Fishing for Fun and Food in the UK Quiz

Answer: Bream

The bream (Abramis brama) is a fish that is common to ponds, lakes, slow rivers, and canals in the UK and other areas in Europe. It is also known as the common bream, freshwater bream, bronze bream, and the carp bream. It is usually 30 to 55 centimetres (12 to 22 in) long, but some larger specimens have been recorded. Bream usually weigh 2 to 4 kilograms (4.4 to 8.8 lb).

These fish are edible, but only taste really good if they come from cool clean water. However, sport fishermen do try to catch these fish despite the fact that they don't put up much of a fight when being landed.

They are relatively easy to bring in once caught.

Answer: Yes

The wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is also known as the sheatfish. It is originally from areas around the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas, but has been introduced as a sport fish in many other areas, including the UK. Most wels catfish grow to about 1.3-1.6 m (4 ft 3 in - 5 ft 3 in) and 15-20 kg (33-44 lb), but there have been much larger fish caught in previous centuries.

The wels catfish is a bottom feeder, but has also been known to eat small mammals and birds that wander into the water. If caught, only specimens smaller than 15 kg (33 lb) are typically eaten.

This is because larger fish are quite fatty, and they are also a dominant species which runs the risk of toxicity due to bioaccumulation. The wels cat fish is sought by sport fishermen because it typically puts up a great fight when caught.

Answer: Float fishing

The tench (Tinca tinca) lives in slow-moving water that can be quite deep. They are bottom feeders that can live in water with a very low oxygen content. The tench can be eaten. Although that was common many years ago, eating them is not that common in current times.

The best way to catch tench is to use a rod with a float and bait the includes maggots, sweetcorn, pellets, bread, and worms. It is reported that tench just over 1 kg (2 lb) can put up quite a fight for sport fishermen who are interested in catching this species.

Answer: Perch

Perch (Perca fluviatilis) are very common in most of the UK, but aren't seen as often in northern Scotland. They are identified by their colouring. They are a pale green fish with five to nine darker vertical stripes along their bodies. Perch can grow up to up to 25cm (10 in), and weigh up to 2.8 kg (6.2 lb).

They are delicious, but difficult to find in the marketplace, so those who fish for them can have a real treat if they are lucky.

Answer: Roach

The roach (Rutilus rutilus) can reach over 1 kg (2.2 lb) in weight. Anglers seem to enjoy catching these fish for the sport of it. In the UK, they were likely eaten in the past, but now they are mainly returned to the water once caught because their flesh tends to be quite bony.

Answer: True

Bitterling (Rhodeus amarus) is a small fish that is a member of the carp family. When spawning, the female lays eggs inside freshwater mussels through a long tube called an ovipositor. The ovipositor is developed by the female during the breeding season.

The larvae hatch and live inside the mussel for about a month before swimming out. Bitterling are small fish, only growing to a maximum length of 3-4 inches. They were once used for human pregnancy tests. Female bitterlings were injected with the urine of women who were suspected to be pregnant. If the woman was pregnant, the hormones in the urine would cause the fish's ovipositor to protrude.

Answer: Dace

Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) are a small silver fish that rarely reaches over 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). It is very quick in the water, which led to its former name "the dart". Dace live in Welsh and English rivers, as well as some rivers in southern Scotland. The dace is a member of the carp family, one that is known for its many bones.

This means that these fish are not often caught for human food, but are sometimes sought as bait for other fish.

Answer: Black

The large-mouthed black bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a member of the sunfish family. As it's name suggests, this fish has a very large mouth. In fact, adults have been known to capture prey that is 25-35% of the length of their bodies. They have been known to hold up to five sunfish in their mouths! Large-mouthed black bass typically weigh about 1 kg (2.2 lb), and grow to 45 cm (17.7 in) long.

They are also favoured as a fish to eat with their firm, white meat.

Answer: Brown trout

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is native to the UK. It is a medium-sized fish that typically grows to about 1 kg (2.2 lb), but much larger specimens up to 20 kg (44 lb) have been known to be caught. When fishing brown trout, it is very important to return larger females to the water.

A full-grown female produces about 2,000 eggs per kilogram (900 eggs per pound). If anglers remove too many large females from one area, that can damage brown trout populations. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are native to North America, but have been introduced to the UK both as a farmed fish and as a sport fish. Both varieties of trout are edible and can be enjoyed once they are caught.

Answer: Burbot

The burbot (Lota lota) is a member of the cod family. It can grow to almost a metre (3 ft) long. The burbot lives at the bottom of lakes and rivers. However, there is some concern that it may now be extinct in the UK because there have been no catches since the 1970s. Plans have been developed to reintroduce this fish to British waters, but as of 2022, those plans have not ended in any tangible effort to bring the fish back to the UK.