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CATFISH AN UP AND COMING SPECIES BY LUKE MOFFAT |
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THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED ON THE 17/04/05 |
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DEVELOPMENTS IN CATFISH RIGS AND
METHODS, AND EVEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FISH’S BEHAVIOUR HAS ADVANCED SO
MUCH SINCE THE EARLY DAYS. BOTH IN ENGLAND AND EUROPE, REMARKABLE CAPTURES OF
CATS HAVE BECOME MORE COMMON, THIS I THINK IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT MORE AND
MORE ANGLERS ARE TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE SPECIES, AND SPENDING THEIR
TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW TO CATCH THEM. THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH CARP
FISHING WHEN THE CARP ABGLER WAS STILL LOOKED UPON AS THE WEIRDO OF THE LAKE,
LOOK AT IT NOW, I’D BET EVEN THE QUEEN KNOWS WHAT A BOILIE IS TODAY. ANOTHER PLUS FOR THE CATFISH AS A
SPECIES FOR THE SPECIALIST ANGLER, IS THAT THEY KEEP GETTING BIGGER. OF THE SEVERAL SILUREADS IN THE
FAMILY, THE SILURUS GLANIS IS THE BIGGEST. IT IS CAPABLE OF LIVING FOR AROUND
80 YEARS, AND IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, SET CLIMATE, PLENTY OF FOOD, IT’S TOP
END WEIGHT CAN REACH AMAZING FIGURES. IN THE PAST, FISH OVER 600LBS HAVE BEEN
DOCUMENTED, CAUGHT COMMERCIALLY FROM LAKES AND RIVERS OF EASTERN EUROPE. AT THE MOMENT, FISH TO AROUND THE
200LB MARK ARE NOT UNREALISTIC. THE BEST CHANCES ARE FROM THE THREE MOST
ACCESSABLE EUROPEAN VENUES, THE RIVER SAONE IN FRANCE, THE RIVER PO IN ITALY
AND THE RIVER EBRO IN SPAIN. THESE BIG FISH EXIST ALL OVER EUROPE, BUT THE
REALITY OF FISHING SOME OF THE MORE REMOTE AREAS IS BEYOND MOST ANGLERS
ABILITY AND BUDGET. THE COST OF ALL THE SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT IS ENOUGH, YET
ALONE THE TRAVEL COSTS AND TIME OFF OF WORK. THIS BY THE WAY IS ONE OF THE
MAIN REASONS I STARTED DOING THE ALL INCLUSIVE TRIPS TO EUROPE FOR ANGLERS.
AT LEAST EVERYONE CAN HAVE A CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING CONTINENTAL CATFISHING
WITHOUT ALL THE EXPENSE AND HASSLE OF ORGANIZING. AS FOR THE U.K., THE ONLY WAY WE
WOULD GET HUGE FISH HERE IS IF THEY WERE INTRODUCED INTO OUR RIVER SYSTEMS IN
SUFFICIENT NUMBERS. THERE ARE ALREADY SOME FISH IN OUR RIVERS, THE WATERS OF
THE NORFOLK BROADS PRODUCED FISH YEARS AGO, AND COULD EASILY HOLD A MONSTER,
IT’S A PERFECT ENVIROMENT. |