The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) met on 23rd June 2025 at the Natural History Museum, London.
Present were: Stephen Mardlin MBE (Chairman), Andy Nellist (Vice-Chairman), James Maclaine (Scientific Advisor, Natural History Museum), Nigel Hewlett (Freshwater Scientific Advisor), Paul Edwards (Wales Game Angling Representative), Oliver Crimmen (Marine Specialist), Paul Coulson (Freshwater Specialist) and Nick Simmonds (Secretary).
Mr David Craig (Ireland Sea Angling Representative), Mr Mat Mander (Marine Specialist) and Dr Phill Williams (Marine Specialist) participated remotely via online connection.
Apologies for absence were received from: Mr Tim Froome and Mr Richard Poole.
The committee considered and accepted the following record claims as being duly ratified:
Barbel (Barbus barbus), caught by James Crosby on 30th November 2024 from King’s Weir fishery on the River Lea and ratified at a weight of 22lb exactly. James’s capture is a great example of grabbing an unexpected opportunity. James was only able to go fishing as the result of a last-minute cancelled social engagement and he made the most of ideal fishing conditions to bank his new British record barbel.
Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) – shore-caught – by Michael Johnson on 25th February 2025 from Salcombe estuary, South Devon. Mike’s fish takes the vacant slot for a shore-caught halibut and the weight was ratified at 6lb and 12 drams. Mike also holds the shore-caught thornback ray record, also taken from Salcombe, in 2008, so he joins a very small number of anglers who hold two British records concurrently.
Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) – shore-caught – by Gareth Griffiths on 12th May 2025 from Stackpole Quay in Pembrokeshire and ratified at 86lb 13oz. This was angling guide Gareth’s fourth tope of over 70lb and topped a day when he also caught tope of 51lb and 56lb.
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The BRFC would like to remind its correspondents of the introduction of length-based record listings for sea fish, information about which was circulated in the BRFC’s press release of 25th June 2024 and which may be found here: BRFC introduction of length-based listings
The BRFC will shortly be adding qualifying lengths for claims for length-based records to the current sea fish record listings and encourages anglers to submit claims for length-based records.
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The next meeting of the BRFC was scheduled for 28th November 2025.
