Three Bearded Rockling v Shore Rockling

Three Bearded Rockling v Shore Rockling

Colour tends not to be a reliable distinguishing feature for many species. For these two rockling
species, which are on the Irish Specimen Fish Committee listings, colouration is very relevant.
Both body shapes are suggestive of small ling and both are scaleless with a single dorsal fin which
extends for approx. 40% of the body. Both have two barbels on the snout and one under the chin.
Colours vary being typically ranging from yellow to brown to reddish for both with pale ventral
colours.
The three bearded rocking can also be distinctly dark orange. Large chocolate …

Read more

ISFC news, Annual Report, Awards, New Rules

ISFC news, Annual Report, Awards, New Rules

Annual report – hope to publish in April 2022.
Annual Awards Day – the usual event held in Feb every year was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation, but it is planned to have an event at some stage in 2022.
Handling – for all species best practice is essential. This is particularly important for species like shad.
Specimen fish rules updates:

Corkwing wrasse length – 2021 was a data collection year for this species in order to set a realistic threshold. Data showed that the guideline length of 20 cm total length (TL) …

Read more

ISFC Report 2020 Online Now

ISFC Report 2020 Online Now

You will all delighted to hear that the 2020 Irish Specimen Fish Committee Report is now available online.

 
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic anglers fishing in Irish waters in 2020 caught hundreds of large fish according to the just-published Irish Specimen Fish Committee Report.
One new record was set and over 300 exceptionally large fish of different species were caught by anglers from venues throughout Ireland. The main species were shark species like Smooth-hound and Spurdog and, in freshwater, Pike and Brown Trout dominated.  All fish were caught, weighed, measured and released.
Details of all these …

Read more


New Fish Records for 2018

New Fish Records for 2018

Download the report

Four new Irish record fish were caught by anglers during 2018 according to the just-published Irish Specimen Fish Committee report.

New records were set for four marine species – Golden Grey Mullet, Thin
Lipped Mullet, Black Bream and Tope. The mullet species were taken in Cork
while the Tope was caught off Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Kilmore in Co. Wexford
was the venue for the Black Bream.

Details of these record fish are in the Irish Specimen Fish Committee Report
2018, which has just been released. The Irish Specimen Fish Committee, which is
supported …

Read more


Mullet smashes old record – ISFC report 2017

Mullet smashes old record – ISFC report 2017

Mullet smashes old record
Friday 26th January 2018: Dublin angler Ian Mulligan has broken the Golden Grey Mullet record, which was established as recently as 2014.
The new record, weighing 1.29 kg, was caught at Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, on the 4th of July 2017. The Irish Specimen Fish Committee recently ratified this new Irish record fish.
Click to download the report
The announcement was made in the Irish Specimen Fish Committee Report 2017, which has just been released. The Irish Specimen Fish Committee, which is supported by Inland Fisheries Ireland, is an independent voluntary body which verifies …

Read more

ISFC Awards Day 20th February 2016

ISFC Awards Day 20th February 2016

The number of successful young anglers collecting their specimen award certificates was the highlight of the Irish Specimen Fish Committee’s Awards Day on 20th February.  Held in Dublin on the same weekend as the Ireland Angling Show 2016 both events were attended by large numbers of anglers from all over the country.  Dutch angler Henk Thuelings travelled from the Netherlands to collect his specimen award for a large Tope taken off Wicklow. Record fish and specimen awards were presented and for many anglers this full-on angling weekend is now a …

Read more

Awards day photos

Thanks to all the anglers who made the effort to travel to the Awards presentations. It was a great occasion and it was particularly encouraging to see so many junior anglers receiving specimen fish certificates. For any anglers who were at the awards and would like  copy of your award presentation please see the slide show below.

Read more

Have an angling weekend, lots to see at the ISFC Awards Day and the Ireland Angling Show

Anglers are reminded that the ISFC Awards Day is on 20th Feb and coincides with the Ireland Angling Show 2016 which is on 20th & 21st Feb near Swords, Co. Dublin.  Free shuttle bus available between both events from Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport and National Exhibition Centre, Swords. Why not have an angling weekend in Dublin! Successful specimen anglers in 2015 are requested to notify bridie.fleming@fisheriesireland.ie if planning to attend ISFC Awards Day.

Read more