Norwegian record Twaite shad: 758 g

About Twaite shad

The twaite shad (Alosa fallax) is a large, silvery relative of the herring that lives at sea but runs up rivers to spawn. Adults are usually 25–40 cm, with the largest reaching around 50–60 cm. Behind the gill cover sits a line of six to ten dark spots, and the belly scales form a saw-toothed keel. It resembles the allis shad but has far fewer gill rakers. Twaite shad move in shoals in salt and brackish water and feed on planktonic crustaceans and fish fry. In spring, mature fish gather in estuaries and swim a short way up rivers to spawn over sand and gravel; the young grow up in the river and estuary before heading out to sea. The species ranges from North Africa to the Baltic and throughout the Mediterranean, but numbers have fallen because of overfishing, pollution and dams. In Norway it is only a rare visitor. Norwegian Red List 2021: Not Applicable (NA).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Ferskvann
• Best month: August

See the species guide

Biggest Twaite shad in FishComp

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How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.