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EveryFish

Sport fishing

Prized by anglers. 302 fish on EveryFish so far.

Sport fishing, or recreational angling, is fishing for enjoyment rather than a living. Hundreds of millions of people fish this way, from children with a line in a pond to anglers who travel the world for marlin, tarpon or mahseer. Game fish are prized for their fight, size, wariness or the places they live. Catch and release, in which fish are returned alive, has become common for many species.

Game fish of India

The mahseers of the Himalaya and the Western Ghats are India's great game fish, known for their power in fast rivers. British anglers wrote about them from the 19th century, and camps on the Kaveri ran catch and release fishing for the hump-backed mahseer for decades. Trout introduced into Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the Nilgiris draw anglers to cold streams. Sea anglers fish for giant trevally, barracuda and sailfish off Goa, Karnataka and the Andaman Islands.

Rules and conservation

Recreational fishing is a large industry in North America, Europe and Australia, and it funds a good deal of fish conservation through licence fees. Anglers can also put real pressure on stocks, so many countries set seasons, bag limits and minimum sizes. The International Game Fish Association, founded in 1939, keeps world records and promotes ethical angling. Catch and release survival depends on careful handling, short fights and quick return.

Famous sport fishing fish

Golden mahseerThe golden mahseer of Himalayan riversOrange-finned mahseerThe hump-backed mahseer of the KaveriAtlantic blue marlinA giant billfish prized by sea anglersAtlantic tarponA leaping fish of warm coastsLargemouth bassAmerica's most popular sport fishBrown troutStocked for anglers across the worldGiant trevallyA powerful reef predatorBonefishA fast fish of tropical flats

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
🇸🇪 Sweden and 3 moreIde A freshwater cyprinid native to Europe and Asia, widely kept in ornamental ponds.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRohu A large silver carp from South Asian rivers, farmed for food and prized as a game fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCreek chubs Small North American minnows with a distinctive dorsal spotCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇪 Kenya and 4 moreRipon barbel A large freshwater cyprinid from East African lakes and rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1900 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 1 moreGolden mahseer Large cyprinid fish from Himalayan riversCarp · Rivers and lakes WorldMinnow Small freshwater fish from the Cyprinidae family used as bait and food.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreBarbel Carp-like freshwater fish with distinctive mouth barbelsCarp · Rivers and lakes EuropeAsp A predatory freshwater fish native to Europe and western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCommon chub Stocky freshwater fish found across Europe and northern Eurasia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇷 FranceCommon bleak A small, silvery freshwater fish found across Europe and Western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldTench Slippery freshwater fish with olive-green skin and red eyes.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 EuropeCommon bream A deep-bodied European freshwater fish popular with anglers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇦🇺 AustraliaCommon roach A widespread European freshwater fish with red fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreSmallmouth yellowfish A hardy sport fish native to South Africa's Orange-Vaal river system.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 2 moreLargemouth yellowfish Large freshwater barb from southern African rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreTrout barb A slender carp living in fresh waters near the Bay of BengalCarp · Rivers and lakes WorldTorinae A subfamily of large freshwater carps known as mahseers, found across Asia and Africa.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 4 moreOlive barb A cyprinid fish native to South and Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaOrange-finned mahseer Critically endangered freshwater game fish from India.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 2007 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreTor mahseer Large cyprinid fish of Himalayan rivers with record-sized scales.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreTor khudree A large freshwater carp native to Indian rivers, known for its silvery body and red fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1838 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreBata A slow-moving freshwater carp native to India and Bangladesh.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreSilver carp A filter-feeding freshwater fish native to Asia, now invasive in North America.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1844 WorldCarp A broad term for freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family, valued as food and sport.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreGrass carp Large herbivorous freshwater fish used for weed control and food.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreBighead carp A large Asian freshwater fish farmed globally and invasive in North America.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCrucian carp A European cyprinid known for surviving winter ice by converting lactate to ethanol.Carp · Rivers and lakes

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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