The smaller species that inhabit UK waterways are often overlooked by anglers, especially by those who catch them. When most think of record fish their mind often reverts to holding huge fish up, but not every fish grows to huge sizes and the miniature species have records too. Every year anglers return these fish without realising just how special they might have been.
Lure fanatic David Creamer is the latest angler to return home from a day on the bank only to realise he may have landed a British record, which he subsequently released without weighing. After catching a few fish on lures, he slipped a worm on the hook when things went quiet in one of his favourite swims, and before long, this huge decided to devour it.
While it may look small at only 20cm long, the current British Record ruffe is a 5oz 4 dram specimen landed in 1980 by R J Jenkins from West View Farm in Cumbria, and they are a fish that has become increasingly rarer in recent years. So when you take into account its length, you can see why David and many others believe this was a real giant, which may have toppled this long standing record.
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"The session was amazing, and although I didn’t feel particularly confident about the day, that changed so fast. As always, I was happy just being out, but then it turned into a magical day," David told us.
"I love my lure fishing and have been having great success on mylocal canal in Warwickshire, catching zander, perch, and even roach on various methods. Like many anglers, I have a certain swim that I just love fishing as it always produces a fish, and this session was no different," he explained.
"After slipping on a worm for the last few casts of the day, I got a small thump on the rod and hooked what felt and looked like a small perch, but when I netted it, I realised it was a big ruffe."
"I decided to measure it and take some snaps, as it’s not a fish I catch often these days, and I like to document my captures."
"It was only when I got home and thought about it that I decided to post it on a couple of forums, only for other anglers to share my view that I had released a monster!"
"I’m just gutted I didn’t weigh the ruffe. So, mixed emotions, but I’ll never complain about being on the bank. My new mission is to get another big one," he said.
TRY ONE OF THESE VENUES THAT CAN ALWAYS THROW UP A FEW SURPRISE SPECIES.
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