A one or mr Charlton

mickcave83

Well-known member
Allan I was running a charity event on the Tyne at the Helipad on Sunday and one lad Eddie Hacket pulled in this un-usual fish, it had 34 out of 35 grown men baffled but 1 lad identified it as a Sand Smelt and a good one at 31cm's long.

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Now am I right in believing the record for this is only 2 ounces, i done a quick check and thats all i can find..


If so the lad is wondering how do you go about claiming it, the sand smelt is in one lads freezer, only sticking block is we didnt weigh it while alive..

regards mick
 
yep it is definately a sand smelt, been on Angling Trust web site and all through my documents and have found no entries for s sand smelt. If you put Angling Trust into Google it will tell you the procedure, still having the fish will help. Mick can you send me his full details, full name and location.
 
Sorry to disapoint you guys, it can't be a sand smelt.
Take a closer look, a sand smelt does not have an adipose fin & the photo of the fish does.
Also not a sea trout smolt as the tail is not flat & is forked.
The fish's head seems strangely elongated for a salmon smolt, but the tail & body is correct.

The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin found on the back behind the dorsal fin and just forward of the caudal fin. It is absent in many fish families, but is found in Salmonidae, characins and catfishes.


Here's a pic of a sand smelt, you can see that there is no adipose fin....
 

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your right mate, just checked with a photo it is not a sand smelt. have e mailed photo to a lad who will know
 
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Have had it identified as a European Smelt by fish expert Davy Holt.....

SMELT (Osmerus eperlanus)

British record 6 ounce 12 Caught 1981 G Idiens, Fleetwood, Lancashire

I believe this one weighs 7 ounces and could well be a new record.
 
Sorry to disapoint you guys, it can't be a sand smelt.
Take a closer look, a sand smelt does not have an adipose fin & the photo of the fish does.
Also not a sea trout smolt as the tail is not flat & is forked.
The fish's head seems strangely elongated for a salmon smolt, but the tail & body is correct.

The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin found on the back behind the dorsal fin and just forward of the caudal fin. It is absent in many fish families, but is found in Salmonidae, characins and catfishes.


Here's a pic of a sand smelt, you can see that there is no adipose fin....

It actually looks in that photo that it is the adipose fin which is in view and the dorsal fin is lying flat. I think I saw the site you got that pic from it says it has 2 separated dorsal fins rather than a dorsal and adipose so they must be lying down. Not too sure on this but if you look how far back the fin is it look too far back to be a dorsal fin. I know the one caught had what looked like a much smaller adipose fin but a lot of fish have different size fins, especially in the Tyne lol. I saw this photo and Andy (not sure of his second name but he won the comp) put it to his nose and said immediately it was a sand smelt. It is the first time I've seen one but when I smelt it I understood. It smelt like very fresh cucumber and nothing at all like a fish. If that's what they smell like surely there can't be too many fish around that smells like cucumber. It also had very sharp teeth, 2 of wich were inside its lower mouth either side of its tongue. Not trying to be controversial just trying to help identify it as it's a new one for me
 
Have had it identified as a European Smelt by fish expert Davy Holt.....

SMELT (Osmerus eperlanus)

British record 6 ounce 12 Caught 1981 G Idiens, Fleetwood, Lancashire

I believe this one weighs 7 ounces and could well be a new record.

after looking at a few photos I would go along with that, think Davy would know his fish, interested to see what my contact says.
 
Have had it identified as a European Smelt by fish expert Davy Holt.....

SMELT (Osmerus eperlanus)

British record 6 ounce 12 Caught 1981 G Idiens, Fleetwood, Lancashire

I believe this one weighs 7 ounces and could well be a new record.
from my contact Nigel proctor, the viking is right

It’s a smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), it should have smelt of cucumber, that’s a characteristic of the species. It’s not directly linked to the true smelt’s (Atherididae – Atherina presbyter & Atherina boyeri) which are the sand smelts (Silversides). Quite a common species usually found in estuaries, supposed to be quite a good tope bait, but I’ve never tried it.
 
musnt be that common round here or commonly caught anyway coz av never seen one and obviously a lot of lads on here too. Good to see summik different caught tho;)
 
quick update lads...

the lad in question has been in contact with the angling trust, unfortunately he didnt weigh the fish when it was caught, just measured it and handed over to Andy who wanted it for pike bait, so he cant claim the record.

The fish was weighed later on at 7 oz... so

regards mick:)
 
thats a pity coz he would of had the record then? Personally a would of photographed and returned the little blighter if a was unsure of species, but each to their own:)
 
quick update lads...

the lad in question has been in contact with the angling trust, unfortunately he didnt weigh the fish when it was caught, just measured it and handed over to Andy who wanted it for pike bait, so he cant claim the record.

The fish was weighed later on at 7 oz... so

regards mick:)

he weighed it later and would have probably lost an ounce, can't see the problem, he has got the fish and photographs and witnesses.
 
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