Hardest fighting fish?

[nottskev]

Out of the fish I routinely encounter, barbel, size for size, are well out in front. Another question would be which fish fight smartest, and chub would be the winners for me. Exciting as barbel fishing is, I think I prefer chub and tench. You can get them out on the kind of gear that makes a mixed catch enjoyable, there's a bit more of a battle of wits involved, they put up a good fight, but it doesn't take ages to get them in on lightish gear, so you can get back out fishing for another! It's not as if the fishing automatically gets better just because fish fight harder.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

On the right light gear then both gudgeon And bleak have to be up there, pound for pound.

Wild trout are close contenders but the hardest fight I ever had was bonefish on fly gear.

On suitable coarse gear then grayling in Norway take some beating.

 

[John Aston]

Out of the fish I routinely encounter, barbel, size for size, are well out in front. Another question would be which fish fight smartest, and chub would be the winners for me. Exciting as barbel fishing is, I think I prefer chub and tench. You can get them out on the kind of gear that makes a mixed catch enjoyable, there's a bit more of a battle of wits involved, they put up a good fight, but it doesn't take ages to get them in on lightish gear, so you can get back out fishing for another! It's not as if the fishing automatically gets better just because fish fight harder.

The only fish I encounter with chub cunning are big wild trout - they know every snag and are also very fast swimmers. I've had several river wild browns of 4lb plus and they are amazing fish to catch .

 

[nottskev]

I don't meet many, but I agree that brown trout are special fish. I catch them on occasional trips up the Derbyshire Derwent, and as you say, their speed through the water sometimes leaves you baffled as to where they are. Add in their airborne antics and it's a recipe for exciting fishing. Few fish look so handsome, and when it come to unhooking them, they're all muscle and indignation. I think I'm talking myself into a trip to Matlock.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

Pound for pound for freshwater species I'd say the Tigerfish.
Jerry

I'll second that. I fished for them a couple of times when camped on the Okavango River, between Angola and Namibia. Can't remember if I was frightened more by the teeth of the Tiger fish, or the possibility that a croc might follow one in.
.

 

[Woofy Chivers]

I agree with Wels. I have caught them to almost 150lb - and I know they go a lot larger than that - and the fight is incredible.

Some of the longest hardest scraps I have ever had have been with catfish of various types, most common for me being the sharptooth catfish of southern Africa.

Perhaps I should list them.

I have only ever caught one Wels catfish - from the Shoulder of Mutton pond at Woburn, many years ago.

I've never really liked catfish. They are so darned ugly!

Yet I have caught some big ones, most whilst fishing for other species.

I

 

[Woofy Chivers]

Out of the fish I routinely encounter, barbel, size for size, are well out in front. Another question would be which fish fight smartest, and chub would be the winners for me. Exciting as barbel fishing is, I think I prefer chub and tench. You can get them out on the kind of gear that makes a mixed catch enjoyable, there's a bit more of a battle of wits involved, they put up a good fight, but it doesn't take ages to get them in on lightish gear, so you can get back out fishing for another! It's not as if the fishing automatically gets better just because fish fight harder.

I was unfortunate enough to foul hook a 9 lb barbel in the tail once on a fast stretch of the Wye. I thought I’d hooked a record barbel or a 30 lb carp ! Testament to my 1 lb 10 oz tc Perigrine rod as how I managed to land it in without it breaking I’ll never know. Big up Roger McCourtney ! ( my good mate and maker of Perigrine rods )