2005 Catch Information

Hooked On Gambia Homepage - Fishing in The Gambia - Gambia Fishing Trips - Boats & Equipment - Recent Catch Information - Top 10 Catches - Customer Charter - Price List - General Information on The Gambia - Website Map - Contact Us

2005 Catch Information

Welcome to our Gambian angling report for 2005. This report shows what was caught by Hooked On Gambia anglers throughout the year. Enjoy!

December 2005

After a prolonged period off the net, we're glad that Gamtel have finally installed their new server so that we can get on with updating our website .... BIG apologies for the delay. Anyway, the good news - 'Lady Fiona' is finally ready for the water and we intend to launch her sometime this week (week commencing 12th December). And, given that we had a pretty disappointing end to November (fish-wise) we're just trying to source some good champagne to mark the occasion and cheer us all up!!!!! In the meantime, we wish all Hooked On Gambia customers (past, present and future - no Dicken's connection intended) a very merry Christmas and a very prosperous and fish rich New Year!

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
31/12/05	Brian Grunnill - England	CANCELLED - Way too windy!
30/12/05	Steve Eastwood - England	Once again, the wind was up and Steve headed up in to the creek system where again they tried to fish the bends and the wrecks. It appeared that Steve was going to have a more successful day than Brian with a Bream, 2 Tallapia, a couple of small Grouper, Warsse and a Frogfish under his belt but he hadn't reckoned on a swarm of bees at the wrecks!
29/12/05	Brian Grunnill - England	The wind Gods were against us today and the waves were even breaking over the bar walls at Denton Bridge, but nevertheless Brian and Dembo headed into the creek system fishing the bends (out of the wind) and trying to fish the wrecks (unsucessfully) and at the end of it all, all they had to show for it were 2 small Wrasse, a 'Tiddler' fish (not the official Latin name you understand) and approximately 50 Frogfish!
28/12/05	Steve Eastwood - England	Another reef day for Steve and still no big fish, but another Thick Lipped Grouper, 2 red mullet, lots of Bream and Wrasse and 2 Cassava.
27/12/05	Brian Grunnill - England	Another day on the reefs for Brian, resulting in 3 small Barracuda (3 - 4kg), 3 Thick Lipped Grouper, Choff, Angel Fish, Black Bream and 2 new Species for Hooked On Gambia - aSharpsnout Sea Bream and a West African Goat Fish. Oh, and we mustn't forget the tiniest ever Frogfish caught on the biggest hook
26/12/05	Steve Eastwood - England	A very varm welcome to another new customer! Surprisingly rested from the Xmas BBQ with us, Steve and Dembo headed out to the inshore reefs. And, although Steve didn't have his BIG fish, he did land a nice Thick Lipped Grouper (5.5kg) a 2kg Red Snapper, Wrasse, Doctor Fish and a couple of Frogfish.
24/12/05	Hooked On Gambia & 'Mr Brian' - England	Armed with their instructions to catch some dinner fish for our Xmas Day Barbeque at MacDomoro's in Bakau Bob, Demb and Brian headed back out to Cape Point and Mantel Reef for a couple of hours bottom fishing. And, just to prove that men never listen, the trio came back with just 2 fish. OK, so they were two lovely Red Snapper to 12 kg which should go some way to feeding the 20 or so guests that we're expecting.... Thank You Guys!
23/12/05	Brian Grunnill - England	At last, a 'Cuda to show for his efforts (albeit a small 3kg one) and we won't mention the 4 that got away! A Red 'Cubera' Snapper, a beautiful Pink Snapper, 2 Black Bream and more Angel Fish were Brian's reward for sticking it out on Mantel.
20/12/05	Brian Grunnill - England	Determined to regain his big fish status, Brian headed back out to Mantel reef where again he landed 3 Butterfish, Thick Lipped Grouper, Bream, Wrasse, Angel Fish, a Frogfish and caught a few zzzzzz's. Well at least the big fish'll be there for another day!
19/12/05	Grant Cruickshanks - Scotland & Brian Grunnill - England	Another very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome back to 'Mr Brian' who, armed with his special fish-catching cheese butties, set out to show Grant how to catch a 'Cuda. Once again, however the 'Cuda weren't having any of it, but the guys were chuffed with their Choff, 2 Butterfish, Thick Lipped Grouper, Wrasse and small Captain Fish and it gave Sarah and Fi some time to do some window shopping in Banjul.
16/12/05	Hooked On Gambia	At last, launch day for Lady Fiona!!!! And, after undertaking a minor 'local' ceremony (men only) in Oyster Creek, and satisfying ourselves that she was indeed ready for a day out, we headed up to the peanut wrecks in the creeks Snapper hunting. Now, we certainly didn't match Grant & Sarah's tally, and we only landed one 3kg Snapper, but the 2 Ladyfish to 5kg and Cassava more than made up for it. Dembo's contribution to the day amounted to 2 Frogfish and a Snake (thank you Dem.). Unfortunately, by the time we got around to a 'proper' European naming, the champagne was too warm to drink......
14/12/05	Grant Cruickshanks & Sarah - Scotland	Today, Sarah had the upper hand and a day Creek fishing with a visit to Lamin Lodge was on the cards. 21 fish later (including 2 Stingray, 12 Snapper, a small Captain fish, 3 or 4 Thick Lipped Grouper, Angel Fish and Frogfish) and (un)fortunately no monkeys, Sarah's beginning to see why Grant likes fishing sooooooo much!
12/12/05	Grant Cruickshanks & Sarah (sorry, we never took your surname!) - Scotland	After a day's rain bathing on Sunday (yes, yes we know it never rains in December, but it was only a few big blobs!) Grant and Sarah received a very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome on board for a day's reef fishing. And, as Grant had never caught a Barracuda, this was our primary target for the day. Unfortunately, the water was very discoloured, the 'Cuda not interested and even the big Stingray that Grant fought for over 15 minutes threw the hook! Nevertheless, the pair landed some Butterfish, Red Snapper, Big Eye, 3 or 4 Wrasse and some Angel Fish.
05/12/05	Glynn Addison & Jo O'Shaughnessy - England	A day exploring the creeks and visiting Lamin Lodge, combined with some fishing (of course) saw Glynn and Jo landing 1 Barracuda, 2 small Snapper, a Captain Fish of 3kg, a Choff, a Tallapia and a snake.
03/12/05	Glynn Addison & Jo O'Shaughnessy - England	Another big Hooked On Gambia welcome to some more new customers! And, hoping for some better fishing in December we sent the pair out to fish the inshore reefs where they landed 2 Barracuda to 5kg, 2 Thick Lipped Grouper, a couple of Wrasse and some smaller fish.
01/12/05	Merlin Beeching - England	With just a few hours remaining on the last day of his holiday, Merlin managed to convince his wife Belinda to allow him a couple of hours beach fishing. But, by 5.30 p.m. the weed started to move in with the tide off the Atlantic Hotel - not to mention the cows, footballers and bumsters - and all we had to show for it were some tiny 'Shiny Nose'!

