MANY of us will be familiar with the three-spined stickleback, often captured in jam jars and small nets. There’s also a nine-spined stickleback, Britain’s smallest freshwater fish, growing to little over 3 cm, and mostly confined to the East of England. Then there’s a third cousin in the stickleback family, the imaginatively named 15-spined stickleback.
Technically speaking, they have anything between 14 and 17 spines, so their name must refer to the average number of spines, though I can’t imagine people going around counting them.
Unlike their little relatives, they are a marine fish, often found in harbours and jetties among weed. These sticklebacks are brown with an olive tinge on their backs, and have large eyes to spot their prey. They can reach a whopping 25 cm in length, and the male will guard the offspring in a small nest in seaweed. Being distant relatives of seahorses, it’s no surprise that they exhibit strong parental care.
My first encounter with these weird-looking fish was at Weymouth, when I was trying to film sand smelt for the first time with all-round fish enthusiast Dominic Garnett and light rock fishing (LRF) extraordinaire Andy Mytton.
Denne historien er fra December 03, 2019-utgaven av Angler's Mail.
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Denne historien er fra December 03, 2019-utgaven av Angler's Mail.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making Short Work Of Specimen Chub
It takes angling guide Kenny Parsons a few hours to drive from his home, near Bath, to his favourite Wessex rivers, but it doesn’t seem to bother him, as he just loves to catch big chub on feeder and fl oat tactics, his personal best standing at 7 lb 12 oz. One of his favourite methods for this cunning species is a maggot feeder with a short hook link.
Venues on the menu
Dave regularly switches between different types of venue, as he is convinced that it helps him become a better and far more versatile angler. Here is his guide on what to expect and how to tackle them.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”
In our new mini series, the physiotherapist will put you in the right frame of mind to help you achieve your angling dreams.
Search for a super stripy
They’ve done it! Robbie Northman and John Bailey have been on a long mission to catch a 4 lb perch. Robbie got there first, landing this specimen recently.
Pole position carping
The thinking carp angler offers his opinion, insight and advice every week exclusively here in Angler’s Mail. Col will help you become a wiser angler.
My best catch!
This week: Billy puts his newborn daughter on the scales after a productive winter carp session.
Huge zed after run of disasters
19 lb 4 oz monster zanderRiver boat fishing sessionSeries of calamities
Christmas stocking
The future of fishery management is a bright one, these BTEC Fish Husbandry students keen to help stock an Essex lake with carp over the Christmas holiday, including this 21 lb mirror.
Alien aquatic plants
In this final part of my special look at alien species, I have highlighted some invasive aquatic plants that have had an impact on waters, with an evaluation on the degree of threat that they pose, on a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest.
A guide's guide to guides
Canadian Jeff is a great guide, helping anglers to catch the fish of their dreams.
