It is fair to say that many anglers can become obsessed with catching big fish in the UK. With the carp fishing boom, competitions like the Drennan Cup and the rise of social media, bigger is better as far as many are concerned and while that is great, as fishing is what you make it, some of the micro-species in our waters are overlooked.
Scott Poulter is one angler who sought a refreshing change in his fishing and upon looking for a challenge he could really get stuck into, he has since set out to catch as many different species as possible. Big or small, each fish presents its own unique challenge, and his latest capture, a stone loach, is certainly one of the rarer species you can catch on rod and line.
Stone loach can be incredibly difficult to locate, as being mostly nocturnal, and thanks to their tiny size and exceptional camouflage, they can hide in the riverbed almost completely undetected. Not only do you have to search for them after dark, but you also have to avoid spooking them once you spot one, before presenting a bait small enough for them to actually take. The whole process is far more challenging than many would expect.
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"Having caught 115 different fish species, I’ve been trying to add a stone loach to that list for a while now," Scott told us.
"I haven’t had much luck fishing blind for them as other micro-species like bullheads and minnows have been a real headache, often intercepting the bait long before my intended target," he added.
"I came across some information about lamping for these fish after dark, and on my latest session, I grabbed my headtorch and headed to a stretch of river I believed could hold some stone loach."
Scott arrived at the river just as the last of the daylight was fading from the sky, and in total darkness, he aimed the beam of his headtorch into the water to illuminate the riverbed. While many might assume this would spook the fish, they often remain relatively calm when exposed to light, giving anglers a rare opportunity to target them.
"I hadn't actually located a stone loach until this session, but after finding one, it took my bait straight away," Scott said.
"The rig itself was very simple, albeit tiny, comprising a size 26 hook with a small piece of redworm mounted on it and a couple of split shot."
"I'm absolutely delighted to have caught it, making all the effort totally worthwhile. That marks number 116 on my list of captured UK fish species now."
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