TBT#20 The more unusual ones

Way back when I was a member of the now defunct Jersey Light Tackle Group there was a trophy for the most unusual fish of the year.

With climate change who knows what species we might see in the future, some fish I have caught or seen caught over the years were super rare when they were caught but transgressed to become quite common.

I remember catching a Triggerfish at St Catherine’s Breakwater during my school holidays way back in the late 80’s and having no idea what it was. Triggerfish went on to be quite common at different times, I can actually remember catching 14 in one session during the JOSAF. They are not quite as prolific today but there are some caught most years.

Similar can be said of quite a few species Smoothounds, Stingray & Thinlipped Mullet all unheard of when the first few were caught but now regularly targeted and caught.

Another example of this is White Bream. When I caught my first White Bream which was also during JOSAF it was a British record and only the second recorded capture in the UK. Again I wasn’t sure what it was when I caught it, I have since caught quite a few and while they are far from common they are no longer considered an oddity.

If I look back at the most unusual fish I have seen caught there is one clear winner and that is the Lumpsucker dad caught while float fishing for Garfish. With our seas getting warmer I think it’s extremely unlikely I will ever see another one caught.

I think the most unusual fish I have caught personally was a shore caught Ling caught fishing for Smalleyed Ray in the middle of a sandy bay. Proof you really never know what you might catch next.

Back in 2014 the world sea fishing forum set up a species hunt with badges for 20/30/40 species so I thought I would have a go as something different to do. I had no idea about the different mini species you would catch locally and identifying them all was a bit of a learning curve. Quite near the beginning I went to the steps on the Albert Pier with my newly acquired LRF Rod and isome worms to see what I could catch. With little clue what I was doing I struggled to catch anything but eventually managed to hook a little fish so I took a photo on the species card before letting it go. When I got home I got the species book out to figure out what kind of Goby or Blenny it was and it turned out to be a rare Butterfly Blenny. I had never seen one before but a few years later dad also caught one at St Catherine’s.

There are also of course species that are common in the UK but pretty unusual locally for example Cod.

A pretty common species but always a nice surprise when caught locally although I have seen a couple of winters where there has been a few Codling.

Another one that would fall under the bracket of common elsewhere but rare here is Thornback Ray.

I was over the moon with this microscopic one I caught a few years ago to make it 5 rays species for me locally.

Another unusual one that does turn up occasionally normally to lure anglers is the protected Twaite Shad. I was lucky enough to catch one of these Mackerel fishing at Bouley Bay pier a few years ago to add to my species list but it’s the only one I have ever caught.

There are quite a lot of species that turn up locally that I have never caught or even seen caught. Examples of these are Sea Trout, Salmon, Marbled Electric Ray although I did witness the first boat caught one many years ago and even a Topknot a species I have found often low water fishing but never actually seen caught.

So what’s the most unusual fish you have caught?

What will we see next? I used to think it was only a matter of time before we had Couches Bream but they have been in the other Channel Islands a long time now and apart from maybe a handful haven’t shown up here. We did have some Chub Mackerel a few years ago but they seem to of disappeared.

We will have to wait and see but with the summer we are having this year surely it’s only a matter of time before something else new turns up.