Now this is a REAL species hunter.

[Vagabond]

There is an article in this month’s International Angler about Steve Wozniak – species hunter extraordinary and a man after my own heart. He has set himself a target of 1000 species on his life list and has 660 already.

It makes my 373 species world-wide (86 British) look puny, but I’ve only been into serious international species hunting since I retired in 1999 – Steve has been at it for longer.

I loved his “tips for species hunters” it is just how Certhia and I fish.

1. Small hooks and shrimp rigs should be in your tackle box always – when you are taking a break from marlin fishing, put down some small baits.

2.If there is water, there may be fish – It may be a decorative pool in a shopping mall, but a new species is a new species

3.Take photos of everything – in the heat of the moment, stuff that looks the same may turn out to be different. Back home, sorting through your pictures, you may find you caught three species of porgies – not just one. If that doesn’t excite you, then you are not a born species hunter.

4.Fishbase.org Learn it, live it

5.Braid is good, especially for deep water, and hauling 2lb leads up from 900 ft is no picnic.

6.It is not inexpensive and needs a lot of travel – find a wife and girlfriend who will put up with this.

7. Invest in good travel gear – there are no Shimano dealers in the jungles of Peru

8.Read as many field guides as you can.

9. If you hire a guide, make clear your interests – the guide may be focussed on just one species.

10. Just like me, Steve said his greatest ambition was to catch a coelacanth.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

himself a target of 1000 species on his life list and has 660 already

ONe day I will get passed 10 - its great targeting spieces than just fling a bait out

[pingu]

thats dedication
well done on your 373 there vagabond thats awsome enough but 1000


dave

[barbelblanker]

Man alive, that's one awesome goal.
I'm with Richard on 10.
Thinking about it I could probably name every species I've caught fair and square on hook and line and it is nowhere near 1000.

Rudd,
Roach,
Tench,
Pike,
Perch,
Crucian Carp,
Eel,
Minnow,
Stickleback,
Bullhead,
Brown Trout,
Rainbow Trout,
Absolutely never a barbel
Chub
Bream
Silver Bream (maybe not too sure)
Grass Carp
Common Carp
Mirror Carp
Leather Carp
Bleak
Dace
My ear
Between my fingers when I dropped the feeder OUCH!
My shoulder when fly fishing
canada pond weed
trees
a duck at roath park lake
rowing boat
shopping trolley
Bass
Mullet
Cod
Rocking
Conger Eel
Crab
Crab
Crab
Crab
Whiting
Pouting
Crab
Bu@@@r all (catch loads of them)
Colds
Flu
Dogfish
Crabs
Kelp
The wife

well I feel much better now.

I'm sure I've missed some off but I sure as heck aint going anywhere near 600 let alone 1000.

Someone needs to let this guy know how i awe we are.
As for 80+ UK species, you are a hero mate.

[barbelblanker]

By the way, did you achieve your goal and catch the fossil?
vagabond I salute you!

[barbelblanker]

How could I forget Gudgeon.
Gugdeon.
Phew!
Probably spelt it wrong too.
Crikey I forgot Mackerel and hang on Blenny too.
Hey I almost feel competent now.
Keepnet, caught that a lot too.
POLLACK!
Landing net!
Tree, no I've done that one.
Crab again.
A rock.
The marina.
Uh some rope?

Still nowhere near 80 yet though.
Barbwire fence.
Grass.
You can tell I am strugling now.
Umbrella.
Rod rest.
I give up.
for now.
Vagabond, you've got me beat mate.

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by barbelblanker

How could I forget Gudgeon.
.....
Crikey I forgot Mackerel and hang on Blenny too.
Hey I almost feel competent now.
Keepnet, caught that a lot too.
POLLACK!
Landing net!
Tree, no I've done that
some rope?

Still nowhere near 80 yet though.

Grass.
......
I give up.
for now.

LOL Grass.. now that reminds me - the number of plants hooked would double my score - brambles, nettles, Canada balsam, hogweed, figwort (figwort, b....y figwort, the worst of them all)

Once hooked a pipistrelle bat on the backcast, also a sheep, and when I was a kid, a village idler watching me flyfish Saxthorpe mill pool.

Yeh, thanks for pointing out how flexible the rules can be - that 1000 now looks to be in easy reach

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by barbelblanker

By the way, did you achieve your goal and catch the fossil?

Nope, the two areas where it might be (Comoro Is near Madagascar and the Sunda Is around Borneo) we have not yet been to.

...but they are on our visiting list.

More immediate is to catch a grayling for this year's hunt.

[geffski]

i quit like the idea of just being a species hunter, dont recon im gana catch a record
but anyone can have a go at making the biggest collection of species u can!
could be good fun, make a nice few scrap books with that!

[nimue]

I guess I'm a different kind of species hunter. There are particular species I really want to catch. Not as many different sorts as possible. I've been to africa 3 times to try and get a particular fish when they are there, seen them, could have grapnelled them, they weren't feeding. Couldn't catch one.
Still need a Nile perch. Bonefish......and the african one. thats all then I'll be happy, so hope it takes years!
Jules.