THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

So you can expect to see them in most places from the
Channel to the Shetlands, both east and west, though from
personal experience, west facing open oceanic coasts are
always the best.
All my shore fishing experience for gars comes from the
Channel Islands where they are a major player on the local
match fishing scene.
Most rock marks can be persuaded to produce them, one of
the favourites being St. Martins to the south of St. Peterport,
whereas with the boats, rubby dubby, or shirvey as they call
it locally plays a vital role.
This comprises boiled sandeels, bread, and fish oil made into
a sloppy porridge like mix which is spooned into the water
on a little and often basis, drawing in the garfish from far and
wide. It also draws in grey mullet, for which reason a second
mullet rod is often also rigged up ready.
Phill Williams, Garfish
For the gars, or long nose as Peter Frise and Joe Gomez who
I fished with call them, it was a simple fixed or sliding float
rig set to fish no more than a few feet down with tiny pieces
of sandeel on a say a size four hook, and they would catch
literally dozens of the things.
SHORT BEAKED GARFISH Belone svetovidovi
Bucket List status – catch status uncertain
How the hell this species ever came to light is beyond me. I have no doubt at all that it has been caught
by anglers in the south west on many more occasions than reports suggest, where due to it's almost
identical appearance to Belone belone, that's what people quite naturally would have thought it was.
That was until 1990, when eagle eyed angler Mr. A.C. Cass caught several garfish in Mounts Bay, one
of which he thought looked slightly different to the rest and therefore was sent to the Marine Biological
Association for examination, resulting in the first ever report of Belone svetovidovi on rod and line in
British waters. They are also now recorded from Irish waters too.
From an angling perspective, they are still just garfish. So in the interests of non-repetition, read the
Garfish Belone belone account above. You'll also find the key comparative identification features there
too. Other than that, check out any garfish you catch, for this is not as rare a fish it seems as previous
records might suggest.
SKIPPER Scomberesox saurus
Bucket List status – no result yet
A fish I know as the saury pike. I haven't actually caught one but did handle and examine a live specimen
some years ago which I picked up flapping about at the waters edge one very rough back-end day while
beach fishing over on the west coast of Ireland.
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