Is it a pike or a perch? It's neither; it's a zander.
Having finished reading my first book of 2023 (reviewed in detail here ) I was able to set out to catch the first species of the planned target of 25 species for the calendar year. For personal and logistical reasons that I'll explain below, t here was only one species that I would set out to catch first: the zander ( Sander lucioperca ). As will also become clear, having zander as species #1 allowed me a direct way to illustrate some statistical concepts and techniques. So, if you are here for some stats, you will have to read some nonsense about fishing first. Similarly, anyone interested in fishing can skip the long middle section of this post concerning statistical matters. I was a keen angler in my childhood and teenage years but there were limited places to fish in the part of Kent where I grew up in the 1970s. Within biking distance of my home there were just a couple of gravel pits. I could fish these pits because I was a member of the local angling club; but the pickings w...