November 2005

Having hoped that our new fishing boat 'Lady Fiona' would have arrived by the end of October giving us time to get everything ready for the new season, we learnt that the ship had been delayed by one week - arghhhh! But as everyone who has been to The Gambia before knows, things just don't happen when you want or need them to....... and, if it's only one week late then, all things considered, we'll be doing very well.

Anyway, the season has officially commenced with the arrival of our old Dutch friends Hans and Art Van Der Matten (this time ably accompanied by Uncle Henk) and, but for an impromptu day off today (3rd November) for 'Prayer Day' signifying the end of Ramadam, it looks as though we're in for a busy month!!!!

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
29/11/05	Merlin Beeching - England	Keeping our fingers crossed for a better day we sent Merlin out to fish the inshore reefs, and thank God the Barracuda put in an appearance for this our last trip of the month!
24/11/05	Hooked On Gambia	And, just to prove that it wasn't anything to do with Malcolm's fishing abilities, we also had a blank day ..... something must be done about all these longliners!!!!!
21/11/05	Malcolm Barker - England	Well, we had to have another blank day again sooner or later. Once again the longliners over in Barra appeared to have spooked the fish. Sorry Malcolm, when it happens to us it's bad enough, but when it's a fare paying customer.....
19/11/05	Malcolm Barker - England	And another new customer ... and another day out on the inshore reefs, this time producing 3 Barracuda to 6kg.
15/11/05	Tom Watling and Tommy Fermor - England	Now we're not suggesting for one minute that Tom has permanently exchanged the lovely Jo (who by the way has also recovered from the stomach upset) for Tommy, but when it comes to fishing....... Anyway, one Barracuda and 3 monster Butterfish later, the guys seemed pretty content with their day on the reef.
14/11/05	Jim Sutherland - Channel Islands	Yet another new customer although it's taken Jim countless visits to the country to find us. Nevertheless, it's great to meet anglers who are as equally hooked on The Gambia as we are! A day out on the inshore reefs saw Jim catching Butterfish, Angel Fish, Jottas, Garfish and a small Barracuda, and we're hopeful that when Jim comes back fishing over Xmas he can add to that.
13/11/05	Luci Lombardo, John Downing and Graham Turnbull - England	Finally feeling better, Graham joined Luci and John on board for another trip over to Barra and some creek fishing. Although not as big as their previous trip out, the trio managed to land a 4kg Cassava, Choff, Tallapia, Frog Fish and a 'Cuda all in the creek.
11/11/05	Tom Watling and Tommy Fermor - England	More new customers, and again not quite who we were expecting on the day as Tom's partner Jo had become Banjul Belly victim number 2. Once again a surplus of anglers in The Gambia meant that Tom found Tommy to step in for Jo and the pair headed out to sea. And, although they lost a big run (possibly a Snapper) into the rocks, they still managed to whittle out a 3kg Cassava.
10/11/05	Pete, Pauline and Sam Robson - England	A family day out in the creek saw Pete being completely outfished by the women on board. Sam bagged a nice Barracuda (just to show her boyfriend back home) and the trio had loads of Angel Fish, Jottas, Jacks and a snake. Unfortunately, this was just a quick week away before Xmas, so no more fishing for Pete this time around, but he says that he's coming back after Xmas to fish on his own again!
09/11/05	Pete Robson - England	It's great to welcome old friends back to The Gambia, and Pete and Pauline are no exception. After a couple of seasons away, Pete kicked off to a fine start (in the Creek as it was simply too windy to go out to sea) with 2 Captain Fish, a Ladyfish, 4 big Choff, some Sunpats and even Jacks.
08/11/05	Luciano Lombardo and Jonathon Downing - England	A very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome to some new customers - unfortunately due to Luci's fishing partner succumbing to Banjul Belly, they weren't quite who we were expecting as Jonathon stepped in at the eleventh hour. Nevertheless the pair managed to notch up 4 very big Sunpat to 6kg, a 4kg Cassava, 3 Thick Lipped Grouper, a small Captain Fish of 1kg and some Wrasse over at Barra.
07/11/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Aart and Uncle Henk - Holland	One last day out on board for the trio, and after yesterday's success they combined a trip to Barra with some creek fishing. And, although not as productive as the day before, the guys still managed 2 Cassava, a Thick Lipped Grouper and possibly the smallest Captain Fish caught this season so far. Thank you guys. We trust that you enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed yours - as always!
06/11/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Aart and Uncle Henk - Holland	OK, enough of the reefs and the tides were prime for fishing over towards Barra, and what a result..... a nice 14kg Captain Fish for Uncle Henk, followed by a much smaller one of 3kg and a Stingray to boot.
05/11/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Aart and Uncle Henk - Holland	Another day fishing the inshore reefs and more Snapper (this time Aart upped the anti bagging one of 5.5kg), 3 Butterfish, a 3.5kg Cassava (landed by Hans) plus Angel Fish, Wrasse etc.
04/11/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Aart and Uncle Henk - Holland	After an enforced day off due to "Koriteh" yesterday, the guys headed back out to the reefs and bagged 4 Snapper to 3kg, 2 Thick Lipped Grouper, a Butterfish, a Pompano and a Barracuda of 4kg.
02/11/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Aart and Uncle Henk - Holland	Having left 'Mr Spewing Bucket' Jan back in Holland (see entry of 21/04/05) , the trio could safely head out to sea. And, although the big spring tides meant that they got to see the construction of Denton Bridge at very close quarters (just inches to spare), armed with a mix of live bait, dead bait and lures the boys were soon fishing off Cape Point before heading down to Mantel Reef. And, if we forgive Hans the two BIG fish that he lost (possibly a big Snapper and a big 'Cuda) the guys had a good opening day, landing a 3.5kg Barracuda, a Cubera Snapper of approx. 5kg, a fantastic looking Pompano (again around the 5kg mark) and some Butterfish, Choff, Angel Fish etc.

