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Find the best moment to go fishing in St Albans, 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 Lesser Spotted Dogfish

The Lesser Spotted Dogfish belongs to the Scyliorhinidae. It has a height of about 80 cm in length and a maximum weight of 5 kg. It can live up to 8 years. It breeds from November to July. The female lays about a hundred eggs. It is fished in winter. The lesser spotted dogfish is a small spotted shark with a rounded snout. The spots are small, numerous, brown to blackish-brown on a light beige to red background, the belly remains light. Five gill slits are located just behind the black and oval eyes. As with all species of the Scyliorhinidae family, the first dorsal fin D1 is located behind the pelvic fins; the second dorsal fin D2 is located just behind the anal fin. The distance between the 2 dorsal fins D1 and D2 is greater than the length of the base of the anal fin. The nasal valves are contiguous.

Fishing period : in Winter

Minimum size : No restriction

Difficulty :

N°2 | The Rainbow trout

The Rainbow trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. On average, it measures 35 to 70 cm and weighs 500 g to 6 kg. In this species, a maximum lifespan of 11 years has been observed. Rainbow trout reproduce naturally from late March to early July. Fertility is about 2000 eggs per kg. Depending on the region, it is fished from March to September. Rainbow trout have a streamlined, laterally compressed and slender body. It has a small head and a slightly split mouth. Its body is arched at the level of the dorsal fin. It should also be noted that there is an adipose fin common to all Salmonids. Its scales are small and thin. Generally, the entire body is punctuated by small black spots, many on the back and sides, as well as on the dorsal and caudal fins. The back is olive green and the sides are silvery. The color of the belly varies from white to yellowish. Nevertheless, the general coloring of the body varies greatly depending on the age, habitat and physiological stage of the fish. The particularity of rainbow trout lies in the presence, all along the body, of an iridescent longitudinal band, predominantly pink. During the breeding season, the female is generally rounder because of the ovarian volume, while the males appear to be more elongated. They become darker and their colors more vivid.

Fishing period : march to September

Minimum size : 20 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | 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°4 | The Vendace fish

The vendace fish belongs to the Salmonidae family. Its average size is 45 cm and its weight is 1 kg. The oldest specimens observed were 10 years old. It breeds from October to December. The female lays 30,000 eggs per kg of weight. It is fished from March to December. The vendace is a small, slender and streamlined fish that is very easy to confuse with a bleak, a small lavaret whitefish or a peled whitefish. Unlike the bleak, the vendace is a member of the Salmonidae family, which is why it has a fat fin. It differs from the lavaret and peled whitefish by its much longer lower jaw. In the lavaret whitefish, the upper jaw is longer and in the peled whitefish the jaws are of the same length. It is silvery on the sides, with a white belly and a brown-green, grey-blue or blue-green back.

Fishing period : from March to December

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°5 | The Salmon fish

The Salmon fish belongs to the Salmonidae family. It can reach a maximum weight of 47 kg for a height of 1.5 m. The current size of the salmon is 50 to 70 cm, with a weight of 2.3 to 9.1 kg. It can reach a maximum weight of 47 kg for a height of 1.5 m. The current size of the salmon is 50 to 70 cm, with a weight of 2.3 to 9.1 kg. Spawning season is in October-November. Fertility is 1,500 and 1,800 eggs per kg of weight. It is fished in March in October. Salmon have a hydrodynamic and powerful body. The caudal peduncle is elongated and narrower than in trout, with which salmon share many characteristics. The mouth does not extend beyond the plumbing of the posterior edge of the eye. Adults have sexual dimorphism in the muzzle. Females have a rounded snout, while males have an elongated snout and their jaws bend sharply as they age, giving them the name of becard. The caudal fin is fairly indented, with a concave posterior edge and well defined tips. The adipose fin characteristic of Salmonids is present in salmon. The livery is different depending on the reproductive stage of the individual. The parr have 8 to 11 dark-colored vertical bars on the sides. The smolt and the adult have a silvery livery with black cross-shaped punctuation above the lateral line. At the time of reproduction, the male is adorned with bright colors.

