Two preserved and cased Golden Orfe fish, caught by AE Hobbs in the River Thames on the 23rd October 1901. Weights 2 lbs 8oz and 2lbs 6 oz.
Hobbs was born in New Street, Henley in 1871 and lived in Henley all his life. Whilst working as an architect for Brakspear brewery in the 1930's he was responsible for designing many local pubs.
Hobbs claimed to have caught almost 900 Thames Trout, each over 3 lbs in weight, in 55 years of fishing. He fished in the non-tidal reaches of the Thames.
A preserved and cased Perch caught by AE Hobbs in the River Thames on the 6th March 1902, weighing 2lbs and 6 ozs.
Hobbs was born in New Street, Henley in 1871 and lived in Henley all his life. Whilst working as an architect for Brakspear brewery in the 1930's he was responsible for designing many local pubs.
Hobbs claimed to have caught almost 900 Thames Trout, each over 3 lbs in weight, in 55 years of fishing. He fished in the non-tidal reaches of the Thames.
PERCH
Latin Name - Perca fluviatilis
Colour - Its flanks (sides) are pale green with dark bars ruiniing from the back. These bars vary in colour and number from 5 to 9. Its belly is silvery green.
Size - This depends what food is available. Adults are often bewteen 15cm and 30cm (6-12 inches) and weigh up to 2kg (4/5lb).
Characteristics - Its dorsal fin (on its back) is grey with a large dark spot at the back. Its second dorsal fin is yellowish. Its pectoral fins (on its side) are brown. The other fins and the tail are pink, orange or red depending on its age, the time of year and the water in which it lives.
Diet - It eats small fish either dead or alive, crustaceans and molluscs (animals in shells), insect lavae and worms. It is not fussy and will eat most living creatures that it can.
Habitat - The perch likes slow flowing rivers, like the Thames, and lives in large shoals (groups). It avoids cold quick waters.
How fished for - Anglers use live or dead fish as bait such as minnows and gudgeon but also worms or maggots or artificial baits called lures. Many anglers catch perch by float fishing but in deep water ledgering is used. Ledgering involves the use of lead weight to keep the bait near to the bottom of the water.
Interesting Facts - One of the perch's favourite food is its own fry (baby perch)
British Record - 2.52kg - 5lb 9oz
A preserved and cased Golden Tench caught by AE Hobbs in the River Thames on the 4th September 1907. Weight 3lbs 1oz.
Hobbs was born in New Street, Henley in 1871 and lived in Henley all his life. Whilst working as an architect for Brakspear brewery in the 1930's he was responsible for designing many local pubs.
Hobbs claimed to have caught almost 900 Thames Trout, each over 3 lbs in weight, in 55 years of fishing. He fished in the non-tidal reaches of the Thames.
TENCH
Latin Name - Tinca tinca
Colour - Tench have a dark back with dark greyish green sides. The belly is a pale green colour usually with an orange tint which is stronger on the males during spawning.
Size - Its average weight is 2kg (4lb) and grows to 20-30cm (8-12in).
Characteristics - The tench is a member of the carp family. All the fins are dark, its scales are small and the iris of its eye is red. It has one small barbel at each side of the mouth. The fish uses its barbels to search by taste for food.
Diet - It feeds on worms, molluscs and the larvae of insects. Younger fish eat algae but plant food forms only a small part of the diet of an adult.
Habitat - Tench prefer still, muddy and slow flowing rivers and are tolerant of low oxygen levels.
How fished for - Anglers use a vareity of baits such as bread paste and maggots. The techniques used to fish for tench are float fishing and ledgering (when a lead weight is used to keep the bait near to the bottom of the water).
Interesting Facts - In a severe winter tench can bury themselves in the mud and hibernate until the temperatures improve.