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Discover everything to fish in Alton Barnes

Find the best moment to go fishing in Alton Barnes, the most caught species, the techniques used, go fish with anglers nearby, find a fishing charter or guide, save your spots and discover new ones.

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N°1 | The Burbot

The Burbot fish belongs to the Lotidae family. The burbot can measure 30 to 120 cm and weigh up to 3 kg. It can live from 15 to 20 years. It breeds from December to March and can lay up to one million eggs. It can be fished all year round. The body is cylindrical, elongated, slightly compressed towards the tail, covered with small scales covered with a thick layer of mucus. The back is greenish brown or yellowish with darker mottling, with a gradation becoming lighter on the sides. The belly is yellowish white. The short, rounded pectoral fins, close to the head, overhang the ventral side with their first very elongated radius. The first dorsal fin is short, the second, very long, continues until the birth of the caudal, which is rounded. The lower jaw has a single long barbel and the nostrils have two fairly distant orifices, each with a small barbel. The mouth is wide, with many fine teeth.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°2 | The Ghost Carp

The Ghost Carp belongs to the Cyprinidae Family. With a life expectancy ranging from 40 to 50 years on average, it can reach up to 80 cm long. The breeding period is short, from May to June. The female lays 100,000 eggs per kg of weight. It can be fished all year. From its transition from young to adult fish, many physical characteristics will change. Its scales change color over time, as does its size. Many people tend to confuse a young ghost carp with a goldfish because of its physical appearance and colors. However, the two species are distinguishable: the ghost carp has a flat belly while the goldfish has a more swollen belly. In addition, towards her lips we notice barbells similar to two small moustaches in the ghost carp.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 45 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | The Gwyniad fish

The Gwyniad fish belongs to the Salmonidae family. It is a fairly large species: 40 to 60 cm. It reaches 70 cm for 10 kg in the large lakes of northern Europe. Life expectancy would be about ten years. Its breeding period extends quite widely between 15 November and 31 January with a maximum activity between 10 December and 1 January. The female lays 30,000 eggs per kg of weight. This fish is on the IUCN Red List. Fishing is therefore prohibited. It has the fat fin characteristic of Salmonidae. It has an elongated body, silvery grey, bluish grey, with a more or less brownish back and fairly large scales. The caudal fin is very indented. The mouth is small. Two details that differentiate it from other salmonids. The number of gillospines (here 15 to 70) confirms that they belong to that species. The male has prominent scales on the lateral line, rough to the touch.

Fishing period :

Minimum size :

Difficulty :

N°4 | The Pike Fish

The Pike fish belongs to the Esocidae family. Pike can reach 1.30 m and weigh 25 kg. The current capture size is 50 cm for a weight of 1 kg. Females are commonly larger than males. The longevity is 10 to 14 years for males and 20 years (maximum 30 years) for females. Breeding takes place from February to May. The female lays 15,000 to 45,000 eggs per kg of weight. It is caught from June to December. This species is identifiable by its shape as a rifle bullet. The odd fins are at the back of the animal (allowing a sprinter propulsion). The characteristic head looks like a duck's beak. The mandible is longer than the upper jaw. The color varies from light green to black depending on the dominant color of the colonized habitats. The sides are lighter with darker transverse bands. During growth, the oblique stripes of young people give way to horizontal lines.

Fishing period : From June to December

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°5 | The Perch

The Perch fish belongs to the Percidae Family. Its size, on average 15 to 20 cm, can reach 60 cm for a weight of 4.5 kg. Life expectancy is about 6 years (maximum 22 years). The perch spawns in April and lays between 4000 and 300,000 eggs. It is caught from June to December. Its body is stocky, high, yellow-green with broad transverse stripes; the belly is yellowish to matt white. Its ventral, anal and caudal fins are red; the anterior dorsal fin has sharp rays and a black spot on the back. Its operculum is finished by a strong thorn.

Fishing period : It can be fished from June to December

Minimum size : 18 cm

Difficulty :

N°6 | The Goldfish

The Goldfish belongs to the Cyprinidae family. This fish can reach 60 cm and live up to 15 years. It breeds in spring for an average of 1000 eggs. In the wild, the species Carassius Auratus or Goldfish has an elongated, laterally compressed and slightly high body. The small triangular head is free of scales and barbells. The dorsal fin, concave or straight, begins at the top of the body and ends at the caudal peduncle. The caudal fin, larger and more indented than that of the Crucian carp, has 17 to 20 soft rays. The ventral and pectoral fins and the anal fin are small and thin. The body is covered with small scales. There are 26 to 31 scales on the lateral line. The colors of the Goldfish vary greatly with the environment in which it evolves, from yellowish to bright golden and bronze. Its back is generally darker and his belly lighter. The main distinctive features of the ornamental shape are its flamboyant red color and its many morphological shapes and aberrations.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : X

