The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

That is a huge bleak!




Serious answer: my first reaction from that initial glance was dace, and not a shadow of doubt until the commentary of other TFF’ers cast it into my mind. Obviously a very large one.

I don’t think there would be any deliberate intent to cover the anal fin here, it is just one instinctive way of holding a fish like that for a photo.

I may look out all my old reference books for scale count later but I’d be very surprised if there was any doubt at the end of it. It is ‘just’ (!) a very large and rare, terrific dace, I reckon.

Also: I think the washed out colour is possibly explained by living a few days/weeks in a muddy flooded river.

If it is a true dace then surely there would have been more than one picture to prove it?

Oh, you suspicious lot. I dare say there are plenty of pics Ted but AT will only ever print one or two unless it's something incredible - like a picture of John smiling

I think Martin, that its just the way you hold a fish not an intent to conceal rear legs.


I've just sent a text to Mark Everard so, we will hopefully have a definitive identification later.

Martin James wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 8:47 am Personally I reckon its a hybrid, why is he covering up the anal fin?

I doubt that he is purposely covering up the anal fin, surely it is a natural way to support the fish? The captor probably never really thought about it? Mark (Dace Ace) has seen more big dace than most of us, so I personally would defer to his opinion!

Reply from The Prof, he's not seen the picture but dace very rarely hybridise. Nuff said I reckon.

I think if I had caught that I would be calling it a Dace and I would have a huge smile on my face in the photo .

Having caught a couple over the pound and my fishing colleague also doing the same with a fish of the same size as seen above - I personally cannot see what else it could be!

As to one picture - I bet he has a few! Just that as said above the Times only printed one. I also have a strong suspicion of where it was caught!

""His name is Roger Nicholas Mellon - he is a Member of the CSAS and has been quite prominent lately with a variety of specimen fish.""

Strange that the captures by some angers are questioned - although a claimed 4lb+ roach caught, near Hull I think, turned out be an Ide!

Dave Burr wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:33 am Reply from The Prof, he's not seen the picture but dace very rarely hybridise. Nuff said I reckon.

I bow to Marks superia knowledge

It seems I was wrong in my thoughts ref Dace, what threw me was the overall shape, all the pound plus dace I have caught have been slender bodied with a small head, slightly slimmer than the one pictured.

As they spawn early and with the mix-up with the weather - it could be carrying a bit of spawn?