An unusual catch: Dave Druce with his undulate rays of 14-11-4 and 12-8-15 as reported last week. (0612700)

IT HAS been a frenetic fortnight as regards record fish.

First we had Simon Newton breaking the British and Bailiwick bests for shore-caught Couch’s sea bream and now we have claims for the national and local boat-caught record for Spanish mackerel and for a local freshwater record. Kevin Beausire caught the Spanish mackerel at Banc au Nord. It was not caught on feathers as you might have expected but took a legered sandeel.

This is a comparatively rare fish in local waters with only one or two being reported each year. The Bailiwick best stands at 1-2-2, a fish caught by Chris Perchard east of Herm in August 2001, while the British record is a 1-5-4 fish landed off Cornwall in 2001.

When placed on the Record Committee’s scales, Beausire’s fish weighed 1-5-7. As part of the necessary formalities, to claim the national record the scales have to be tested by the Guernsey Trading Standards Service. It is hoped the test of the scales will prove their accuracy. With only three drams between Beausire’s catch and the current record, a small inaccuracy could well prove to be vital.

Not surprisingly, Beausire has entered the Spanish mackerel in the July Fish of the Month competition.

The new freshwater record fell to Steve Le Cloarec. He legered a boilie at one of the Guernsey Freshwater Angling Society’s waters and caught a 16-13-0 grass carp. It easily beats the current 16-5-8 record, which was caught by Paul Priaulx in September.