For many, the true beauty of angling lies in its ability to surprise us when we least expect it. While targeting certain species and catching them by design is enjoyable, it can be just as exciting when an unexpected fish happens to turn up, often leaving the captor shaking in disbelief.
Despite being only 16 years old, Will Birch already has an impressive album of fish captures. Targeting species in both saltwater and freshwater, his passion for lure fishing in particular has seen him land over 60 different species on lures so early in his angling career. However, on his most recent session, he landed the fish of a lifetime, in the shape of this allis shad, one of the rarest species you can catch in the UK.
Listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Allis shad enters UK rivers only to spawn. This makes Will’s capture even more remarkable as not only are these fish incredibly scarce, but they are also rarely interested in feeding once they enter freshwater.
"I was fishing for trout on my local river in Devon, and the session was going quite well after landing a couple of nice brownies," Will told us.
"Moving slightly downstream I cast into a slightly deeper pool, and after a few turns of the reel, I felt another fish hit my lure," he added.
"As soon as the fish struck, I knew it was something bigger and I just assumed it must be a salmon or a large sea trout, as it was far stronger than the brown trout I had been catching."
"The fight was absolutely mental on a 0.5–7g LRF rod, with multiple screaming runs that made me follow the fish up and down the pool."
"With that, the fish jumped about two feet in the air, and while I couldn’t make out what it was, I knew it was something special."
After chasing the fish up and down the river to prevent it from breaking him off on his light tackle, Will eventually gained the upper hand and managed to slip his net safely under it. Realising what he had caught, he carefully unhooked the fish and allowed it to rest before taking a quick photo and returning it to continue its migration upstream.
"I couldn't believe what was in my net, I know these fish are rare, and it was the last thing I ever expected to hook. It's the fish of a lifetime and a capture I’ll certainly never forget," Will said.
"As I wanted to release it quickly, I didn’t get a weight or measurement, but I’d estimate it to be around 2–3lb. Regardless, it was just an amazing fish to see in the flesh, one I still can’t believe I caught."
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