A couple of posts back, I showed you a picture of a fish. Not only was the species of this fish unknown to me, but it must be the ugliest fish I've ever caught. I've shown it again here so that new readers can see what I'm talking about.
Anyway, during the same fishing session on the doughnut pool, at Baden Hall fisheries nr Stafford, I also caught what I think is the most handsome of all our fresh water fish. I won't tell you what it is straight away because I thought I'd give you my top ten fish and you can see how they compare with yours.
So let's get down to it.
10 The last spot in my top ten goes to the eel. Slithery and covered in slime; it invariably swallows the hook and that is very annoying. The eel is also surrounded by folklore and I heard that if you caught an eel the best way to keep it still is to dig out a small trench in the shape of a cross and lay the eel in the vertical part. Apparently, so the wisdom goes, it will never move again. Well, I tried it after catching a specimen of about 2lbs. I thought I'll take this beauty home for my dad and so I dug out the trench in the shape of the cross and laid the eel in it on its back as per instruction. I think rigor mortise must have set in straight away because it went as stiff as a blacksmith's hammer. Pleased that I'd learnt something new I went back to enjoy the rest of my fishing session. Perhaps you can empathise with my disappointment when I tell you that about three minutes later, the eel slithered past me and jumped back into the water with all the grace of a high-board diver. It did two and a half somersaults, with twisted back flip and I'm sure it paused to wink at me as it entered the water without a splash.
No, I'm not much for eels, they go into the same category as crayfish and bullyheads they're just not worth catching.
9 Now some of you may be surprised by the fish that occupies my number nine spot; it's the pike. The only good thing I can say about this fish is that mother nature gave it some lovely markings. The pike is a beautiful fish, well at least from its gills to its tail. The bit at the front however, is down right gruesome and reminds me of my auntie Ethel. Here is a fish that promises so much; it looks ferocious and promises a good fight, but even on light tackle it comes to the net like a damp sack.
Going beyond the lack of fight, the pike must also be rated alongside the most stupid of all fish. In my book "Fishing: Learn from the Tips & Laugh at the Tales" I dedicate a whole chapter to talking about the stupidity of the pike, but let me just tell you this. Many years ago I was spinning for pike and, during a moment of poor concentration, I cast my lure into the bottom branches of a tree that was hanging over the pool. As I stood there cursing at my own stupidity, a pike jumped out of the water and hung itself on my spinner. I couldn't believe what I was seeing or believe how daft or hungry Percy the pike was. Anyway, Percy thrashed his tail in the water with such gusto that it managed to shake itself free. Meanwhile I pinched myself and hurried around to the tree to retrieve my spinner before a duck or a moorhen should get caught on it.
If I tell you that before I got to the spinner, Percy the Pike jumped out of the water and hung himself on it for a second time you will understand why I think Pike are the most stupid of fish and not really worth the bother of getting the rods out for.
I'm afraid that if you want to know which other fish come in my top ten, and which I rate as the best of all I'm afraid you'll have to wait until my next fishing post.
Meanwhile, if you want more information about my books, please take a look at my website. You will find a free download of a sample of my fishing book and notice that it is available in a Kindle version. The price of the Kindle version was an introductory offer and almost a give away. If you want to take advantage of this very low price I suggest you get in quick because the price will be going up shortly to something more realistic and sustainable.
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