Sportfishing Club of the British Isles (SCBI) – Club Records

Introduction

The Club maintains records for both freshwater and saltwater game fish species in line and tippet class and all-tackle categories.  To qualify fish must be caught in accordance with IGFA fishing rules. 

Where, as a Club, though we differ from that organisation is in terms of our attitude to weighing procedures.  The IGFA insist that to qualify for a record fish must be weighed on land.  Given the strong release ethic amongst the Club’s members however we will consider applications for records where fish are weighed on boats and subsequently released.  Obviously we expect a degree of self-regulation with, where the swell is causing the scale to give readings over a range of weights, the angler submits the claim based on the lowest registered weight.

Additionally we do not test lines.  Again relying on individual anglers’ integrity, either to use class, tournament rated line or claim in the next category up.

One further point though that must be emphasised our records only reflect weighed fish, estimates are not acceptable.  However in many cases, again given this strong and prevailing attitude to conservation amongst the membership, our records do not necessarily reflect the largest fish of a species recorded.  In the past a number of Atlantic Blue Marlin well in excess of 1000lbs – estimates being based on recognised length/girth comparisons – have been released.  And literally this year (2003) a member released a huge Six Gilled Shark off Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.  This was estimated at 1500lbs in weight by crew who had, earlier in the year, weighed two such sharks over 1100lbs in weight that had respectively established World All-Tackle records.

However, singling out a few, there are Sailfish to over 140lbs, Tarpon over 200, double-figured Bonefish, 60lb plus Roosterfish and 300lb plus Swordfish.  Also from the UK Bass to over 15lbs.

The lists also record World records that have been established by Club members – over 70 in total in all line classes from 2 to 130lb test, plus several on fly tackle.  That’s 23 species in total – 4 from Freshwater and 19 from Saltwater.  They include species like Nile Perch, Blue Marlin, several Shark species, Roosterfish and Wahoo (both on fly) and, from this country, Cod and Conger.

To facilitate the printing of the lists by Club members they are recorded in Adobe Acrobat format.  If you don’t currently have this software on your PC it can be downloaded free through Adobe’s web site – www.adobe.com.