THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Irish fishery scientists and fish recorders say that because the sunfish feeds mainly on items other than
can be used by anglers for bait such as medusae, ctenophores, and salps – in layman's terms, all
variations on the jellyfish theme, it therefore cannot be caught on rod and line using fair angling means,
and as such they have removed the previous incumbent from their record list.
British and Welsh fish recorders and their advisor's however take a different view and continue to list
it both as a current record, and for future claims. Fortunately for the Scots, they never had it listed in
the first place so don't have the problem.
Who's right and who's wrong is not for me to speculate, and by including it here doesn't mean I am
taking sides. By my own set of bucket list rules, I have no other choice but to include it and deal with
it.
Who ultimately wins the argument, we will have to wait and see. But for my money, the Irish have a
good case. On the other hand, anglers do appear to catch them on all sorts of baits including baited
feathers, though whether they take through hunger or agitated provocation is again something I won't,
or more to the point, can't comment on here.
All I can say is that if you do come across one at the surface, then give it a go and see what happens, as
the following tale told to me by Graeme Pullen demonstrates.
It was during a fishing expedition out from the port of Crookhaven, ironically in Ireland. A large sunfish
was spotted lazily finning along at the surface, which they often like to do, presumably hunting for
jellyfish or similar prey.
Not being entirely certain as to how best to approach the situation, it was decided that the 2/0 hooks
being used at the time for red bream would suit the situation. So, using a small lead, the bait was cast
at the fish.
The sunfish repeatedly responded, but could not keep pace with the bait as the lead took it out of reach
too quickly on the drop. So the lead size was eventually scaled right down to the point where the bait
could be trailed just ahead of the sunfishes nose, whereupon it took it immediately.
Other anglers report similar experiences, and of sunfish grabbing at baits on the way up. That particular
fish turned the scales to over seventy seven pounds, but like all that have gone before, including some
very much bigger fish, it not unexpectedly failed to impress the Irish officials.
TRIGGER FISH Balistes capriscus
Bucket List status – result
The name trigger fish comes from the front spine
of the first dorsal fin which some people say is
shaped like the trigger of a gun. When this is held
erect in the upright position, it can only be
dropped by releasing or unlocking a short 'trigger'
spine to the rear of it, which is another potential
explanation for the name, and by locking this
sharp spine in position, trigger fish hope to
dissuade larger predators from eating them.
A fish with an almost diamond shaped laterally
compressed body profile similar to that of a
272