took a liking to a prawn, fished under a float,
on 6lbs b.s. line, my Match Aerial centre-pin and a Tring Tench rod. All good fun.

9.) Pike - Loch Awe, Scotland - May 2013

31 years, almost to the day, after I'd taken my first Scottish pike. At 16lbs 5oz this is the heaviest
pike I've taken from the magnificent fisheries north of the border.

8.) Pike - Royal Military Canal, Kent - March 2013

19lbs 4oz of RMC pike. This is one of six, very large, fish that Benno and I were fortunate enough to encounter
during a very productive period at this venue

7.) Pike - North Stream, Worth Marshes, Kent - February 2012

19lbs 5oz - a fish that I feared was dead. The third, and final, time of capture - the finale to a
very enjoyable learning experience.

6.) Perch - Stream Valley Fishery, East Sussex - June 2012

My new PB perch - 2lbs 10oz, a species that wasn't available to many anglers during the 1970's - 90's.
Happily, they have made a recovery and now there is every chance of me bettering this fish within a short while?

5.) Chub - R. Stour, nr Canterbury, Kent

5lbs 2oz  -  a milestone fish, yet nowhere close to the biggest chub that I've seen in the river.
A PB that is easily beatable, given a sustained effort.

4.) Barbel - R. Stour, nr Canterbury, Kent - July 2013

7lbs 14oz - my first Kentish Stour barbel.

3.) Barbel - R. Severn, Gloucestershire - June 2013

Probably less than 4lbs? My first barbel since September 1985 - magic!

2.) Barbel - R. Stour, nr Canterbury - August 2013

A barbel beyond my wildest dreams - 13lbs 14oz! My second fish over 13lbs in five days - crazy times!

1.) Pike - Royal Military Canal, Kent - February 2013

Taken just a few days after the death of my mum - 20lbs 9oz. A fish that I'd targeted since returning to the hobby.
All the money in the world couldn't replace that moment when I slid the landing net under my prize.
Mum was looking down and smiling - of that I'm sure.