Tuesday 3 July 2012

The Double Club?


I didn't manage to get out fishing last night but Darren did. And had a cracking few hours sport, landing three fish; 9lb 1oz, 6lb 0oz and 4lb 10oz. Top stuff! But here comes the worrying bit:

"I had the 9lb 1oz from the same spot as your double on Saturday, and... I think it might be the same fish
..."

A barbel can't lose 1lb 5oz in 48 hours, alarm bells started to ring! We couldn't have messed up weighing it by that much?! Could we?

I had a couple of hours to think about it before I received the photos. One - I was caught up in the excitement of potentially my first double. Two - We used Darren's scales (unfamiliar ones to me, even though mine were in my bag). And three - my first take of the weight was 10lb 6oz minus the 1lb (exactly) weigh sling, I didn't realize Darren had zeroed the scales.

I always have the same two worries on the walk home after catching a big fish (pike up until now). One - the scales are broken (they are always tested after a big fish). And two - the photo is going to be out of focus / deleted (I've been pretty lucky so far).

Surely the photos would confirm or reject my worst fears? At least pike are easy to tell apart.

The heads appear to be different shapes, good. And there seems to be a line of dark scales half way along the left side of Darren's fish, could be dirt or shadows. But the dorsal fins and tails look pretty similar.


Comparing the left side of the fish.


And the right side.

I'm sure someone who reads this is a barbel spot-the-difference expert, but until I'm told different I'm sticking with the weight I walked away with. If I can't ascertain its weight when it is in front of me, I stand no chance now!

The fact I even worry about stuff like this means I'm taking fishing far too seriously - I should really chuck the scales away...

But just to be on the safe side I'm going to go back out and catch another double, perhaps a twelve this time to put my membership of the Double Club beyond doubt!

12 comments:

  1. oh dear thought it looked light dan no different fish dan

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  2. Look different to me. Your fish has a ridge on the top of its back. Right hand side. Darren's fish doesn't. lol at Dan.

    Stu

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    1. Yeah, a wave of relief wash over me when I saw the photos. Going to always weigh my own milestone fish on my own scales from now on (no offence to Darren, he did a great job, just like the reassurance of being able to test them later).

      I don't think Dan has forgiven me for the five pound eel yet!

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  3. You still have a double, no doubt. They are very different fish, one is young, the other looks older, the scale patterns don't match, especially on the flip side, but the best way to tell them apart is to draw a line from the root of the dorsal fin to the root of the ventral fin. Yours has far less of an angle in both pictures.

    Jeff

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    1. Cheers Jeff. Could see the different scale patterns and head shape, but that's a good tip for when the lighting conditions are different and the photos are slightly out of focus - thanks.

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  4. Looks like two diffrent fish to me. Roger

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    1. Yeah, me too. It's great that the fish are in such good condition they're hard to tell apart. No scares, no ripped fins, no marks at all.

      Drawing a line under this one - and going in search of the next!

      PS. Good work with double number three, or is it four by now?

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  5. Hi Brian
    I know this is a little late, I made a decision before I read the other comments, I dont think you have nothing to worry about, certainly looks like a different fish to me.
    Well done

    Darren

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  6. Looks like two different fish. According to principle of "once bitten, twice shy", maybe a same fish caught twice should earn you extra points ?! ;-)

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  7. hmm i can def see that ridge

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  8. I might need to go to spec savers

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