October 2005

So, having finally made it back to The Gambia ourselves, and in between drying out the house (which had succumbed to the heavy rains over the summer - again) and generally sorting things out, we were anxious to get back out fishing before the peak holiday season is upon us once more.

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
28/10/05	Hooked On Gambia	OK, OK, so we do occasionally have 'blank' days, today being one of them, as we didn't want to scale down for smaller fish knowing that the big Snapper and Captain's were down there. And, although not exactly the result that we'd hoped for, after three days of house painting, it was good just to be out in the fresh air.
26/10/05	Peter Beech - England	It was great to see Peter again (even if it was only for 1 day as he and Sharon finally wound down after a hectic summer in their Cornish pub). Buoyed by Bob and Dembo's sightings the day before, Pete and Dembo returned to Barra looking to catch Pete's first ever Captain Fish. Unfortunately, after a couple of gripping runs, the Captain's weren't playing ball (and nor were the longliners who'd set their line straight through the mark!) So, although still a Captain Fish virgin (his words not ours) Pete neverthless landed a nice 7kg Snapper, a Thick Lipped Grouper and some smaller 'bits and pieces'.
25/10/05	Hooked On Gambia	Clearly still gripped by Captain Fish mania, the intrepid duo headed over to Barra where the fish were in a feeding frenzy! Jacks were being forced to the surface of the water by some very big Barracuda and they even spotted the elusive Tarpon rolling, however none of the former were interested in the baits and lures presented on the day. The Captain fish and Cubera Snapper on the other hand were, picking up and playing with the baits and although losing several big fish, Bob finally landed a nice Captain Fish of 13.5kg. Well, they're getting bigger .....
20/10/05	Hooked On Gambia	After only an hour up the creek, with the tide just beginning to turn and Bob already in to a nice fish, a cold breeze and a glance over their shoulders confirmed that a storm was heading their way sending them hurrying back to Denton Bridge. And what a storm it was too, with waves in Oyster Creek the same size as those normally found in open waters. As for Bob's fish ..... well, we'll never know now!
19/10/05	Hooked On Gambia	With perfect tides for creek fishing, Bob and Dembo went on the hunt for the Captain Fish and landed one of 12kg after a fight lasting over 30 minutes which dragged them about a mile downstream through the mangroves. Whilst a hard fighting fish at sea, any angler will tell you that the Captain Fish caught in the creek fight like nothing else, especially when hooked up on lighter gear. Other fish caught on the day included Grouper, Wrasse, Frogfish, Catfish and a snake.
13/10/05	Hooked On Gambia	Anxious to get the 'knack' back, Bob and Dembo headed backed out to Barra, where another 'short day' (before adding to the sunburn) resulted in a nice 10.5kg Captain Fish for Bob.
12/10/05	Driss Bensouda & Hooked On Gambia	Prising Driss away from The Butcher's Shop for a day's fishing has taken us a full 2 years, and even then work commitments meant that it became a half day over in Barra (in between phone calls)...... Nevertheless, a sunburnt Driss was pleased with his 24kg StingRay outfishing a sunburnt Bob who, having lost a very big snapper when his 50lb line parted on rocks, only managed a 5kg Thick Lipped Grouper.

June - September 2005

Having managed to resist a return to the UK for over 2 years, we finally acquiesced to requests from friends and family and headed back to the cold - and boy was it cold!!!! The central heating went on and stayed on for the duration of our stay, as did the thermal underwear..... and, even though we managed a couple of days out fishing in the Bristol Channel, the fish were nowhere near as big or as plentiful as those we've become accustomed to back here in The Gambia (so Andy of the Bryn Y Mor Hotel, Swansea, you'll just have to make time to come out and see what we're talking about!!!!).

What was even worse was, having agreed to run boat and beach trips for repeat anglers Angela and Clayton from Wales during the last week in July / first week in August, to receive SMS text messages from them telling us how many fish they were catching in The Gambia on a daily basis - arghhh!!!! Boat catches were good, but the Beach catches were phenomenal with BIG Guitar Fish and Captain Fish being landed down the coast in sizeable numbers. We can't wait to see the photos Clayton.

May 2005

In spite of the weather forecast showing winds gusting to 37mph for the first 4 days of May, the first couple of days turned out to be very pleasant for sea fishing with only the 3rd living up to the forecast forcing an early return to Denton Bridge. Nevertheless, with the air and sea temperatures rising and catches improving generally, here's hoping for some great days out for our anglers.

