The fish that got you most excited/relieved/nervous etc

[Arry]

The one in my avatar... I thought it might go 30, sadly it didn't, but it was a new pb at 29lb 12oz it was part of a red letter weekend on Tall Trees fishery in Bedford 3 x 20lbers and 2 doubles.. that fish was taken at 02.40 in the morning March 11th 2011 on a Carpology Magazine Social on Nash IC1 snowman baits on running rigs.... I celebrated with a cup of coffee with a big nip of rum in it with my mate... my back was covered in bruises the next day from all the lads back slapping me... only 6 fish caught that weekend from 6 anglers and I had 5 of em...

Still looking for that elusive 30

 

[Me and my lad]

They are better coming out of a river that really does get the heart pumping.

Thats the thing sir, I have caught a fair amount of barbel out of the Severn and trent. It was the stillwater creatures that eluded me. On a pole the are superb fun, perhaps it isn't the 2-3 ounce of lead attached to them

 

[Deejay8]

Fishing on the River Blackwater at Ower in Hampshire in October 1993, I was trotting maggots and I had caught a good bag of roach, and dace with a couple of grayling for good measure. And then I hooked into a bigger fish. As it came to the net, I thought I had caught my first ever chub. I weighed it. 1lb 1oz so nothing special. But it's mouth wasn't as wide and it's head wasn't as blunt as I expected. Was it a small chub or a big dace? I noted the shape and colours of the fins. When I got home, I looked it up in my book of British freshwater fish. And it was a dace. It shares the Test Valley Angling Club record with 2 other fish caught a few years before. And it was 3 ounces off the British record.

 

[Silverfisher]

Fishing on the River Blackwater at Ower in Hampshire in October 1993, I was trotting maggots and I had caught a good bag of roach, and dace with a couple of grayling for good measure. And then I hooked into a bigger fish. As it came to the net, I thought I had caught my first ever chub. I weighed it. 1lb 1oz so nothing special. But it's mouth wasn't as wide and it's head wasn't as blunt as I expected. Was it a small chub or a big dace? I noted the shape and colours of the fins. When I got home, I looked it up in my book of British freshwater fish. And it was a dace. It shares the Test Valley Angling Club record with 2 other fish caught a few years before. And it was 3 ounces off the British record.

Blimey that’s an incredible fish. 1lb plus dace have got to be one of the most unlikely fish to catch!

 

[Sam Vimes]

Blimey that’s an incredible fish. 1lb plus dace have got to be one of the most unlikely fish to catch!

I'm not convinced that's true. Because they are a relatively small fish, even when around the 1lb mark, I believe that many are returned without ever being weighed. I've caught some decent ones down the years, only recently have I occasionally weighed a small number when I've thought they might be around the pound mark. Generally, they top out at 14/15oz, but I've had one at 1lb and one at 1lb 1oz in the last couple of years. I strongly suspect that I'll have returned fractionally bigger in the past without weighing them. I'm not suggesting that the record dace gets unknowingly broken on a regular basis, but I'd be surprised if it has never happened. I do believe that dace over a pound are fairly regularly caught and returned without the captor taking any notice whatsoever.

 

[Silverfisher]

I'm not convinced that's true. Because they are a relatively small fish, even when around the 1lb mark, I believe that many are returned without ever being weighed. I've caught some decent ones down the years, only recently have I occasionally weighed a small number when I've thought they might be around the pound mark. Generally, they top out at 14/15oz, but I've had one at 1lb and one at 1lb 1oz in the last couple of years. I strongly suspect that I'll have returned fractionally bigger in the past without weighing them. I'm not suggesting that the record dace gets unknowingly broken on a regular basis, but I'd be surprised if it has never happened. I do believe that dace over a pound are fairly regularly caught and returned without the captor taking any notice whatsoever.

Quite possibly true such ignorant sods they must be to not appreciate the gravity of their captures

I’ve had them to maybe 10oz tops and lost one at the net that would have gone over 12oz but I’ve not seen one even approaching a pound.

 

[Northantslad]

My first and only Barbel (so far ) Have I told everyone about my Barbel ? Just want to make sure I didn't miss anyone out.

I was convinced it was going to come off through (a) something stupid I would do or (b) Just sod's law...........'My First Barbel I nearly caught, doesn't sound or feel half as good as the first barbel I caught, as far as stories go,

Which Barbel was that again Kev?
I knew it wouldn't come off mate, wouldn't have put you through that. I am sat here thinking that there are two ways of looking at it, positive-you got one under your belt to sustain your anticipation through this till next time, negative-you know what you are missing out on at present.

