Measuring Fish and the Korean 'Wolcheok'

For anglers, size is both a bragging right and a record. But the same fish measures differently depending on where you start and stop.

Total length and standard length

• Total length: from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Anglers usually mean this.
• Standard length: from the snout to where the tail fin begins. Used in research and some rules.
• Pre-anal length: for fish like hairtail, whose tail tapers to a thread, length is sometimes measured from the snout to the anus.

Legal minimum sizes also specify which length they use for each species.

What is a wolcheok?

An old Korean unit, one ja, is about 30.3 cm. A crucian carp longer than one ja is called a wolcheok, literally "beyond a ja." Crucian carp take years to pass 30 cm, so a wolcheok is every carp angler's dream. Bigger fish get nicknames by size, such as "4-ja class" for 40 cm fish.

Recording your catch

• Lay the fish flat on a measuring board with its mouth closed.
• Gather the tail naturally and measure to its tip.
• Take a photo with the scale visible so the record counts.
• If you're releasing the fish, measure quickly with wet hands and return it right away.