2023 Species Tally

 

2023 was the year of trying new techniques! I kicked off the year quite late (March) with a little carp fishing, followed by targeting the catfish. Then in June, my fishing mates started getting back into their kayaking, so I borrowed a colleagues kayak to test the water, and got hooked! Ended up buying my own for the next session; a great introduction to sea fishing, but catching some unusual species on my first outing, ended up introducing me to light rock fishing in September—which would go on to dominate the rest of my fishing this year.

All photos/icons are my own catches


#1 - European/King Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

It seems to be a tradition now, where for my birthday, I get taken to a carp fishery for 48 hours. This time it was with Becca and Huw, and I made the fatal mistake of setting my bivvy up on the grass; within hours, there was mud everywhere! Not to mention it was a cold and wet March, and Huw was masterfully outfishing me. I managed to save a blank though with the smallest fish in the specimen lake, an 11lb Mirror Carp!

 

#2 - Tench (Tinca tinca) 

Fast forward to May, and I start fishing a hidden gem of a venue with the Cornish record carp in. I had my first 30 here the year before, so I was keen to give it another go with a friend. Frustratingly, it's the kind of lake which is claimed to average 1 carp a week. I wanted to tough it out for the biggest in the lake which patrols a quiet spot, whereas Jarred opted for the spot which is more likely for a bite. Jarred got a nice high 20 Mirror Carp, whereas I accidentally discovered there was Tench in the lake; not sure if this counts as a blank, but I'll take what I can get!

 

#3 - Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis) 

Keen to get on the catfish, I headed to a tough venue with Jarred and Zac, which holds some big ones, the same where I lost a possible PB before. With a total of 5 people on (10 rods in the water), the relatively small lake was quite pressured, especially when it tends to go quiet with 3 or more people on. I lost a couple of specimen cats during the day (nothing a tweak of the rig couldn't help), and awaited the night, which only yielded a couple of kittens for me. I'm not complaining, it was a great session with friends, and nothing beats sleeping under the stars on a clear May night.

 

#4 - Corbin's Sand Eel (Hyperoplus immaculatus) NEW SPECIES

Lending a work mate's kayak, me, Huw, Alex and Jarred head down to Sennen Cove for a fun session on whatever fish we can find. My first time sea fishing, I had no idea what I was really doing, but armed with pre-tied sabikis, feathers and a bottom rig, it turns out that was all I needed. The first out was Corbin's Sand Eel en masse, we all thought they were Greater Sand Eel at the time, until we were corrected later in the year.

 

#5 - Grey Gurnard NEW SPECIES

This is the fish which made me fall in love with sea fishing! I have a penchant for unusual-looking fishes, and never really considered targeting them in the UK an option. I wondered what else I could catch doing this?

 

#6 - Cuckoo Wrasse NEW SPECIES

How many people get to say their first Wrasse was a Cuckoo? Fishing over some wrecks, resulted in this beauty of a male. I wish I got better photos of it, as it was the only one I caught this year; although I have heard they are particularly common in this part of the county.

 

#7 - Lesser-Spotted Catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) NEW SPECIES

With Huw mixing it up trying for the rays, he pulls out a dogfish, me not having one, I switch over to fishing the bottom, and it's not long before I have one. I might be one of a handful of people excited to catch a dogfish... that joy waned rapidly.

 

#8 - Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) NEW SPECIES

Now armed with my own kayak, me, Huw and Alex head out again. Off the mark right away with Corbin's Sand Eels, quickly followed by my first Mackerel. The shoals must've been quite sporadic or moved on quick, as we didn't pick up very many.

 

#9 - Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) NEW SPECIES

The first of many micro Pollack, and these ones were cool to catch, the kelp has turned them bright orange. We carefully inspected every one of them, as we'd hoped one might be a Cod.

 

#10 - Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) NEW SPECIES

With a newfound taste of sea fishing, I wanted to jump right into shark fishing, though with a last minute cancellation, I managed to find another boat going out wrecking instead. Wow, Whiting were in number out here, and I managed the biggest of the day too. Though, I had my sights set on a Conger!

 

#11 - Conger Eel (Conger conger) NEW SPECIES

It didn't take too long before we found them, not massive by any stretch of the imagination, but at this point, it's the largest sea fish I have caught; very happy!

 

#12 - White Ling NEW SPECIES

While searching for more Conger, I feel a bigger bend in the rod, reeling in, the weight suddenly feels heavier; only a shark grabs the fish. As it gets nearer the surface, the shark drops off, leaving some bite marks in what would've been a lovely Ling! Unfortunately circumstances led to some bad barotrauma, so it was dispatched, cleaned and taken home for dinner.