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
Amerens Kant - Holland & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Another day's Reef Fishing and Amerens' Snapper are definitely growing! In spite of losing two big takes, the guys still bagged 3 Snapper to 5kg, a 9-Bones (the first one we've had in quite some time), 7 Butterfish, an Octopus, a small Jack and, you guessed it, a Frogfish!
12/05/05	Brian Grunnill - England & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Mr Brian's last day (have 4 weeks really gone that quickly?) and along with Steve they went hunting 'stonking' (Dembo's new word) Butterfish to 4.5kg. The pair also had a nice 'Thick Lipped' Grouper, a couple of Snapper, a couple of Wrasse and 3 Frogfish.
11/05/05	Brian Grunnill - England & Amerens Kant - Holland	'Welcome back Amerens - Where's Joey?- it's great to see you again!' Unfortunately, Joey had to remain behind in Holland to go to school, So Amerens paired up with Brian for the day, and you guessed it, headed out for the inshore reefs (Mr Brian's favourite). After losing 4 strikes 'as the bigger fish were just playing with the bait', the guys did manage to redeem themselves with 2 Snapper, 11 Butterfish, Dr Fish, Wrasse and ONLY 1 Frogfish.
09/05/05	Brian Grunnill - England & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	After a couple of days off to support the Gambian Under 17 side at the start of their bid for the African U17 Cup, Brian and Steve headed out for the reefs again resulting in 5 'stonking' Butterfish, 2 small Snapper, 3 Catfish, a Wrasse and Steve this time bagging an 8kg Cassava.
06/05/05	Brian Grunnill - England, Steve Mulholland & Vicky Davies - The Gambia	Even with the addition of Vicky 'I'm no fishing widow' Davies, the trio failed to boat any bigger fish on the reefs today - 3 small Snapper, a Pompano, a Frogfish and more Catfish. Although they did have one searing run off a much bigger Snapper before it headed back in to the reef cutting through the line and Brian also lost a 'Cuda by the side of the boat.
05/05/05	Brian Grunnill - England & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Only 2 days fishing booked in this week for the duo and unfortunately the fishing was still slow. 2 Butterfish, 6 Catfish, 2 Wrasse and Bait Fish were the only catches on the reef.
04/05/05	Chris Pocock & Michael Minter - England	Last day's fishing and the guys opted for another day on the reef. However, yesterday's wind had obviously put all but the Butterfish, Catfish, Angel Fish and Wrasse off. Can we just say how much we've enjoyed your company. Oh, and Chris 'You've been Tango'd' Pocock, before we forget - you'd best check the label on any sun tan and aftersun products that you purchase for your next holiday and avoid those with 'self tanning' written on them. Orange palms and streaks can be terribly embarassing!!!!!
03/05/05	Chris Pocock & Michael Minter - England	After a day spent relaxing on the beach, Chris & Mike were eager for some action. With smaller neap tides it was possible to fish the deeper water off Barra. However even before the wind picked up (forcing an early return) the only fish caught & released were a Catfish and a small Butterfish.
01/05/05	Chris Pocock & Michael Minter - England	Another day reef fishing was in order for the guys after such a productive day yesterday resulting in more of the same - 9 Cassava to 6.5kg, 5 Butterfish, a Thick Lipped Grouper and Angel Fish. Chris & Mike also think that the one that got away was a big Ray.

April 2005

Well this month got off to a great start, with the return of Andy & Anne Nicholls (their third time with Hooked On Gambia). It is just a shame that Andy's return was followed by Nick Calvert's (now affectionately known as the 'Wind God') and the weather once again took a turn for the worse. The beach fishing has been a nightmare as we've been hauling in great clumps of weed, plastic bags and even the odd flip flop. However, we are still managing to get a few days boat fishing in out on the reefs and at Barra in spite of the choppy sea conditions, and the fish must start feeding again sometime......

