here are two downloadable guides to help you identify fish species, the first is by the central fisheries board (now inland fisheries ireland) and the second made by SAI members Ronald and stevecrow74
both are .pdf format (you will need acrobat reader to view these files)
click on the image to link to download page
[url=http://galwaybuccaneerssac.com/]Galway Buccaneers SAC[/url]
[i][color=red]St Juniper once said; 'By his loins shall ye know him, and by the length of his rod shall he be measured.'[/i]
I have both these printed out, they helped me distinguish between a huss and LSD the other day and also a pouting and poor cod. Great reference material and also handy to have the irish specimen weights too..
2011 Species: 191lb Common Skate, Mackerel, Pollock, Spotted Ray, Spurdog, Thornback Ray, Tub Gurnard
Thanks for this, most helpful. I think I have been calling corkwing wrasse ballan wrasse also. And I now know my friends wee blue one was a rock cook (have photo). My father told me these fish( of which the ballan is by far the most commonly encountered here) were called rock mourin. At least thats how he said it. Another local name still used a lot is Bavan. Whether Bavan or Mourin, no one would have paid that much attention to there being varieties of these fish and the one name did them all. My father and uncles all fished purely for the pot and these fish were given no respect at all, simply as they considered them inedible and hard to handle.
This is a most helpful posting!!!!
Thanks.
2013 Sea Species:- Bass, Flounder, 5 Beard Rockling, Shore Rockling, Whiting, red gurnard, grey gurnard, Pollack, coley, mackerel, sea trout, cant remember cos I didn't update at the time.....
2012 Sea species:- Pollack, Coley, Mackerel, Cod, Bass, Sea Trout, Haddock, Plaice, Dab, Flounder, Red Gurnard, Grey Gurnard, Pouting, Whiting, Corkwing Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse, Lesser Spotted Dogfish, Brown Trout caught on beach.
2011 Sea species:- codling, L.S. dogfish, coley, whiting, pollack(4lb 3oz), sea trout, shore conger eel (15lb), ballan wrasse, grey gurnard, plaice, dab (and lobster).