Barbel Seeker, firstly thank you for the response, I must say if you want to get caught up in the social science of fish all power to you I have no beef with that I’m sure it’s very interesting, personally I go fishing to enjoy being sat in the middle of nowhere and watching what happens around me and the unpredictability of what can happen i.e. like having a Lancaster Bomber fly over the top of you following the river, and if I land any fish fantastic.
I do somewhat subscribe to the theory of PB’s but this is surely human nature some measure of achievement it’s what we are taught in schools from a young age, it doesn’t mean to me anyway that if I catch a smaller fish than that it is somehow substandard. In fact the last Barbel I caught was 6lb 2oz on a new stretch that I had never fished before and I think I was as surprised as the fish was at being caught as it was in pristine condition, beautiful and I don’t think although I can’t qualify it that it had ever been caught before.
I would agree with you that doubles are rare as I’ve only ever caught one myself (10lb 9oz my PB) although I have seen several others. My point regarding the river Great Ouse was that the same fish were coming out time and time again so I agree to the casual observer it would seem that it was stuffed with big fish weather it is or not I don’t know and don’t care as I will probably never fish it and really don’t want to. I think that your statement of only 6 resident double figure fish in a stretch is somewhat baffling as I would say how do you know that for sure, a river is a totally wild environment and I would suggest that unless that section of the river is somehow netted off and a survey is carried out who knows!!
I would also agree with your point about just because a fish has a name doesn’t make it any easier to catch! I think the whole process of naming fish has stemmed from the Carp world and as I think I made somewhat clear in my original post that as far as I’m concerned Carp fishing on lakes is like fishing a large garden pond there is no mystery everybody knows what’s in the lake, although I would say that there must be some skill in it as not everybody turns up and catches the record fish. Anyway who am I to suggest that it is any less worthwhile than what I do, I’m sure it’s not it’s just my opinion. I have 2 pet Mirror Carp in my pond Bert and Bob and I like watching them but don’t want to catch them.
As for Angry, Peter and Walnut why were they not given a number as that would be the more socially accepted protocol for a fish social science project?
Personally I know that every fish I’ve caught is whatever weight it is as otherwise what’s the point, you’re only fooling/cheating yourself. It never ceases to amaze me that when I’m looking over the angling press the amount of people claiming weights and you can clearly see from the photo it’s not the weight they are claiming. Unfortunately the sport I love is sometimes full of BS but maybe that a debate for another post!!!
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