BRITISH FRESHWATER FISH FACTS

AND OFFICIAL BRITISH RECORD WEIGHTS

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BARBEL

90 cm

7.7 kg

15-17 years

Mayfly larvae, caddis-fly larvae, dragon fly larvae, pea mussel, gudgeon, worms and snails

Rivers. Collecting at weirpools and water falls, feeding in the dark hours. Wintertime they gather in deeper parts of the river and holes in banks.

Official British Record

17lb 4oz by R.Walton, at Great Ouse River in 1998

BLEAK

23-25 cm

142 grams

6-8 years

Daphnia, mayfly and fly pupa.

Living in shoals it can be found in slow moving water and prefers no vegetation in its area. Found usually in open water, near the surface. Moves to deeper water over winter.

Official British Record

4 oz 9 drms by D Flack , River Lark, Cambridgeshire in 1998

BREAM

60-65 cm

7.2 kg

15-20 years

Pea mussel, water slater, ram's horn snail, worms (tubiflex), fly larvae, daphnia and plant fragments.

Found mostly in slow moving or still waters with a clayey or muddy bottom. Older fish keep over a clean bottom when feeding, moving to shallows at night. Densely packs  into shoals at winter.

Official British Record

18 lb 15oz by Tom Huntley Bawburgh Lake 2001

CARP (variations are Common, Mirror, Leather, Linear, Wild, Grass)

89 cm

21-25 kg

40+ years

Water bugs, mayfly larvae, pond snail, cyclops, daphnia, water slater, fly-larvae, caddis fly, fly larvae, worms, water spider and plant seeds.

Mainly nocturnal feeding, it prefers waters that are holding dense vegetation and muddy bottoms. Can be found all over a lake scanning the area for food.

Official British Record

Common Carp 61 lb 7oz by L. Jackson, Wraysbury, Berks in 2002
Grass Carp 31 lb by D. Smith, Church Lake, Horton, Berkshire in 1997

CHUB

56-59 cm

3.6- 4.1 kg

12 years

Mayfly larvae, caddis-fly larvae, caddis fly, trout fry, fly larvae, worms and silkweed.

Rivers, mostly with strong under currents. The larger specimens are usually solitary with small chub shoaling near the surface. Feeds mostly in the dark hours. Wintertime, in general, migrates to deeper waters.

Official British Record

8lb 10 oz by P. Smith, River Tees, Blackwell, County Durham in 1994

CRUCIAN CARP

46 cm

8 oz

13-15 years

Worms, caddis-fly larvae. freshwater shrimp, pond snail, daphnia, cyclops, pea mussel and fly larvae.

A hardy fish, it can survive in swampy overgrown waters that other fish can not exist in. Feeding amongst weeds during the warm summer months. During winter, it hibernates almost buried in mud.

Official British Record

5 lb 10oz by G. Halls from a water near King's Lynn, Norfolk in 1978

DACE

30 cm

567 grams

10-12 years

Worms, freshwater shrimp, plants and fly larvae.

Prefers cool running water and lakes.

Official British Record

1 lb 5oz 2drms by Simon Ashton, River Wear 2002

EEL

1 Metre

6.8-9 kg

25 years

Worms, freshwater shrimp, freshwater fish eggs, pond snail, crayfish and fly larvae.

Almost all waters. Prefers feeding after dark.

Official British Record

11 lb 02oz by S. Terry, Kingfisher Lake, Ringwood, Hampshire in 1978

GUDGEON

20 cm

112 grams

5-8 years

Ostracods, caddis-fly larvae, fish eggs, worm and fly larvae.

Prefers fast running water over sand or gravel but also occurs in lakes. During summer it shoals up in shallow water and during winter find the deep water.

Official British Record

5 oz by D.H. Hull, River Nadder, Sutton Manderville, Wiiltshire in 1990

MINNOW

12 cm

1 oz

6 years

Caddis-fly larvae, freshwater shrimp, stone-fly and stone-fly larvae.

Upper reaches of rivers in cool running sandy or stony bottom. Very rare in lakes. Found in shoals of 100 or more.

Official British Record

13.5 drms by J. Sawyer, Whitworth Lake, Spennymoor in 1998

PERCH

50 cm

3.2kg

13 years

Cyclops, fly larvae, mayfly larvae, freshwater shrimps, young crayfish, elvers, roach, bleak.

Still, slow and fast running water. Prefers dark, poorly lit bare bottom.

Official British Record

5lb 9oz by J. Shayler at a private lake in Kent in 1985

PIKE

1.27m

32 kg

18-25 years

Roach, Bream, Bleak, Rudd, Dace, Perch, Frogs, Duckling…and pike!

Still or slow running water. Hiding in reeds or well-weeded areas. Larger pike in large lakes often stray into open deeper water.

Official British Record

46lb 13 oz by R. Lewis, Llandegfedd, Wales 

ROACH

36cm

2kg

10-15 years

Fly larvae, rotifers, freshwater shrimp, pond snail and water-weed.

Still or slow running water. Browsing for food on silt beds/weeds during the day and moving to shallow area at dusk. Winter roach gather in the deepest water.

Official British Record

4lb 3oz by  R. N. Clarko, Dorset Stour in 1990

RUDD

40-45 cm

2.3 kg

12 years

Pulmonate snail, mayfly larvae, caddis fly larvae and fly larvae.

Warm lakes, and slow moving rivers. Feeding mainly on plants leaves (ie stonewort). Moves to deep water over winter.

Official British Record

4lb 10oz by Simon Perry Armargh Lake in 2001

RUFFE

18cm

168 grams

7-9 years

Worms, mayfly larvae, freshwater shrimp, pea mussel, freshwater fish eggs and fly larvae.

Active feeding by day, it can be found on bare bottom lakes and lower reaches of rivers.

Official British Record

5oz 4dr by R. J. Jenkins at West View Farm, Cumbria in 1980

TENCH

Latin name

Tinca tinca

Maximum Length

60-66 cm

Maximum Weight

6.8-7.3 kg

Life Span

20 years

Principal Natural Food

Alder-fly larvae, fly larvae, pea mussel, worms and pond snails.

Habitat

Still or very slow moving waters. Does well in soft-bottomed lakes with rich vegetation.

Official British Record

15lb 3oz 6 drams by Darren Ward Surrey Lake in 2001

ZANDER

1 Metre

15.9 kg

20 years

Smelt, Roach, Perch, Bleak.

Found mostly in the lower reaches of rivers in fast flowing open areas of water, away from pike. Hunting in packs.

19lb 5oz by D Lavender Fen water in Cambridgeshire in 1998.