[Hamish Young]

Just saw this elsewhere http://salmo-blog.com/loch-leven-record-smashed/ and to be honest I'm quite surprised it's a record that has stood at Leven for so long. Now that's a muckle trout.

H

[Ben Dixon]

Nice fish, well it was until it was smacked on the head.  I hope it's captor is very very proud of himself 

[Rob Brownfield]

What a dignified and fitting end for a magnificent fish like that...dumped in a bag in the bottom of the boat!  I thought attitudes were changing.

I do believe at least one bigger Brownie has been taken in recent times from Leven, but not by a fly angler. I believe the photo may now be in Active Angling (used to be in the Stirling Angling Centre).

[Iain Cameron]

Nice fish, well it was until it was smacked on the head.  I hope it's captor is very very proud of himself 

nothing sadder than a dead fish :-(
pointless.

[Ben Dixon]

Was probably bleeding or a "definite cannibal" therefore had to die for either its own good or that of the fishery....

[Allan Liddle]

Yup agree shame he tapped it on the head digital scales and cameras remove the need for this now and you're certainly regarded much higher and fish admired much more if you return it.
Ok admit a bit of double standards and a wee dilema if i caught it in a Scottish National (not that i fish competitions now but have done in the past) although in this instance i think it was a pleasure day so why not simply put it back???

Well done buddy, but sad you'll be rememberd by many for the wrong reason.

[Ben Dixon]

Ok admit a bit of double standards and a wee dilema if i caught it in a Scottish National (not that i fish competitions now but have done in the past)

Does this still go on at Scottish Nationals Alan?

[Euan Innes]

I particularly love the "fish in a bucket" shot - classy.....  :X

I can't think of anything else to say really.

 

[Mike Barrio]

Thoughts from Loch Leven Fishery on their blog ......... http://lochlevenfisheries.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/loch-leven-record-smashed/#comment-635

[Noel Kelly]

Lol are you guys for real! Nothing sadder than a dead fish....nothing... really Iain are you actually serious?

Given where, length of time the record has stood and the millions? of trout that have been caught there in the years since that record was set then damn right, claim the record. 
I certainly would.

[Hamish Young]

That's fair comment Noel, there's a good chance of being seen as huggy feely bleeding heart new age folk if you lament the loss of every single fish.
It is possible to be a wee bit too emotional/precious about these things and lambasting the captor publicly is a new blood sport in some ways

I do still knock the occasional fish on the head, but I am not sure what I'd do if I were faced with a trout of that size and the quandary of to keep or to return. The amount of will power it would take to return such a fish is possibly beyond me, when it happens again I'll let you know what happened 
With that said, that is a record fish.
It warranted better treatment and should have been brought in to be weighed much earlier than it was.
Otherwise it looks like just another dead fish and whilst a significant development for the fishery it is just another dead fish.
Smoked or stuffed do you think

H

[Noel Kelly]

Agreed re the treatment, weighing and photos! It's very odd to leave a fish like that lying in the boat for hours!

I've had a go at people in the past for killing trout from certain places or in certain circumstances but in this case I think it's justified. I release 97.42% of the fish I catch myself but if fishing ever became cumpulsory 100% c&r I think I wouldn't be fishing anymore.

[Iain Cameron]

Lol are you guys for real! Nothing sadder than a dead fish....nothing... really Iain are you actually serious?

Fair point Noel... Bit of a throwaway comment on my part, i know one chapped fish isn't significant. Ach, it's just a shame to see a rare big guy like that get chapped. Worse seeing it in a bucket mind!

[Mike Barrio]

Must confess that I am a tad surprised that the angler didn't go straight in to the pier to get photos and weight etc while the fish was freshly caught.
Certainly a cracking old trout that was probably a bit bonnier when it was netted

Cheers
Mike

[Noel Kelly]

No worries Iain, it's kinda a funny statement looking back at it luckily you've got the self appointed Internet police to keep you in check!