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
30/04/05	Chris Pocock & Michael Minter - England	New to The Gambia and Hooked On Gambia, Chris & Mike were here for the Tarpon fishing. Unfortunately with weather conditions not ideal, the guys settled for general sea fishing instead. And not a bad swap (we think you'll agree) with 10 Cassava to 7kg, a 4kg Ladyfish, a thick lipped Grouper and 12 Angel Fish made a great start to their fishing holiday.
28/04/05	Adrian Black - Scotland	Whilst Brian & Steve were having a good day on the boat, Adrian was chasing his elusive Guitarfish off the beaches to the south. Unfortunately, Gunjur only produced lots of Catfish and after a further journey by car and 20 minutes in a dug out canoe, the River Alahein produced a small Stingray. We guess that Adrian's Guitarfish will have to wait until next year!
28/04/05	Brian Grunnill - England, & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Last day fishing for the guys this week and it was back to the reef once more. A better day (and about time too) with a Red Snapper to 8kg, a 4kg Barracuda, 4 Butterfish, a couple of Catfish, 2 small Wrasse, 6 Frogfish and an Octopus!
27/04/05	Brian Grunnill - England, & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Yet another day on the reef (don't these guys get tired?) and yet more Snapper, Butterfish, Catfish, Angel Fish and small reef fish.
26/04/05	Brian Grunnill - England, Adrian Black - Scotland, & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Following a pretty heavy shower on Monday evening (rain in April?????) we were all keeping our fingers crossed that the water hadn't become too discoloured. Once again however, the guys (joined by Adrian, another repeater) triumphed. So, OK they weren't big fish, but there was plenty of them: - 2 Red Snapper to 4kg, 7 Butterfish to 4kg, a 3.2kg Moray Eel, 4 nice sized Angel Fish, a small Cassava, a small Captain Fish and hundreds of Catfish and Frogfish.
25/04/05	Brian Grunnill - England, & Steve Mulholland - The Gambia	Another choppy day at sea, but undeterred Brain & Steve managed to bag 3 Butterfish and a couple of small Angel Fish et al.
24/04/05	Brian Grunnill - England, & Steve Mulholland - now of Gambia	He just can't stay away can he? Back to show the fish who's boss, Brian paired up with another 'repeater' who has since moved out to The Gambia - Steve. Hungry for a 'big one' the guys headed straight out to Mantel reef. A nice 6.5kg Barracuda (we won't mention the one that got away by the side of the boat), 4 Butterfish to 4.5kg, 4 really nice Pompano, a small Stingray and a few Angel Fish.
23/04/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Jan & Aart - Holland	Having finally decided to give the sea another go on this their last day, the trio were to be disappointed as it started to blow a 'hooley'...... so once more to the creeks. And, unfortunately this was their worse day in terms of fish - a small Red Snapper, 4 Catfish, a 4kg Stingray and a couple of Snakes. But heh - we did have some laughs! See you next year guys!
22/04/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Jan & Aart - Holland	Another day in the creeks (to be honest we think Jan didn't want to give Hans and Aart the satisfaction of using their bucket) resulted in lots of Frogfish, a couple of Snakes, 2 small Red Snapper, a small Captain Fish, a small Stingray, a couple of Tallapia and 2 Cassava.
21/04/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Jan & Aart - Holland	Armed with Jan's 'spewing bucket' (courtesy of Hans & Aart) the guys decided to stay in the sheltered waters of the creeks again. And, what a decision - 2 Ladyfish to 5kg, a 10kg Cassava, 3 Red Snapper, 2 really big Sea Snakes and some Frogfish. Well done guys!
20/04/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Jan & Aart - Holland	Heading out to Barra for a bit more action, the guys had a couple of Catfish, lost a couple of hits and then strong wind and sea sickness forced an early return - and Jan, it was definitely those egg sandwiches!
19/04/05	Hans Van Der Matten, Jan & Aart - Holland	More new faces for Hooked On Gambia and this combination of Hans, his father-in-law and his best friend promised to provide some laughter along the way! Once again, opting for an easy day in the creek system, the guys had a 2.5kg Ladyfish, 3 small Red Snapper, 2 Choff to 2kg, a couple of Sunpat's, a couple of Catfish, a small Stingray as well as Jotta's, Frogfish and Angel Fish.
18/04/05	Frank Stewart & Dave Arnold - Lanzarote	Last day for the guys and they wanted more of the same. A nice 6lb Red Snapper, 2 Black Grouper to 8lb, Angel fish, 3 Snakes, Catfish, 6 Cassava and another big Sunpat. Hope to see you again sometime - and if the Banjul / Las Palmas flights are still operating over summer, it may well be sooner than you think!!
17/04/05	Frank Stewart & Dave Arnold - Lanzarote	Another change (well we do fish according to tides) and this time Frank and Stewart had a Barra and Creek combo day with slightly better results - a couple of nice Ladyfish, a big Sunpat, 6 Cassava and - more Butterfish.
16/04/05	Frank Stewart & Dave Arnold - Lanzarote	Out to the reef in search of a bit more action. Does today's tally of 6 Butterfish and some Angel fish constitute 'a bit more action'?
15/04/05	Frank Stewart & Dave Arnold - Lanzarote	Two new faces for Hooked On Gambia and breaking them in easily, the guys headed up the creek. However, 2 Butterfish and a very small Stingray made for a very slow start to their Gambia fishing holiday.
14/04/05	Nick Calvert - England	Upon hearing the results of Peter's day out on the boat, Nick decided to have another day on the beach. Back at Gunjur the guys gave it a couple of hours Catfish bashing before being blown off and retreating to Alahein to swap 'fishy' stories and wondering why they hadn't gone to the River earlier .... Another holiday Nick?
13/04/05	Peter Beech - England	Peter fancied another day on the reef and although he lost 4 good hits, he still managed to land a couple of nice Butterfish and a Snapper. Well there's always next year Peter and we look forward to welcoming you and Sharon back then!
13/04/05	Nick Calvert - England	After 4 days on board, Nick decided to go Beach Fishing so we headed off to Gunjur only just getting there in time for top tide. Nevertheless the fish were obliging and Nick landed a good sized Butterfish, a small Captain Fish, a couple of Sunpat, the best Jack that we have seen landed from the beach as well as 9 Catfish. Not bad for a self confessed beach fishing novice!
12/04/05	Nick Calvert - England	Back out on the Reef on his own, Nick managed a 3.5kg Cassava and more Butterfish and Catfish, but nothing big for him to brag about..... yet.
11/04/05	Nick Calvert & Peter Beech - England	Nick paired up with Peter (a new Hooked On Gambia friend from Cornwall although thanks to Mr Brian from Scarborough it felt like we'd known each other for years....) for a day's Reef fishing which resulted in a 4.5kg cassava, a 4kg Red Snapper, a couple of Butterfish and some 'more' Catfish. And we won't mention the Barracuda that Nick lost....
10/04/05	Nick Calvert - England	A day up the Creek (before the tides got too small) resulted in just 1 small Captain Fish and a Red Snapper off the wrecks but tomorrow's another day.....
09/04/05	Nick Calvert - England	Finally, Nick manages to get away on his own and is hoping for some BIG fish. We, as always, are delighted to see him back in The Gambia, in spite of the weather forecast which suggests that the wind is going to put in a reappearance during his week's stay. Nevertheless, Nick headed out to the Reef and lost a very big Snapper on his first cast after a circle hook pulled out. Not very much happened then until they moved positions and went 'Catfish Bashing' on Cape Point (some 36 Catfish caught) and also bagged 7 or 8 Butterfish, small Red Snapper, a Cassava and some small Captain Fish.
05/04/05	Neville Smith (now of England) & Hooked On Gambia	It's great to see old friends again and Neville is no exception (old as in 'familiar' not necessarily as in 'age'). Armed with plenty of Julbrew and a couple of pastries, Bob and Neville headed up the creek to catch up on 'old' times. As always fishing was foremost on the agenda. Bob landed a very nice 11kg Ladyfish (ably assisted by Neville - well someone had to hold the bottles) and Neville notched up a couple of Red Snapper to 2kg and a big Wrasse.
04/04/05	David Richie & Daniel Lawerson - England	A last minute fishing session (before taking the guys to the airport) saw David and Daniel back up the creek. Unfortunately it appeared that the fish had also called it a day and gone home as only 1 Butterfish was caught all morning. Nevertheless, we'd like to thank both of them for their fantastic company over the last week and hope to see them again next year!
03/04/05	Andy Nicholls - England	What is it with Andy and his big fish????? Today's target species was Stingray and after another 30 minute fight, Andy was rewarded with a 30kg Fish. He then proceeded to follow this up with a nice 2kg Red Snapper, a Grouper and a couple of Frogfish.
02/04/05	David Richie & Daniel Lawerson - England	After yesterday's promising haul, the intrepid duo (still armed with their sea sickness tablets) headed out to Barra. Unfortunately, the Snapper had gone to ground, however they still managed to whittle out a 4kg Thick Lipped Grouper, more Catfish (well we haven't nicknamed them the Catfish Kings for nothing...), Sea Snakes and Frogfish.
01/04/05	Andy & Anne Nicholls - England	Andy, not messing around, was so sure that he was going to catch a BIG one, that he even brought his wife Anne along to witness the great event. And, sure enough, Anne was not disappointed. After watching Andy battle with a very big Snapper for over 1/2 an hour at Barra and seeing the boat being towed for over a mile, she finally had to be content with witnessing a 'baby' (Andy's words not ours) 10kg Snapper being landed. The pair then headed for the creek system where between them they managed to land some Snakes, Catfish, and a small Captain Fish.

March 2005

Ok, Ok, we know that we're very late updating the website this time and we have been working on it - between power cuts and 'burnt out' telephone lines - honestly! So, after a very mixed bag in February (both weather and fishing-wise) we're keeping everything crossed for our anglers this month. The weather must start to change soon and hopefully the fishing will begin to pick up to it's former glory as a result, but here goes...........

