Below the surface

Continental clonkers!

“Dams and the introduction of crayfish led to the perfect conditions to grow monsters”

IN THE UK we have a rather paltry 42 species of native freshwater fish. On top of this there are many others that have been introduced for many different purposes, but even so our freshwater fish fauna is relatively poor compared to mainland Europe. Across the Continent more than 546 species of fish have been documented, which itself pales into insignificance compared to the number of species in Africa or South America.

Even during the last Ice Age, when the UK connected to mainland Europe by a land bridge left exposed by falling sea levels, few freshwater fish species entered the UK. Those that did mainly colonised the rivers of the East and South of the country as these were directly connected to the Rhine delta, which extended out into what is now the North Sea. From the rather poor evidence that we have it would appear that species such as

barbel were limited to rivers from the Hull in the north to probably south of the Thames. Beyond this range we can suspect that it was humans that moved fish to other rivers.

There are some truly weird and wonderful fish to be found not too far away. Some of these make an interesting target for the globetrotting angler and some are just truly bizarre!

Perhaps one of the weirdest fish ( and the name is pretty strange too) is the zingel. This small fish, which only grows to about 18 inches in length, is a native of the River Danube and is best described as a cross between a zander and gudgeon! This bottom- dwelling fish feeds normally after dark on invertebrates and small fish.

A more magnificent denizen on the Danube is the now endangered huchen, or Danube salmon. Quite similar in appearance to our own Atlantic salmon, this land- locked species makes massive annual migrations along the Danube into headwater streams to spawn, in much the same way that our salmon moves from salt to freshwater. Most fishing takes place in the depths of winter when the fish are ascending the smaller tributaries making them possible to target.

Although the giant fish of the past are now mostly just a distant memory, some huge fish still exist. With a rod and line record over 86lb and with claimed commercially caught fish of over 100lb this a fish of dreams for many anglers.

Sometimes, exceptional circumstances can lead to the growth of outsized fish and one species that perhaps falls into this category is the Iberian barbel. The comizo is only naturally found in the rivers crossing the border between Spain and Portugal, one of several closely- related species of barbel found only in Iberia.

Already the biggest barbel in Europe, the building of large dams on rivers between Portugal and Spain, and the introduction of crayfish led to the perfect conditions to grow monsters. The confirmed record is over 36lb and some fish possibly exceed 20 kilos.

Alas the largest species of fish that once visited our rivers has not been recorded since 2004, and that was a lone individual measuring more than 10 feet in length! This monster was a European Sturgeon, a fish once considered common in the rivers of the UK and Northern Europe. Today a major effort to conserve this species is being undertaken in mainland Europe, so perhaps one day we could see these 400lb leviathans return, although the chances of catching one are poor.

At the other end of the spectrum, a fish that can be found just across the Channel is the asp. This chub- like fish is highly prized by anglers because it takes small lures fished fast just under the surface. A highly efficient predator, the Asp can grow to more than 10kg, making it a serious target, more so as it fights with great strength and can go on long runs just below the surface. They are mainly found in fast- flowing rivers, although small fish can often be found in connected lakes in summer.

There are many more weird and wonderful species out there. Unfortunately, many are in serious decline as the same mistakes that we have made in managing our own rivers have been repeated elsewhere.