Because I don't subscribe to the idea that a barbel of 10lb 1 oz is any bigger than one of 9lb 15oz, or that it really means very much to pass the arbitrary double-figure barrier for this species, or whatever that specimen figure might be for any other species
, I have decided that henceforth my specimen hunting will be based upon percentages of the current British record. This means that I can grade myself as an all round specimen angler by adding all the percentages for my thirteen target species together and dividing by that number.
Here's where I stand after one full season of new personal bests set on the midlands rivers and canals (marked with asterisk) and many still water species personal bests set when I was a teenager, and not beaten in all the years since ~
Barbel 40.2*
Bream 29.0
Bream-Silver 20.7*
Carp 32.1
Carp-crucian 38.9
Chub 63.1*
Dace 19.0*
Perch 27.0*
Pike 33.6
Roach 46.3*
Rudd 24.3
Tench 23.0
Zander 11.6*
So the average, the number that grades my all round angling ability, is an unremarkable 31.4 !
Hardly ranking as a 'specimen hunter' am I?
However, I can see my tench record falling easily. When I was a teenager, the last time I fished for the species, a three and half pound tench was good fish by any standard, but now tench have enjoyed a size explosion and I can see a six pound plus fish being relatively easy to find this summer. Zander, I'll be targeting them soon and because I live a hundred yards from a zander fishery, that record of a puny two pounds eight ounces will fall too, and by a considerable margin. A carp to beat my previous best of 19lb 12oz set way back in the early eighties, will be difficult because I will not be fishing for them specifically, it will have to be an accidental fish, probably from the Avon. I will stalk carp, even float fish for them but won't be sitting behind a rod pod ever again. Rudd, now they'll be fun!
By June 16th I want to be a forty percenter, and by this time next year, when I next publish my end of season report ,a fifty percenter!
I reckon that when I started, back in August of last year, I was a ten percenter, so actually, I've done rather well!
, I have decided that henceforth my specimen hunting will be based upon percentages of the current British record. This means that I can grade myself as an all round specimen angler by adding all the percentages for my thirteen target species together and dividing by that number.
Here's where I stand after one full season of new personal bests set on the midlands rivers and canals (marked with asterisk) and many still water species personal bests set when I was a teenager, and not beaten in all the years since ~
Barbel 40.2*
Bream 29.0
Bream-Silver 20.7*
Carp 32.1
Carp-crucian 38.9
Chub 63.1*
Dace 19.0*
Perch 27.0*
Pike 33.6
Roach 46.3*
Rudd 24.3
Tench 23.0
Zander 11.6*
So the average, the number that grades my all round angling ability, is an unremarkable 31.4 !
Hardly ranking as a 'specimen hunter' am I?
However, I can see my tench record falling easily. When I was a teenager, the last time I fished for the species, a three and half pound tench was good fish by any standard, but now tench have enjoyed a size explosion and I can see a six pound plus fish being relatively easy to find this summer. Zander, I'll be targeting them soon and because I live a hundred yards from a zander fishery, that record of a puny two pounds eight ounces will fall too, and by a considerable margin. A carp to beat my previous best of 19lb 12oz set way back in the early eighties, will be difficult because I will not be fishing for them specifically, it will have to be an accidental fish, probably from the Avon. I will stalk carp, even float fish for them but won't be sitting behind a rod pod ever again. Rudd, now they'll be fun!
By June 16th I want to be a forty percenter, and by this time next year, when I next publish my end of season report ,a fifty percenter!
I reckon that when I started, back in August of last year, I was a ten percenter, so actually, I've done rather well!
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