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
31/03/05	David Richie & Daniel Lawerson - England	A better day still awaited the guys at Gunjur, once we'd got the small matter of acquiring petrol out of the way. Accompanied by Dave and Chaz from Footsteps Eco Lodge, we whittled out 7 Catfish (including some of a very good size), a small Jack and 2 good-sized Butterfish.
30/03/05	David Richie & Daniel Lawerson - England	Armed with sea sickness tablets and plenty of sun tan cream, the duo headed up the creek for a more relaxing day with better results. Some small Captain fish, a nice Choff, Butterfish and a 1.5kg Tallapia.
29/03/05	David Richie & Daniel Lawerson - England	Another warm welcome to some new Hooked On Gambia customers in spite of the somewhat chilly start to the day. However after 5 hours the sun was beating down and with only one Catfish and David's 'mal de mer' getting worse, the guys decided to call it a day.
26/03/05	Malcolm Goodson - Spain	In spite of the choppy sea conditions and not being a sea angler, Malcolm endured 5 hours of sea sickness in order to land a fish of a lifetime. A whopping 26.5kg Red Snapper - and to all Malcolm's family of non-believers, you'd better believe it as we've taken the photo (which will be appearing very shortly on our Top 10 Catches page) to prove it! Although Malcolm thought that he only fought the fish for about 10 minutes, Dembo reckoned that the fight lasted more like 45 minutes. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun Malcolm? A BIG Hooked On Gambia well done to Malcolm!
25/03/05	Andrew Tweedie & Trudi Howden - England	A creek trip ("because Trudi's not really an angler and wants to see the monkeys at Lamin Lodge" according to Andrew) resulted in a nice 6kg Cassava, a couple of Red Snapper, a Grouper, 2 Frogfish and, yep you got it, a Snake. We're not sure whether they saw any monkeys though.....
22/03/05	Hooked On Gambia	Getting fishing withdrawal, we took Lady Rita out for a morning blast around Mantel Reef. And, even though the conditions weren't ideal, one big hit and run and only a couple of minutes later we had a nice 8kg Red Snapper to show for it. In addition to several small Captain Fish and some big Wrasse, it was well worth getting out of bed for we think you'll agree!
20/03/05	Alan Johnson - England	With one of the smallest tides of the year (1.18m) the only option open to anglers hoping to catch a few fish was to head over to Barra. Fortunately, Alan with his years of experience as captain of the combined armed forces angling team, had no problems catching 4 Cassava to 2kg and lots of small fish. However even years of experience can't help when the line parts after spending 20 minutes fighting a big Stingray or when a big Captain Fish decides to drop the bait after setting off like an express train!
15/03/05	Steve Barnes & Dave Coldwell - England	A day out fishing the inshore reefs was in order, and although the volume of fish caught wasn't great, the fish that they did have ( a 9.5kg Cassava, a couple of Butterfish and Catfish) and the Barracuda that was lost after feasting on Bonga fillet, more than made up for it.
10/03/05	Phillip Henley, Richard Henley & Paul Ritson - England	Last day for the the trio and a day up the creek was in order. Hopes were high as dinner consisting of the day's catch had been pre-arranged at MacDomara's in Bakau. Fortunately, the guys landed 3 small Grouper, a Red Snapper, Butterfish and lots of Frogfish, Catfish, Sunpats and even a Snake. Ok, so Dinner didn't include the Frogfish (even though it's a delicacy in Holland and Finland) or the Snake, but the Butterfish was rated way above the Snapper in terms of taste!
09/03/05	Emma Woodgate & Ian	Feeling disappointed on their behalf we offered Emma and Ian the chance to do a few hours Beach Fishing on this, the last day of their holiday. Unfortunately the swell off the rocks by MRC meant that fishing there was going to be near impossible, so we settled for a few hours 'dangling' off Denton Bridge itself. Although they lost 2 Cassava within minutes of getting started, the only fish landed was a 'Snake' and this from the shore adjacent to the bridge which became unfishable due to the strong current and weed in the water.
09/03/05	Phillip Henley, Richard Henley & Paul Ritson - England	Another day on the reefs, and another Cassava, more (8 to be precise) Butterfish, a small Grouper, Angel Fish, Wrasse and the ever present Frogfish.
08/03/05	Phillip Henley, Richard Henley & Paul Ritson - England	Back for more, the guys headed out to the inshore reefs where they landed 3 Cassava, a Ladyfish, 4 Butterfish a good sized Angel Fish and lots of small reef fish.
07/03/05	Emma Woodgate & Ian (sorry Ian but we forgot to write down your surname) - England	Unfortunately Barra didn't produce the goods for this lovely couple on their first holiday in The Gambia. Nevertheless, with a few Catfish landed and a chance to see the Creeks from the boat on their way back the duo were not entirely dissapointed.
06/03/05	Phillip Henley, Richard Henley & Paul Ritson - England	More new anglers for Hooked On Gambia and getting off to a good start - the 'boys' landed a Cassava of 8kg and a 7kg Ladyfish at Barra and then followed this up with a Red Snapper, 2 Grouper as well as Frogfish and Catfish in the Bolongs.
05/03/05	Adrian Mills, Brian Spencer & Gary Pengilley - England	Back together for their last day and a change of scenery was called for, so the guys headed out to Barra via the Creek system. A nice Grouper, a not so nice Snake, and plenty of Choff, Angel Fish and Frogfish kept the guys entertained for the day.
04/03/05	Adrian Mills & Brian Spencer - England	Another Reef day for Adrian and Brian (whilst Gary was dragged off by his 'missus' on some sightseeing tour) resulted in a small Ladyfish and lots of Butterfish, Wrasse etc.
03/03/05	Adrian Mills, Brian Spencer & Gary Pengilley - England	A very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome back to Adrian and Gary who we fished with in 2004. And it's good to see that they've brought 'fresh blood' with them in the form of Brian! Anyway, the intrepid trio got off to a good start on the reef with a nice Cassava of 5.5kg, some Butterfish and small Groupers.

