TBT#6 1994

1994 was a busy year for me. It began with a new job as an apprentice print finisher after 5 years working in a fishing tackle shop, in the summer I turned 21 and in the December I bought my first house and left home.

On top of that I fished 183 days, not unusual for me in the early 90’s but the last year I fished that amount as I got married and started working for myself.

The fishing was very different then to what it is today so I thought it might be interesting to look back and show how much difference 30 years makes.

January was predominantly spent Conger fishing which produced no less than 5 eels over 20lb the best going 23-8, however it also produced a bonus Pollack of 6-14.

February was more of the same but the fishing was slower with the biggest eel going 20-4

March was also mainly Conger fishing but the fishing was a lot slower and the best eel was only 15-8.

It was quite typical to spend the beginning of the year preoccupied with the eels before the clocks change.

April was a bit of a mixed bag, eels to 18lb, as well as the first Ray of the year, an Undulate of 13-4 and a few Smalleyed’s to 6-0.

May produced more Smalleyeds to 5-12, Wrasse to 4-13, lots of Garfish as I chased a specimen, a bonus 1-12 Turbot and a short trip across to Sark provided some Thick Lipped Mullet to 5-2.

June was the beginning of an incredible run of Wrasse fishing I described in an earlier post with a lot of 3-4lb fish topped off with a 5-11.

There were also more small eyed to 6-3 as well as Wrasse to 5-0 & Thick Lipped Mullet to 4-4 from another short trip to Sark.

July was a special month, Wrasse of 8-13, 6-10 & 5-13, Smalleyed Ray of 8-8, 7-6, 6-4 & 6-2, Conger of 16-8 and Black Bream of 2-6.

August wasn’t bad either with Wrasse of 6-14, 6-0, 5-9 & 5-6 as well as a potential C.I Triggerfish record at the time of 3-8 that was returned alive.

September was more Wrasse again to 5-10, 2 eels in 2 nights both weighing 24-12, Thicklipped mullet to just under 4lb and a lovely shore Pollack of 8-6.

October was mainly spent mullet fishing when we used to get a good late run on the north coast and produced a few 4 pounders upto 4-6.

November was back on the eels and I finally got my conger club weigher for the year, a lovely solitaired fish of 38-0

And December was more of the same, plenty of eels including a 26-8 caught in horrendous weather on the back wall of St Caths and solitaired which was quite a challenge.

So how does that compare with 2025?

Lots of Conger over 20lb, plenty of Rays, lots of Wrasse and Mullet all of which are harder to catch today. On the flip side back then we could only dream of a shore caught Tope, you never saw a Gilthead and I doubt I even knew what a thin lipped was so while we’ve lost a lot we’ve gained a few as well.

Who knows what will be different in another 30 years. Fingers crossed at least one new species will turn up and I can get me specimen tally to 35!