THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

But you would be wrong. Because experts at the British Natural History Museum in London who advise
the BRFC are not convinced. Consequently, the committee itself is not convinced.
The Irish record fish committee have already gone for just the one inclusion, while the Welsh and Scots
are still currently considering their position. So for now I must record them as separate species, even
though having spoken at length to Ed Farrell, I completely accept his results and conclusions.
From an angling perspective, the smoothhound has to be anglings greatest success story of the twenty
first century so far, though the foundations for this were undoubtedly laid in the latter part of the
twentieth century.
I well remember my first encounter with the
species at Bradwell while fishing with John Rawle
back in the 1970's. Bob Cox, John's long time
business partner had pondered in the press why a
fish which hunts slow moving prey needed to
evolve such a turn of power and speed, concluding
that it must be God's gift to angling, a thought
echoed by many people who regularly fish for
them today. They are tremendous fun fish to catch.
I next encountered them in The Solent fishing at night with Dink LeMoignan after drop netting for
hermit crabs for bait, and later out from Penarth with Dave Lewis on peeler crab, who said at the time
that if he had to be restricted to just one species of fish for the rest of his life, the smoothhound(s) would
be heading up his list. And that pretty much was that.
I knew they also occurred from maybe The Wash around into the English Channel as far west as the
Isle of Wight. But as a dyed in the wool Lancashire dinghy angler by that stage, they were never going
to feature too much in my plans. Or so I thought. Then, reports started circulating about the odd one or
two showing along The Fylde Coast.
Whether or not they had always been there and people had only just become aware of them, or had
maybe even previously mis-identified them as small tope, is difficult to say. But in light of the situation
both smoothhounds and sea angling find themselves in today, I think I can safely say that with hindsight,
they started to make it into Lancashire waters during the mid 1970's, since when things have got
better and better almost year on year.
Why do I say this. Well locally they have become an integral part of our boat and shore fishing scene,
particularly in the Cleveleys to Bispham area, though they don't seem to venture much further along the
Fylde either to the south or to the north, and not too far seaward either, which for a fish which likes
shallow inshore water is exactly what you would expect.
But that of itself is not the reason. Back in 2005 I had an invite from 'Jensen II' skipper Tony Parry to
take a look at the up and coming smoothhound scene in the harbour entrance at Rhyl for a magazine
feature after one of the salmon gill netters had accidentally caught a few the summer before. Up until
that point, smoothhounds weren't on the Rhyl radar.
Just prior to my visit, Tony tried a few early exploratory trips fishing peeler crab almost up to the shore
and they were most definitely there. So now it was time to tell the world, and a great days fishing
ensued.
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