February 2005

Well, none of us expected any further rain after the 20th January, but we were subjected to a proper downpour during the night of the 13th /14th (enough to quell any ardour brought on by Valentine's Day). In fact since the dreadful Tsunami Disaster in Asia, there has been a noticeable difference in the weather and sea patterns out here. The wind has continued blowing with little respite, and a combination of sizeable sea swell (resulting in 'dirty' water), and much colder air and sea temperatures, has not made for great fishing in comfortable conditions. Still, our anglers continue to brave the elements and are whittling out a few decent fish ..... and finally the Guitarfish are putting in appearance on some of the southern beaches.

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
27/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	After such a great day at Gunjur on the Friday, we all headed back there again for Nick's last day. Ok, so it wasn't as great today as the other day however 12 Sunpat, 1 Ladyfish, 2 small Jacks and 2 Catfish is still not to be sniffed at!!!
26/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	Back on the boat (without Julie again) and out to the reef losing a really big Snapper before heading back in to the Creeks for some smaller Red Snapper.
25/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	A day's Beach Fishing at Gunjur (so that Julie his 'better half' could join in the fun) saw a feeding frenzy. OK so none of the fish were really big but at last count it was 17 Sunpats, 1 Butterfish, 4 Captain Fish, 3 Catfish, 2 small Jack's and 2 Yellow Fin's..... Now that's what we call fishing!!!!
24/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	A change of tactics and Nick headed up the Creeks before heading out to Barra with better results - a 5kg Black Grouper, a 2kg Ladyfish and 2 small Red Snapper, and we're still waiting.....
23/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	Hoping for better things, Nick headed out to the Reefs again, this time landing a couple of small Ladyfish and some Butterfish, and we're still waiting for that big one....
22/02/05	Nick Calvert - England	The first day's of Nick's second fishing holiday with us this year was pretty disappointing compared to the last day of his last holiday when he caught his 130+kg Stingray. Only a Butterfish, Wrasse and some Angel Fish but fish nonetheless!
19/02/05	Ian Cooke - England	Another day at Barra for Ian and although he lost a Barracuda, he did however bring in the biggest pompano that we have seen out here weighing in at 5kg. Well Done Ian!
18/02/05	Ian Cooke - England	A trip over to Barra for a day's sea fishing saw Ian losing 4 big hits but he finally got into the swing of it and came back with a couple of nice Grouper to 3.5kg.
14/02/05	Rik Ruhe & Bas Verbruggen - Holland	One last day for the guys and with the rain clouds still threatening, they headed off to the reefs again. Maybe the rain was the trigger that we were all looking for, as Rik and Bas came back with a 10.5kg Cassava, 3 small Captain Fish, lots of Angel Fish, Doctor Fish, and Frogfish and we won't talk about the 3 hits that they missed! We hope that you enjoyed your week with us as much as we enjoyed your company and we look forward to seeing you both again next year!
13/02/05	Rik Ruhe & Bas Verbruggen - Holland	Once again the weather got the better of us and our planned day's beach Fishing became a safari to Sanyang and down on to Kartung and the Alahein River instead. And, the closest that any of us got to any fish was a brief stop at Tanji Fishing Village on our way.
12/02/05	Andy & Bob - The Gambia	We awoke this morning to weather which resembled a cold British Cod Fishing morning in the Bristol Channel and, if hadn't been for promising to take Andy out on the boat prior to his return to the UK after 1 year, we would probably have hunkered down under the duvet. However, undeterred and wrapped up in their fleeces these two lilly livered expats braved the elements but called a halt to the day after only catching Frogfish and heading for the warmer environment of MacDomara's Bar in Bakau!
11/02/05	Rik Ruhe & Bas Verbruggen - Holland	Another change in weather saw a Barra and Creek Combo day and resulted in only a couple of Frogfish.
10/02/05	Rik Ruhe & Bas Verbruggen - Holland	A full day on the inshore Reefs saw the guy's catching a 4kg Barracuda, losing another, as well as a good sized Grouper, Wrasse and lots of Angel Fish and Frogfish.
09/02/05	Rik Ruhe & Bas Verbruggen - Holland	A very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome to Rik & Bas on their first fishing holiday in The Gambia. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a full day's sea fishing became a Creek and Reef combo day due to weather conditions. Nevertheless, the guys managed to land an 8kg Barracuda and lost a big Red Snapper before being forced in to the Creeks where they landed a 1kg Red Snapper and 3 Frogfish.
08/02/05	Pertti & Marju Lindgren - Finland	With weather conditions such that ALL sea trips were cancelled, Pertti and Marju headed up the creek system in the search of anything remotely fishy. And, although they only landed a couple of Frogfish (which are also a delicacy in Finland apparently) they assured us that they had had a great day!
03/02/05	Hooked On Gambia	After a beautiful ride down the River Alahein (on the Senegalese border) in a dug out canoe we found an ideal 'swim' although not necessarily ideal conditions, in order to do some fishing. All too soon, after another Guitarfish, Butterfish, Several Sunpat and Wrasse were landed, we had to head on back before tide and wind prevented the oarsman from making the return trip.
02/02/05	Mark & Sandy Champion - England	Mark & Sandy's last day with Hooked On Gambia found us Beach fishing at Gunjur. And, before the wind forced us all off the beach (whereupon we noticed that 2 boat rods and reels had 'disappeared' from out of the back of the Land Rover) the guys managed to notch up a Guitarfish, a couple of Catfish, a small Captain Fish, a Green Butterfish, a small Jack and a Tallapi.

January 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Apologies to all our readers for the delay in updating the website, but what with Christmas, then New Year, not to mention a recurrence of the frequent power cuts that we experience out here, the time has just flown by! We were all expecting rain again on the 11th, but didn't get any until the 20th and then it was only a fine drizzle for an hour before the blue skies reappeared. Earlier in the month we suffered from dust storms brought down from the Sahara affecting visibility (especially on the water) and the wind with tide has meant a couple of days in the creek or a good soaking crossing the sandbar at Denton. But nevertheless, the fishing has been picking up and bigger Barracuda (around the 25kg mark) have been caught over at Barra even in the roughest conditions on deep diving Rapala lures. So here's to some more great fishing for all our anglers in 2005!

