SEA ANGLER
Mike Millman, in his final piece for Sea Angler, delves into the British record fish history of the gurnard family
Four species termed ‘armoured fish’ have been recorded by anglers, but marine science knows of others including the fierce looking Armed Gurnard (Peristedion calaphractum).
Only one example has been noted off Penzance and that was over a century ago.
Such are the changes now taking place in the climate more of these unusual fish are likely in the waters of west Cornwall.
THE TUB
The biggest example is the tub variety weighing a remarkable 12lb 3oz, a record that dates back to 1976 taken from the shore at Langland Bay in Wales. It is one of the few shore records to be better than that of the boat, which is 11b 7oz 4dr taken off Wallasey as long ago as 1952, making it one of the longest standing in the British List. These are exceptional weights that may never be achieved again.
In 1970 the much-respected angling journalist, the late Clive Gammon, took a tub, also known as the saferine, when he fished off Belmullet, County Mayo, on the west coast of Ireland. It weighed 10lb 8oz and is the best of several taken in the area, and a runner up to the Wallasey fish. It has been called the “walking” fish due to its habit of using its long pectoral fins to move about on the seabed. Visit an aquarium that has tubs in residence and you will see just how effectively they use these to walk across a sandy or gravel bottom.
RED
The red gurnard, also known as the elleck, is the most numerous, particularly in southern Irish waters and is prolific off Clifden where you can easily take a dozen in a very short period. Strangely, during an Irish Tourist Board sponsored ‘jolly’ some years ago it was only the red gurnard we caught. They are plentiful throughout the English Channel but Cornish waters have laid claim to both the boat and shore records. Falmouth Bay was where the boat record of 3lb 2oz 2dr was set in 2011. The shore record of 2lb 10oz 11dr was set in 1976 from the nearby Hayle Estuary.
GREY
The grey gurnard is a handsome fish with a great profile and is widely distributed; However, South West waters have the greatest numbers. The boat record of 2lb 7oz 8dr was taken at a wreck in 2013 south of the Eddystone and the shore record of 1lb 10oz 8dr was set in 1989 at Newquay headland, a mark that can always be relied on to give great fishing.
STREAKED
The final member of the group is the Streaked, by far the rarest of the gurnards and easily identified fr
