THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

live sandeel baits through the swirls, eddies, and over-falls,
which betray the position of these fishing holding hot spots.
Obviously, bass weren't the only fish we were after. I'm
pleased to say that a few turbot, brill, and red gurnards also
put in a show. But bass were the most numerous species by
far, and as it would turn out, the biggest too.
Towards the close of one particular day, we'd had the best
part of fifty bass to around nine pounds when Dougal
shouted lines up. Time to head back to St. Peterport, the pub,
and something to eat. So as instructed, we all started
cranking our reel handles, when I noticed a little more
weight than expected on my line, though not so much that I
thought anything in particular about it.
If I'm honest, it felt like somebody else's hook had caught on
my line on the way up. It was then that I noticed everyone
else's gear was already in. Next thing I remember was seeing
this huge grey torpedo darting about just under the surface,
then seconds later, Dougal had it in the net and on the deck.
Phill Williams, Bass 13 lbs 2 ounces On-board it weighed thirteen pounds one ounce, though
later when re-weighed back at port it turned the needle
around to twelve pounds fourteen ounces, making it the second heaviest bass taken from Guernsey in
the 1991 season, for which I was awarded an engraved tankard and given a very pricey bottle of brandy.
But the real prize was of course the fish itself, which I have recorded as a PB at its original on-board
weight.
My only regret is the circumstances of the catch. I had no idea there was even a fish on my hook until
the final few seconds, and certainly not at any stage until we emptied the landing net was there any
indication of just how big it would turn out to be.
So on the one hand, a much needed potentially difficult to obtain tick on the list, but on the other, what
a waste of such a magnificent fish. The kind of encounter you dream of as giving a truly memorable
epic battle, but which in reality gave itself up with barely a whimper.
A FISH IN EXCESS OF ONE HUNDRED POUNDS IN FRESHWATER
Bucket List status – result
Not being a freshwater specialist, or even a regular freshwater angler, initially, this particular strand of
the bucket list concerned me. With hind-sight however, due to an ever growing number of commercial
as well as wild fishing opportunities, providing you are willing to travel and inevitably invest both
money and time, potentially this now should be one of the easier ticks to put on the list. But don't expect
to be able to achieve it here in the UK any time soon, if ever at all.
With the wels catfish is currently suspended from the British record fish list, and as a result, with some
measure of interest having now been lost in the one species all of Britain's ton up aspirations were riding
on, looking further afield is currently the only viable option, though in all honestly, with the British
Isles geographically lying outside the wels natural comfort and growth zone anyway, even without the
record suspension, breaking through the one hundred pound barrier on home territory was always going
to be a very big ask.
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