THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Why this should be the record I'm not quite sure, as a four pound humpback taken by Ivan Harris in
Cornwall's River Camel was officially identified by Environment Agency fishery staff.
On the basis of all that, you shouldn't really expect to see one in a river near you any time soon. But
you can't completely rule out the possibility either, as Ivan Harris and Louis Hunter previously
demonstrated, and more recently, a mini invasion in September 2015 also clearly shows.
A total of eight Humpbacks were caught by a mix of anglers and commercial fishermen along the east
coast and in both the rivers Tyne and the Wear. The suspicion is that a massive breeding program
conducted by the Russians some 40 years ago led to vagrants first finding their way to Norway, then
Iceland, and now appear to be crossing the North Sea to Britain's east coast. So watch this space.
Fortunately, a fish which when it runs into freshwater with spawning on its mind is likely to assume a
physical appearance that will immediately catch the eye. Particularly the males which develop that
characteristic hump below the dorsal fin, accompanied by a very prominent kype with teeth.
Both sexes change colour from metallic green with silver sides and a pinkish hue while at sea, to a much
darker livery when in spawning condition, with the males also showing red and even yellow on their
flanks.
Both sexes also have large oval spots on both tail flukes, which is said to be a key distinguishing feature
between humpbacks and other Pacific species. Not that we are likely to have that sort of identification
problem. With that in mind, Atlantic salmon typically have nine rays in their anal fin, whereas
humpbacks have at least fourteen.
BROWN TROUT Salmo trutta
Bucket List status – result
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