Boat fished Wimbleball today, a beautiful day with bright sunshine and virtually no wind. We spent most of the day exploring which was quite interesting as the water is so low. Fishing was hard but we managed 7 bows and 4 small browns between us. We also counted over 30 cormorants which equates I guess to at least 150 fish a week. Just after we came in we spoke to 2 anglers who told us that they had caught an Arctic Char. We were to say the least surprised and asked to have a look expecting to see a tiger trout or some cross breed. There was no denying that it was a char and was about 2.5 lbs. Sadly I didn't have a camera to take photos. I have not heard of a char being caught in Wimbleball before and wonder how it might have got there.
Bill

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Handeman

A strange one that?
Normally Arctic char reside in glacial lakes/lochs such as those in the Lake District and most of Scotland.

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

This is interesting and also that is one big char for a british capture!! It should be noted that they are present in SOME glacial llyns in Wales and SOME glacial lochs in Scotland just in case anybody gets the impression they are widespread. TC

This could be were it originated from. Good to spice up the winter fishing

Arctic char for stillwaters - News - STFA Stillwater Trout Fisheries' Association

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

Sorry WWB they are in loads of Scottish lochs.
Lochs Tay, Rannoch, Garry, Earn, Lubnaig, Ness,
Quioch, etc etc. These are just the ones I have caught them in.
I witnessed a "shoal" on Loch Garry one night that covered acres of water. There were thousands of fish on the surface.
The current record is over 9lbs from Loch Arkaig.

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

I have had an opportunity today to talk to Chris Hall the SWLT Fisheries Officer and he vaguely remembers that one of the suppliers stocking Wimbleball more than 10 years ago was experimenting with Arctic Char and with tiger trout and may have put a small number of fish in the reservoir. I can remember a tiger trout being caught a few years ago. That means that the fish has been in the reservoir for than 10 years, that is unless they are breeding, which I very much doubt. Wimbleball is a very deep reservoir over 150 feet in places but is the lowest that it has been in years, a good 40 ft below its high level. This may have something to do with the char being caught.
Bill

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Handeman