Species Fishing Blog: May 2011

Do a little image search on Galata Bridge and you will find hundreds of photos of a bridge jammed packed with anglers fishing. This is a bridge in Istanbul that crosses the Golden Horn. The bridge has two levels. The bottom lines with stores and restaurants an top is used for cars, trams and of course fishing.

I hadn't brought any fishing equipment on this trip as I was I travelling light across Eastern Europe. Hooks or any other sharp object can't be brought onto carry on luggage and I didn't want to be weighed down with cargo lugguge. Thankfully there were are few shops on the Galata end of the bridge which sold fishing gear and managed to get a small telescopic rod and a set of feathers for about £5.

I hopped right back on the bridge, I lined myself up next the the very first angler and dropped my feathers into the deep. It was quite deep but after a few minutes, I had my first İstavrit [#127] on the line. İstavrit or Mediterranean Horse Mackerel seem to be the most common fish being caught here, although I did see a few mullet in some of the buckets on the bridge. I did manage to catch quite a few and even came back the next day to catch some more. None of them were of a decent size, but it was still a new species.

Mediterranean Horse Mackerel - Trachurus mediterraneus #127

Mediterranean Horse Mackerel - Trachurus mediterraneus

Mediterranean Horse Mackerel - Trachurus mediterraneus

There is a little fish market just near where I bought my fishing gear. I really love going to fish markets as it gives me a chance to see what's around nearby. Here is a little sample: