THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Not a true anglers fish. Not even of
value as a live or dead-bait, and not a
fish most freshwater anglers will see on
a regular basis unless fishing moderate
flowing, well oxygenated bouldery
streams or upland rivers, plus some
reservoirs or lakes with a bouldery base,
providing refuge for this often skittish
little fish. And in those locations, if
hook and bait sizes are small enough, it
will feed quite readily.
MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
Bucket List status – result
A small fish in which both the dorsal
and the anal fin are noticeably rounded
at their highest point. Other key
features include very small scales and
a lateral line that is incomplete, though
shape, colouration, and markings are
probably better key identifiers for
anglers.
A narrow bodied little fish which is
dark olive green to brown on the upper
back, giving way to a lighter, often
golden sheen from the mid flank
downwards, with darker blotches
along the mid to upper flanks, which may even present as stripes.
Even more impressive is the colouration of the male fish at spawning time, when all the different
previously mentioned colours seem to become enhanced, with the addition of patches of red on the
under belly, and black around the throat.
A common little fish in clean upland areas, both still-water and flowing, which from an angling
perspective I don't think I need spend too much time on here.
That said, it is a fish which some freshwater anglers not only will have caught, but often will have
deliberately caught, particularly in large lakes and streams such as in the Lake District where you can
see them, catch them, then use then as small live-baits for perch and trout.
You frequently see them knocking about in the margins and quieter pools of rivers, where a small
maggot or piece of worm will usually suffice, though quite why anyone would want to pursue them or
any of the other smaller freshwater species for record purposes is beyond me.
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