Date:	Angler's Name & Country Of Origin	Species & Catch Details
31/01/05	Mark & Sandy Champion - England	Still tired from their previous day's exertions, Mark & Sandy opted for a quiet day in the creek system. Unfortunately a chain of events unfolded, starting with the loss of a 50lb rod and reel overboard and then the steering cable sleeve being shorn off, resulting in an early finish and an enforced day off on the 1st of February whilst the steering was sorted out.
30/01/05	Mark & Sandy Champion - England	Quite clearly the reefs had been holding back on us, but by mid morning a phone call revealed that the pair were in to something really big - At Last! A further phone call after3 hours revealed that the everyone on board was nearing exhaustion as whatever it was showed no sign of surfacing. With instructions to cut the line we held our breath .... after 3 and a half hours we received yet another call from the boat to say that the fish had been landed and that they were on their way back to Denton Bridge. Another BIG Stingray, weighing in at 60kg! Well Done Guys!
29/01/05	Mark and Sandy Champion - England	Back for more, Mark & Sandy managed to add a small Captain Fish and a rogue Ladyfish to their catch list. The Ladyfish was scooped up in the landing net after escaping from the local fishermen's nets.
28/01/05	Mark & Sandy Champion - England	Another quiet day for the duo, once again the inshore reefs only produced Butterfish, Wrasse and Angel Fish.
27/01/05	Mark & Sandy Champion - England	Champion by name but not when it came to the Tarpon fishing. Once again these elusive fish failed to put in appearance and all that the couple had to show for their efforts were a few small Catfish.
26/01/05	Steve Mulholland, Vicky Davies & Malcolm Hale - England	Another quiet day at sea however the trio did manage to find a couple Red Snappers, a Grouper, Wrasse and even landed a squid!
24/01/05	Alistair & Mike Courtney - England	After a few days off Lady Rita was heading back out to the inshore reefs looking for a repeat performance of the 17th. Sadly, in spite of trying several marks and a mix of trolling and bottom fishing Alistair and Mike could only find Butterfish, and the smaller reef fish including Wrasse, Angel Fish, Doctor Fish, Scorpion Fish and some Mullet.
17/01/05	Nick Calvert - England	With Peter nursing swollen feet, Nick was not giving up on his last day out. And what a day - by midday, the phone line was red hot with news of a 'massive' Stingray. Could this be the same fish that Andy & Brian lost several days ago? Now we're not sure whether it was the fact that Peter was not on board or that Nick had left his camera ashore, but either way we only have eye witness reports. The fight lasted a mere half an hour, with the rod being passed between Nick & Dembo (as Nick's forearm kept cramping up) and the fish was dragging the boat in to the reef. A case of sht or bust, the guys managed to get the 130+ kg Stingray* to the side of the boat and touch the leader before releasing it. So, Nick we've decided that based on the eyewitness reports from the other boat in the vicinity and the very act of releasing the fish you deserve the No. 1 spot on our league table - WELL DONE! The 3.5kg Cassava, 2 small Ladyfish, small Captain Fish and Catfish that the guys also caught pale into insignificance in comparison.
16/01/05	Nick Calvert & Peter Hallam - England	With Peter back on board, the guys decided on a change of tactics and headed out to the inshore reefs for some bottom fishing resulting in a 7.5kg Cassava (OK guys, at least they're getting bigger) a nice 'Striped' Snapper as well as the usual; assortment of Wrasse, Angel Fish etc.
15/01/05	Nick Calvert - England	Nick, hoping that without Peter his luck might change, headed back out to Barra and landed 2 Barracuda to 4.5kg but saw no action from any of the bigger fish that had been caught there over the previous few days.
14/01/05	Nick Calvert & Peter Hallam - England	An earlier start to get to Barra before the masses, saw the boys land a small Barracuda, before heading in to the Creeks for Red Snapper, Ladyfish, Frogfish and Sea Snake.....arghhh!
13/01/05	Nick Calvert & Peter Hallam - England	Although an auspicious date for Hooked On Gambia, today was not the day for Nick & Pete who tried everywhere (including Barra where another boat hooked in to a 24kg Barracuda the previous day) and only caught more Butterfish, Wrasse and Angel Fish.
12/01/05	Nick Calvert & Peter Hallam - England	Another very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome back to the boys from Cheshire in spite of the chilly and windy conditions at Denton in the morning! The pressure was on to produce as Nick, had indicated that he wanted the No. 1 spot back on our Top 10 catch table. Unfortunately, a day out on the reef produced little more than Butterfish, Livebait and Frogfish. Sorry Guys!
09/01/05	Elaine Morris - The Gambia, & her grandaughters Olivia & Kimberley - England	A 'girly' day up the creek produced a nice Red Snapper, lots of Angel Fish, Sunpats, small Captain Fish and the Frogfish that have finally made their way back.OK so we may have lost more than we caught, but we did produce another 2 confirmed female anglers - Well Done girls!!!
06/01/05	Amerens & Joey Kant - Holland	One last trip for the father & son combo and with light winds, hopes of getting Joey out to Barra were high. However, after a no show at barra the guys headed back in to the Creek systems to the wrecks where they boated 2 Red Snappers and lost a much bigger fish when the hook snapped?!*!
05/01/05	Andy Nicholls - England & Brian Hughes - Scotland	The boys, back for more big fish, headed out to the Reef again. And even with 2 Barracuda to 5kg, the only talk upon their return to Denton was of the 'Monster' that dragged the boat over half a mile for a period of 45 minutes, before snapping the 50lb line and wearing all three anglers out. There's always a next time guys!
04/01/05	Amerens Kant - Holland	This time, minus Joey, Amerens was determined to get out on the reef in spite of the wind. And, with good results: a nice Barracuda of 4kg (we won't mention the 2 that were lost), 3 Grouper to 3kg, Butterfish, Wrasse and Frogfish (who still haven't found their way back in to the Creek system).
03/01/05	Tara, Colin, Clive & Chelsea - Footsteps Eco Lodge, Gunjur	A welcome back to to Denton Bridge for the Footsteps team for a family day up the Creek. 2 'Monster' Butterfish, a Red Snapper, a 'Puffa' fish and a small Ladyfish coupled with a lot of laughter made for another great day out!

To return to the top of this page click here.....

To return to our Recent Catch information page, click here.....

To see what was caught by anglers fishing in The Gambia in 2006 click here......, 2004 click here...... and in 2003 here......