Fishing period : from March to October

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°6 | The Chub fish

The chub fish belongs to the family of Cyprinidae. The common catch size of the chub fish varies from 15 to 30 cm, but it can reach 80 cm for a weight of 8 kg. The longevity is estimated at about ten years. The reproduction of the chub takes place between April and June. The female lays 20,000 to 100,000 eggs. It can be fished from July to Mars. The body is long and cylindrical with a terminal mouth, pointing upwards, with large lips. The big head has a flat forehead. The large, black-edged scales give it a reticulated appearance. The anal fin has a convex rear edge. The back and upper part of the head are greyish-green to brown in color; the flanks have silvery or even golden highlights; the belly is whitish. The fins are grey except for the bellies and the pale red anal fin.

Fishing period : From July to February

Minimum size : 15 cm

Difficulty :

N°7 | 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°8 | The Silver Bream

The Silver bream belongs to the Cyprinidae family. The usual size of the Silver bream is 20 to 30 cm and weighs about 200 g. The largest specimens can reach 35 cm. The life span of the Silver bream is about 10 years and it breeds from May to July. The female lays 20,000 to 60,000 eggs. It can be fished all year round. The Silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna) has a high, laterally flattened body, with a bushy back, characteristic of breams and accentuating with age. The head of this bream is small in relation to the size of its body but its eye is quite large, compared to its common cousin. Its snout is short and its mouth is oblique downwards, a characteristic common to fish seeking food on the bottom. The mouth is protractile (it unfolds forward) and free of barbells, surrounded by thick lips. The Silver bream is characterized by a long anal fin with between 22 and 26 rays, although shorter than the fresh water bream (26 to 30 rays). The dorsal fin of the Silver bream is short and high. The caudal fin is strongly indented. The Silver bream has a silvery coloring on the sides and belly, with a dark greyish-green or olive-colored back. The pelvic, pectoral and anal fins have an orange-red color. This last coloring can affect the whole stomach in older Silver breams.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°9 | The Crucian Carp

The Crucian Carp belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Its average size is 45 cm for 3 kg. It can live up to 15 years. It breeds from Mai to June. The female lays up to 300,000 oocytes. It can be fished from spring to fall. The Crucian carp is ovoid, stocky and laterally compressed. The protruding back gives it a high body. The most common specimens have an average size of 15 cm and a weight of about 250 g, but they can reach more than 50 cm and a weight of 4 kg. The head, small and conical, has no barbels. The pectoral and ventral fins and the anus are slightly rounded and have a reddish colour. The dorsal fin is characterized by a convex line. Finally, the caudal is slightly indented, and has 20 soft rays. Large scales cover the body and 31 to 36 scales run along the lateral line. Overall, it is greenish in color, dark on the back, with golden reflections on the sides and lighter on the belly. A black spot at the base of the caudal fin characterizes juveniles of this species. This stain disappears with age.

Fishing period : Spring to fall

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Zander fish

The zander fish belongs to the Percidae family. The Zander is a fish that can reach a length of 100 cm (maximum 130 cm) for a weight of 20 kg and an age of about fifteen years (maximum 20 years). Spawning takes place between April and August. Fertility is high with nearly 200,000 eggs/kg of female. It is caught from May to December. Its body is slender and fusiform. The head is elongated. The back is greenish grey and has slight dark vertical stripes. It has no transverse stripes and the flank is clear. The belly is whitish except in the male during the breeding season when it is darker. No thorns on the gill cover. Its two dorsal fins are separated. The first is spotted and thorny. The caudal fin has 17 soft rays. Its mouth is armed with many teeth and large "canines" that are visible when the animal is motionless due to breathing movements.

Fishing period : From May to December

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

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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 .