THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

the film, after which he headed back to Dublin leaving us with the rough location of the 'monk hole' to
search for.
For reasons which will become apparent in the account on catching monkfish, plus our lack of suitable
heavy tackle, we didn't fish for the big skate again that trip, though we did give it a go the following
year, with Brian again taking a fish that was obviously well over a hundred pounds.
Following that magazine article, Dave Lewis contacted me for information, resulting in a similar
encounter aboard his boat which I encouraged him to write about, and so began the glittering journalistic
career we all know and love today.
In addition, while browsing on FaceBook just before putting the final draft to bed, I came across a
photograph on Irish charter boat skipper Mary Gavin-Hughes page of a 175 pound skate off Westport,
which despite being labelled as a common skate, because it was posed underside up showing its white
colouration, plus it's elongated snout, was so very obviously a white skate, and one which was bigger
than the then Irish record.
I notified both Jonathan and Mary who both agreed and representations were made to the Irish fish
recorders. But in all honesty, it was pretty much a lost cause right from the onset. With no body to
inspect for verification (yes, even in this supposedly enlightened day and age), coupled to the fact that
the fish had been given a weigh at sea then returned, they simply didn't want to know.
So what happened to the so called Irish enlightenment on matters of trail blazing and conservation. A
lesson here for the rest of us on a number of fronts.
Associated audio interview numbers: 44.
NOTE: I recently found a VHS copy of Kevin Linnanes film which I had converted to digital and have
uploaded to YouTube.
THORNBACK RAY Raja clavata
Bucket List status – result
Theoretically, a straight forward fish to pin
an accurate name to. In practice
unfortunately, this statement can at times be
some way short of the truth, the reason being
the highly variable patterning, colouration,
and markings the species can adopt, plus it's
ability, be that deliberately or
coincidentally, to mimic the patterning of
some of the other ray species.
Thornback mimicking Cuckoo Ray markings
One consolation is that it cannot alter its
basic body shape of having pointed wings
which automatically eliminates confusion
with the cuckoo, undulate and sandy ray.
Equally, it can't avoid having the thorns,
mainly on the top side, but to an extent also
underneath, from which its name is derived.
Numerically these thorns can vary from just a scattered few to a dense threatening carpet growing out
from swollen calcified bases which are situated just underneath the skin. Geographical location can
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