 

#13 - Common Bream (Abramis brama) 

My cousin from up country came down to visit and wanted to do some fishing, we decided to go for the carp one day, and a mackerel boat the next. The carp session was very successful with over 20 between us, and I also had a bonus slimy Bream. I may pull the face, but I do enjoy catching them at this size, I just wish it was on lighter gear!

 

#14 - Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) NEW SPECIES

Fast forward to September, I finally get on a sharking trip! Annoyingly only one to the boat, and it was a tiny Blue Shark, not had by me, though plenty of Whiting, Mackerel, and a new one for me, Scad!

 

#15 - Pilchard/Cornish Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) NEW SPECIES

A few days later, me and Huw jump back on the kayaks to try for rays! We anchor up on a spot, and Huw awakens to a bend in the rod from a lovely Blonde Ray, which made the trip to witness! I caught a few of the usual suspects, including another new species, a Pilchard!

 

#16 - Sand Smelt (Atherina presbyter) NEW SPECIES

After realising it's not often we're all going to get out on the kayak togehter, Huw and Jarred suggested I try light rock fishing. It's something Huw has had some success at before, so I decide to give it a crack. I bump into Dave, and Lee from On The Drop down Charlestown, who put me onto The Big Lerf Facebook group, then on the 14 Sept I manage to get an hour to fish it. I focus on the inner harbour, feeling very gentle bites. I scale down as much as I can, and eventually get a couple of Sand Smelt on red Gulp Alive Angleworm.

 

#17 - Black Bream NEW SPECIES

I return the next evening, with a bit more tide in the harbour and flick a dropshot through, it took a little bit of effort working the spot, but out comes a Black Bream! I'm really getting some more diversity in my fishing now, and loving it!

 

#18 - Lesser Weever (Echiichthys vipera) NEW SPECIES

I have a micro Pollack, and then feel some twitches near the bottom on a glitter clear worm style lure; something was biting the tail of the lure! Eventually I get a hookup, by waiting for the bites to develop, and as I reel in, before I can get a good look at the fish, Becca says "That's a Weever!". In its mouth was a species of Tongue-Eating Louse called Ceratothoa steindachneri. The photos taken were used in a study on the species.

 

#19 - Common Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) NEW SPECIES

Keen to learn more about LRF, I posted on The Big Lerf group asking to join someone for a session. Reuben reached out and said he'll show me round Fowey. First fish I'm into is a Dragonet, chuffed with this one. It fell to a long piece of Isome dropped down a wall, not what either of us expected!

 

#20 - Tompot Blenny (Parablennius gattorugine) NEW SPECIES

The next fish was an adorable Tompot on the same lure. These fast become one of my favourite LRF species to target.

 

#21 - Long-Spined Sea Scorpion (Taurulus bubalis) NEW SPECIES

It's now the first day of the Cornish Lure Festival (CLF), which kicked off in Mevagissey, I rocked up for the unscented lure part of the challenge, hoping to tick off something, as darkness descended, people were struggling, even for the Pollack swimming by. Not wanting to punish myself for a micro Pollack, I just had twitch around down the sheltered side of the wall away from the hustle and bustle, and it rewarded me with a nocturnal scorp!

 

#22 - Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) NEW SPECIES

The day of the main even of CLF was in Falmouth, I decide to show up a little earlier and fish around until it started. I saw a photo in the group of a vibrant lime-green Wrasse, and set myself, what felt at the time of being a largely unrealistic goal of catching one. First drop by the Maritime Museum, goal completed! It was my only Wrasse this green all year too!

 

#23 - Rock Goby (Gobius paganellus) NEW SPECIES

With the Falmouth competition now starting, I stuggled to get hookups, though I had plenty of bites. After working tight to the wall and letting bites develop longer, eventually I pull out my first Goby species!

 

#24 - Corkwing Wrasse (Symphodus melops) NEW SPECIES

For near the rest of the competition, myself and a couple of others struggled to find any more fish at all, despite seeing them come out left, right, and centre! Though late in the afternoon, I get another wrasse, in the form of a Corkwing! I'd seen Nathan and others pull out some sizeable ones earlier, and made it look easy, though I just couldn't replicate it. Now, they're easily my most common catch!

 

#25 - Goldsinny Wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) NEW SPECIES

The final leg of the competition, we moved over to the pier, I worked the steps there, hoping for something new, and into darkness, I managed a Goldsinny Wrasse. Not always the most impressive fish, but I loved the child-like joy I had at catching one; everything was so novel to me at the time!

 

#26 - Pouting (Trisopterus luscus) NEW SPECIES

I headed over to Charlestown one night to have a general scratch around. I used a dropshot with some camo Isome, and picked up a Pouting; this one put up a good fight on ultra light! I didn't hang about much longer, as I wanted to head back to Falmouth the next morning to explore.

