The real beauty of angling is that no matter how experienced you are or how many hours you have spent on the bank, it still has the ability to surprise us anglers. Whether it’s an unusual encounter, an unexpected species, or the fish of a lifetime, some things are hard to believe when they eventually happen.
Jake Todd had the shock of his angling life when he landed what is believed to be an Atlantic salmon or a sea trout. With the fish presenting a strong case for both species, it has left both the captor and many experts scratching their heads as to what fish it actually is. Jake was fishing on the Louth Canal, a canalised section of the River Lud, which eventually finds its way into the Humber, so both species could be present, further complicating the decision.
"I started the day fishing deadbaits for pike and perch. One rod was rigged with trebles, and the other had a single hook with a smaller bait intended for perch," he explained.
"After an uneventful few hours of fishing, I decided to head home to get some larger baits and fish them on both rods."
As Jake was packing up some of his gear, he noticed his float, which was rigged with a small roach deadbait, beginning to show signs of life. After a few sharp dips, the float slowly started to slide downstream.
"After a few seconds, I gave the rod a firm strike and was met by some savage head shaking and a very fast run. I knew I hadn't hooked a perch, as it was far too heavy and powerful," Jake recalled.
"Within a few seconds of being hooked, the fish confirmed our thoughts when it leapt about 4 feet above the water in a bid for freedom."
"My brother, Ryan, was standing beside me, and neither of us could believe what we had seen. We had no idea what I was playing; I was literally shaking with excitement," he told us.
"After what felt like hours, we managed to scoop the fish into the landing net, and when we peered in, we were just as confused. Was it a salmon, trout, or sea trout? We just couldn't identify it."
Both Jake and Ryan had heard of both salmon and sea trout being caught from the canal they were fishing, but neither had seen it with their own eyes until they had potentially one of them staring back at them in their landing net.
"Whatever the fish is, I am over the moon to have caught it. It was a remarkable fish and is a capture I will remember forever."
"I was shaking and grinning the whole session, and it was great to share the moment with my younger brother. It epitomises everything we anglers love about fishing," he concluded.
What do you think the fish is? It certainly is an unusual capture whatever the outcome is, and a great moment for Jake and Ryan to share!
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