 

[Scribe]

Which Barbel was that again Kev?
I knew it wouldn't come off mate, wouldn't have put you through that. I am sat here thinking that there are two ways of looking at it, positive-you got one under your belt to sustain your anticipation through this till next time, negative-you know what you are missing out on at present.

Definitely positive Chris - if I get a bit low I just dig my Avatar pic out and re-run catching it in my minds eye. Not only the catch but the whole day was brilliant, great company, coffee and scotch egg (will bring pork pie next time promise ) what else could you want.

Has been maddening looking at the quiver with brand new rods with baitrunners with new line, all ready and can't go, bit like an itch you can't scratch.

 

[Dave Spence]

Definitely positive Chris - if I get a bit low I just dig my Avatar pic out and re-run catching it in my minds eye. Not only the catch but the whole day was brilliant, great company, coffee and scotch egg (will bring pork pie next time promise ) what else could you want.

Has been maddening looking at the quiver with brand new rods with baitrunners with new line, all ready and can't go, bit like an itch you can't scratch.

When did you catch a barbel mate? You kept that quiet, are you now one of the ultra secretive brigade?

 

[Scribe]

When did you catch a barbel mate? You kept that quiet, are you now one of the ultra secretive brigade?

If I answered that question Dave I would have to shoot you on the grounds on National Security Shhh Remember the old wartime saying 'Walls have ears as well as a sausages.'

 

[Foul hooked]

Not the biggest fish i have caught, but the first that i actually mugged. As a youngster you would always cast a bait towards any fish that you saw near the surface, but invariably none would ever take it, they were simply sunning themselves and not feeding. A few years ago however, i was fishing a small lake and noticed a carp cruising through my peg on the surface just as i was about to recast, so just like a kid, i moved all my shot up under the float, i flicked my bit sweetcorn out in front of its nose. As it started to sink down, the fish dived down after it and as my line tightened and my knees were knocking in disbelief and excitement i struck. A few minutes later i had a small carp, around the three pound mark on the bank. Now i have caught plenty of rudd etc on the drop, but never before had i seen and presented a bait to a specific fish with any success (usually just scaring them away). The sheer excitement of seeing the fish actually go for the bait and then hooking it was something else. Since that first one, i have actually caught one or two stalking with floating bread flake/crust in the margins from this venue and i still get that tingle when a fish approaches the bait. It has to be one of the most exciting ways of fishing.

 

[Ubique]

A thread inspired by reading @Stewie74's match report which included that always exciting first fish after blank last time out. That got me thinking about those fish you catch now and again that you are just so excited/grateful/relieved etc to see end up in the net. I'm sure everyone must have had those special fish (be they PBs, match winners, blank beaters or just a nice fish you weren't expecting or had put real time and effort into catching) that just get your heart pumping a bit more.

Two examples for me were both chub that were and are my PBs. First one was a roughly 4 pounder that I had on the feeder to beat a blank on a borderline flooded and freezing cold Hampshire Avon a couple years ago. Wasn't that fussed about it then being a PB was more that I'd spent the time and money to fish the Avon for the first time only to find it in such bad state that it would have been a relief to catch anything let alone something decent, was even followed by a couple salmon parr lol. Second one was from the Severn at highley last year. Had started the day on the feeder and had a 4 poundish barbel early on followed by plenty of nice dace and few reasonable roach before losing a certain PB dace that could have gone maybe 12oz which rather took the wind out my sails. Switched onto the float shortly after that and carried on catching nice dace and the odd roach before striking into something rather solid that I just instantly knew was a PB chub so my legs went to jelly! Can't remember the exact weight, was well over 5 but a bit shy of 5.5, but more importantly was at least over a pound over my PB and a good few pounds over any chub I'd ever caught on the float before which as a method always means more to me. Probably still my single favourite coarse fish capture to date!

Anyway enough waffle over to you guys, what fish made you sit up, pay attention and shake like a pooing dog whilst you set about landing it?!

 

[Ubique]

Drove over 180 miles one day to fish the Royalty in Christchurch, river was in flood, never had a bite. Spent all day feeding a family of water voles, when we left we called into Davies tackle shop and I bought a Hardy 13ft wagggler rod for £300, not a cheap day out, took 5 hours to get home. A very memorable day