Realy someone please think about the logic of this.
easy one Mike - lying or cheating is a deliberate act that you can't realistically regulate against (even weighing in doesn't prevent it) so you have to accept that if someone decides to do that there's nothing ultimately you can do.
on the other hand an honest mistake about fish identification or reading a pair of scales accurately/fairly may happen to anyone - even faulty scales! However at least they tried and followed the required rules. Dave is about as experienced as anyone about estimateing fish weight - and whilst he is 95% right 95% of the time when he's wrong he can be miles out; conger and flats/rays being the hardest to estimate with huss/smoothies/spurs/tope close behind!
if someone says they weighed it I believe them; if someone says it weighed 6lb I believe it probably did ... but if you want to register it weigh it.
btw I realise you were simply letting us know what you caught in your first post - great - I'm responding to your specific 'challenge'.
Duncan I see your point but I still think that it (not you) is illogical 
However they were two clonking great fish and I am well pleased. Particulaly the Thornback which gave a fantastic fight stripping line of in huge ripping lunges several times. Certainly the best fight I have had from a fish for a long time.
Mad Mike
Mike
Those were obviously clonking fish and well done on your achievements.
Re: the registering of fish. We as a club don't have many rules but for fairness what rules we have need to be adhered to. I believe we do need to weigh fish and if after weighing you say your fish was gazillion pounds then it will be accepted
If guessing weights is to be adopted then I could over estimate the size of mine with you under estimating the size of yours which can exaggerate the outcome greatly and maybe embarrassing 
I accept that scales too can be out but at least we have half a chance of getting near to a proper weight with them
The club IS run on trust but we do all need points of reference to ensure things run smoothly and fairly (most of the time 
) The only other option would be to have a weigh in so all fish are weighed on the same scales but this would lead to loads of dead fish and would I feel be a step backwards which could also open us to criticism from the antis
There are other options but it can then start to get messy and personally I am happy with the rule as is but the club belongs to members so every opinion counts
Martin
All valid points above........but I would like to announce a far better catch that wasnt recorded.
Mark, sat alongside the quay behind Weymouth Angling Club, on friday evening, inadvertantly left his wallet, alledgedly almost as fat as Paul D's, on the wall. Spotted by his young son, who obeying his dads requests all day to shut up, decided it best to keep schtuum, and not report the heinous mistake his father had made. Once indie the club, after consuming the first of many intended stella's, Mark reached into his pocket to remove his wallet.......which wasnt there. It was on the wall Dad...says Ryan. Expletives ensued.......and we eventually found a bobby to report the lost item. Cards cancelled, and well miffed...this led us to board Nipper, and sail off into the dark night, to seek out a conger and bully or two.
Two days later, a kind member of the public calmly walks into a Lloyds bank in Birmingahm.....yes Birmingham, and hands in lost wallet, complete with the
Thanks for your reply's guys and in no way am I bitter about them not being recorded, I had a great time and that is the important thing after all. It's just that my trace of Mr Spocks Vulcan brain gags on the illogicality of the reasoning.
Mad Mike
I had a great time and that is the important thing after all.
Indeed it is, Comps are just a lottery after all
PJ
Mike,
Nice fish indeed - however, they have both been recorded as Thornbacks. I presume from your notes that the smaller one was an Undulate ?
I am still sceptical that an accurate estimate can be made by lifting the fish. ( I know I couldn't perform such a feat - and that fact alone would mean weighing "by hand" is not feasible).
Of interest - in the Utopia report on here there is a picture of my friend Steve holding an Undulate Ray - how heavy does everyone estimate this fish to be ?
Another dilema which I would have, assuming your Rays - sic. Skate 
were accepted for prize giving purposes with estimated weights, would be that as standing the larger Thornback would actually be Fish of the Month, just beating Gnasher's 5lb 2oz Bream by a fraction. ( A fraction which is easily within the error of your estimate ).
Happy to leave in the book as (est) weights, but I cannot put these forward for prizes, which is a shame, but those are the rules.
Happy to leave in the book as (est) weights, but I cannot put these forward for prizes, which is a shame, but those are the rules.
That sounds very fair Paul. Thank you I can live with that
I got them muddled up, the Thornback was easily the larger.
Today we bought the boat a digital camera and a set of digital scales. Mark my words not another bloody fish will cross our guwhales for the rest of this year!! 
By the way is it best to weigh a fish in the landing net and then deduct the weight of the net, or do you guys have special bags like carp anglers?
Mad Mike
Mike weighing in the net and deducting the weight of the net after is the easiest way and kindest to the fish and exactly what we do on Awol. Smaller fish you can use a carrier bag
Martin
there is little that won't fit in a bag for life plastic - tope and conger being exceptions.
equally most rays convert them from 'bag for life' to 'shredded plastic with handles' quite quickly - but definitely fish friendly. worth a few p - and if you don't catch big fish use them to transport your table catch home.
Good decision Mike
I am sure if you now have no call to use either you will be blaming the fishing gods
[Or me]
I hope your line is tight again soon
Charlie
there is little that won't fit in a bag for life plastic
just like this! The big bream i had being weighed. By holding the scales still and making sure the scales are zero'd after the net/bag/sling is added it is fairly easy to get an accurate weight despite snotty seas!
I only thought i'd take the pic at the time as i thought it was a record and wanted proof! equil record though
<a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="/oldforum/post-3-1182708762jpg" data-fileid="1841" rel=""><img src="/oldforum/post-3-1182708762jpg" data-fileid="1841" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="post-3-1182708762jpg">
I only thought i'd take the pic at the time as i thought it was a record and wanted proof! equil record though
You could be weighing anything in that bag though 
yes paul..... its a 5lb 2oz Blenny 