 

#27 - Connemara Clingfish (Lepadogaster candollei) NEW SPECIES

Curious to tackle Falmouth again, I head to a spot where someone had dropped a clingfish at CLF. It never crossed my mind that I would catch one, I just thought it would be a good place to start. Two Rock Gobies and a Tompot later, I actually catch a clinger! I have to admit, this catch floored me. I couldn't believe my luck. Fish in hand, I climbed down the slipway to fill the viewing tank with water and put the fish in. Immediately I get on the phone to my friends, who didn't share the same enthusiasm haha! I ended up ringing Reuben to get down here, as I know he wanted one, and the mad lad ends up with two, and a Ringneck Blenny to boot!

 

#28 - Black Goby (Gobius niger) NEW SPECIES

Now I focused on catching Black Gobies; again, I'd seen them come out before, but I hadn't caught any. I had been focusing entirely on structure, and needed to cast out into the sands. After some perseverance, I get the nicest example of a Black Goby I've caught to-date, on the Gulp Alive Angleworm.

 

#29 - Ringneck Blenny (Parablennius pilicornis) NEW SPECIES

After seeing Reuben get that Ringneck, I headed to a spot nearby, the following Saturday to try for one myself. It was a big low tide, and it was slack too, so good for sight fishing! I see a Tompot dart along the sand, so wiggle the lure near it's face. Quickly the fish takes it, and to my suprise, it was a Ringneck! First fish of the day too!

 

#30 - Roach (Rutilus rutilus)

Later in the month, I headed over to my local fishery, where I hadn't been to in years. They used to have Perch in here to over 5lb, what a catch that would be. I hoped to catch some of the Perch on artificials, though I later learned they had lost virtually all their Perch, including the bigs one. There was certainly an abundance of silver fish though, just how I remembered—the first being a Roach.

 

#31 - Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus)

The Rudd quickly followed, along with a single Common Bream. I also couldn't resist the urge to drop down a carp rod, to see how well the recent stockies have grown. As with the Roach, this is a venue where these silver fish all live together, so no doubt hybridisation is happening. For this reason, for my personal tally, I'm not strict about pure species.

 

#32 - Painted Goby (Pomatoschistus pictus) NEW SPECIES

Back in Falmouth in November, fishing is starting to get a bit trickier now. I'm struggling to get bites under the pier, so cast into open water, hoping to pick something up along the sands. I feel the tiniest little bites on the retrieve. I cast out again to the same spot, there they are again, definitely a fish, and a small one at that. I scale down to the smallest hooks I have that's not a Tanago, and cast again. I hook into my smallest fish to-date. A lovely little Painted Goby! Unsure at the time, I pop a message to Will Pender who helps with the ID, thanks Will!

 

#33 - Montagu's Blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita) NEW SPECIES

I had fished for Montagu's once before, and found a pool absolutely filled with them, but they were just not interested in the slightest. I made the mistake of spending the whole time on just that pool, my chances waned with each passing minute, as the fish grew wiser to my presence. After some tips from Will, I returned and instead moved from pool to pool, rarely spending more than 10 minutes at each, and giving them time to rest if I needed to come back. Eventually I found a willing Montagu's, which took the Isome Snow. What a stunning fish! Somehow I avoided all the Shannies, and not intentionally either, as I still needed to tick them off! The day would prove to be a success, as when the tide pushed back in, I caught my PB Ballan Wrasse on a size 20 hook, then had another Connemara Clingfish—I love Falmouth!

 

#34 - Common Blenny (Lipophrys pholis) NEW SPECIES

It's a sunny Tuesday, so I get the day off work and head to Plymouth with Caleb, we focus our attention on Mount Batten, where I have my first fish on a metal, and shortly before, my first Shanny! Fishing a lot in the rockpools, I have no idea how I didn't catch one sooner!

 

#35 - Garfish NEW SPECIES

December rolls along, and it's now The Big Lerf Winter League, getting out on the first night of Dec 1st, I head down to Charlestown to see what I could winkle out. I see a big shoal of Garfish come into the harbour and circle round, so I tie on a Shirasu, and get plenty of follows and bites. The problem wasn't a lack of interest though, it was the lack of hookups. I ended up attaching a smaller hook to go through the tail of the Shirasu, and after a couple of attempts, I get one. Very happy to catch one of these, as I hear they're usually a Summer fish.

 

#36 - Flounder (Platyichthys flesus) NEW SPECIES

Hoping to catch my first flatfish, I tried my luck at the inner harbour in Charlestown a couple of days before Christmas, as I heard there was a lot of Flounder in there. Apparently they had become quite tricky to catch, but I was tipped off that with the lockgate having not been opened in 2 years, it had accumulated a couple feet of silt, and the Flounder with sitting on the top of the silt. An adjustment to the rig to compensate for this, and it was almost a Flounder a cast! Great way to end the fishing year!

 

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