Difficulty :

N°7 | Bitterling Fish

The Bitterling fish is a freshwater fish and belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Its scientific name is Rhodeus Amarus. The current size of the bitterling fish is 5-6 cm. Some individuals can reach a maximum height of 11 cm and a weight of 10 g. This species is one of the smallest Cyprinid in Europe. It lives on average from 2 to 3 years. The spawning period is between April and June. It lays 40 to 100 oocytes. This fish is easy to catch due to its small size. The bitterling is a small fish whose body is high and laterally compressed. The lateral line is short or incomplete. The scales on the back have a grey-green coloring. The sides are clear with silvery reflections. During the breeding period the silver coloration changes to a pink to bright red color with a dark blue sideband. Sexual dimorphism occurs between the male and female during reproduction. A 5 to 8 mm laying tube (ovipositor) develops in the female, which allows her to lay her eggs in the gill cavity of freshwater mussels. The male has a higher body than the female and its colors become brighter during the breeding season. The bitterling fish's eyes are quite large. Its mouth is small, oblique and the upper jaw protrudes beyond the lower jaw. The anal and dorsal fins have a short base and 8 to 10 branched rays.

Fishing period : prohibited all year

Minimum size : not available

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Pumpkinseed fish

The Pumpkinseed fish belongs to the Centrarchidae family. It is a migratory fish that can reach a weight of 40 g to 50 g for a length of 20 cm. But the largest specimens can reach a weight ranging from 3 kg to 4 kg for a maximum size of 40cm. The life span of the sun perch is 8 to 10 years. Breeding takes place in the months of May to August. A female can lay between 1500 and 3000 eggs. It is fished all year round, but the best times are in spring and autumn. Its high body is very flat laterally. Its mouth is terminal, small and slightly oblique. The caudal fin is slightly forked. The two dorsal fins are united, giving the impression of being one. The pectoral muscles are long and pointed. The anal fin has 3 sharp spines. The coloring is brilliant with green and blue touches on the back and rust colored spots on the flank. The cheeks are crossed by bright blue lines, particularly marked in males. The operculum is wide and has a black spot bordered by a scarlet red spot in the male, which may be absent or less marked in the female. The male is larger and more colorful than the female.

Fishing period : all year

Minimum size : 15 cm

Difficulty :

N°9 | Bleak Fish

The Bleak fish is a Cyprinidae. In general, its average size is 10 to 15 cm and its weight is 15 to 50 g. However, some individuals can reach up to 60 g for a size of 25 cm. The bleak has a lifespan of 6-7 years. The spawning period is between April and August. It can lay up to 7000 spawns. You can fish bleak from June to September. This fish swims quite fast and offers a little resistance during the catch. The bleak is a fish with an elongated body that is very compressed laterally, allowing it to have a high velocity. The upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw. The mouth of the bleak is oriented upwards (above), a typical character of fish that seek their food on the surface. The caudal fin is strongly indented and the caudal peduncle is thin. The dorsal fin is inserted behind the pelvic fins and has a shorter base than the dorsal fin. Its name refers to the bright white color of its scales, which gives the bleak a metallic sheen. Its back is darker greenish-blue, its sides are silvery white and its fins are pale grey. During the breeding season, nuptial tubers appear on the backs and sides of males and their fins become orange.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 10 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Minnow fish

The Minnow fish belongs to the Cyprinidae family. The minnow is a small fish with a length of 4 to 10 cm (maximum 14 cm) and a weight of 3 to 10 g (rarely more than 13 g). Life expectancy is 4 to 5 years (maximum 11 years). Reproduction takes place from April to July or from one region to another. Depending on size, the female lays between 200 and 1000 eggs. It can be fished all year round. It moves in benches. It is often accompanied by trout of the same size and young salmon. The body is shaped like a spindle. The head has a rounded snout, the mouth is terminal (the upper jaw slightly protrudes from the lower jaw). The back is dark green, the upper part of the flanks is light brown with large black-brown spots (sometimes linked to form stripes), while the lower part is yellowish green with silvery highlights, the belly is creamy whitish (in spawning season, it is copper red in males). The lateral line usually only extends to half of the body. The caudal peduncle is compressed laterally. The fins are rounded and transparent. The caudal fin is clearly indented; the ridge is quite high.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 5 cm

Difficulty :

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The fishing forecast allows you to forecast your fishing trips and always go at the right time to the right place!

How it works

This is a score of 1 to 10 calculated city by city according to some forty criteria affecting fishing: moon, weather conditions, atmospheric pressure, sunrise / sunset. sun, tides, swell etc .