Famed British angling writer John Bailey recently released a new book, 50 Fish To Catch in Your Lifetime. The title intrigued me, so I opened the cover and started to read. The first fish he mentioned was a stickleback and immediately I decided Mr. Bailey is a lunatic. Target the stickleback with a rod and line?
The more I read, however, I understood where he was going with his list. In fact, I liked it. A lot. He offered fish available to just about everyone … stickleback, chub, dace, carp, perch, etc., but then dove deeper to cover species like Amur pike (found in Mongolia, China and East Asia), and tiger fish, Nile perch, barramundi and other fish I have dreamed of catching.
So I’ve built my own bucket list of fish that I’ve yet to catch, but plan to. They include (in no particular order):
1) Black Marlin—I’ve landed blues and stripes, but never a black. And while I’m dreaming, I’d like the one I catch to weigh 500 pounds or better.
2) Giant Trevally is found in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It’s an extremely powerful fish that grows to 100 pounds or more. Landing one in the shallows waters typically frequented is enormously difficult.
3) Tiger Muskie—It’s found in good numbers in lakes as close as 1 mile from where I am sitting now, but I’ve yet to catch one.
4) Tiger Fish—This toothy monster is the baddest dude in some of the baddest waters in the world. If given the choice, I’d pursue the Goliath tiger fish.
5) 60-Pound Carp—I’ve landed ‘em pushing 30, but I want one twice that size as it would give me bragging right with a certain Brit I know.
6) Taimen—This primitive salmonid grow so large (20 to 100 pounds) it eats mammals frequently. It's native to Mongolia and Siberia.
7) European Perch—Okay, I’ve already caught several (both through the ice and in open water in Finland), but nothing like the size these fish can reach. Can you imagine a 6-7 pound perch?
8) Bluefin Tuna—I’ve fished them Maine, but never hooked up.
9) Amur Pike—A member of the Esox family, it reminds me of a spotted Mississippi River strain muskie, but it's found in Mongolia.
10) Nile Perch—They grow huge, fight hard and live where I don’t.