Far Bank Invasion of the garfish
With its odd beak, slender body and explosive temper, the garfish is among the strangest of summer catches. Dom Garnett finds them a thrilling prospect
WHILE British shores are not exactly a tropical paradise, it’s easy to forget the staggering variety of fish we have. The number of species grows ever larger for the summer angler too, as warmer inshore waters draw more within snatching distance. In fact, it’s a shame that more of us don’t put our coarse fishing tackle to alternative use in July and August.
Most holiday fishers will be familiar with the likes of mackerel and pollack, but one of the most underrated stars of the show is the garfish. There can’t be many fish that combine such a fantastically weird appearance with amazing athleticism on light tackle.
Despite being common right across the south, however, their other attraction is the genuine challenge of trying to land one. In the hard to hook stakes, they must be up there with mullet, which explains why the feather chuckers seldom catch them. Of course, another plus point is that they tend to patrol high in the water, making for exciting sport with a pike float or even a pellet waggler.
The gar’s sinister beak is the main reason for this, because unless you can get beyond that bony jaw and find the corner of the mouth, you’ll miss one after another. A tiny sliver of mackerel on a razor-sharp carp hook is about as reliable as it gets.
If you want the ultimate blend of thrills and frustration, however, an ultralight lure or fly rod is hard to beat. You might resort to tiny stinger hooks, delaying the strike, or perhaps the bottle, by which time you’ve had more hits than Google. Once your gar is securely hooked, however, the fireworks seldom disappoint. Virtually every fish tends to tail walk and you’ll be startled by their power, even at typical sizes of 1lb or less.
In recent summers, however, I’ve enjoyed seeking out a bigger gar and without doubt the best opportunities for this are from a boat. Shark fishing trips are a great opportunity, with the pong of rubby dubby guaranteed to bring a few in. Miles from land, some of the garfish are really massive, with a two or three-pounder a distinct possibility. Such figures might still sound modest, but these are impressive looking beasts that fight so manically you wouldn’t want to tackle up anything below 10lb line.
I tend to release my gars, but if the odd fish swallows the hook, their oily flesh and bright silver skin make them worth freezing for winter pike bait. You can also keep them for the table, although the green bones (no kidding) put most people off! Whether or not you would dare to eat one, however, a spot of gar fishing is a must for anyone visiting the south this summer.