Most Wanted : Fries' Goby.

There are over twenty species of goby in UK waters. For an obsessed species hunter like myself that's a lot of potential targets to ignore because they are small. Besides, the challenges faced when trying to catch the smallest of species can be just as interesting and difficult to overcome as those faced when trying to catch huge ones and I enjoy doing both. I have managed to catch eight species of UK saltwater goby so far and would like to try and add a ninth. Looking at the ones I've never had I have picked out Fries' Goby. There are a few reasons for this choice. With a maximum size of only 10cm they are small but they are one of the bigger goby species too which may make catching them a little easier. They are found in a few Scottish lochs too which means I don't have to travel too far to try and catch them. Finally they are beautiful little fish. Overall a violet shade with yellow spots on their flanks and fins as well as one yellow and one electric blue stripe along the edge of some of their fins.

Quite distinctive but could perhaps be mistaken for a leopard spotted goby.

They seem to like a soft sedimentary seabed and divers often see them in burrows in the same areas as langoustines. Certainly not a fish many anglers, if any, have ever caught let alone set out to deliberately. I'm looking forward to having a go though!

Tight lines, Scott.