Sorry, I've been driving all day and want to go back a page or so to comment on record recognition.
A record is what people want to believe it is. Some 40-50 years ago, when I was a callow yoof and did quite a lot of fishing, the British Record Fish Committee put their heads together and decided that a lot of British records were so long ago and the circumstances surrounding the capture of said fish were so doubtful that they would scrap a lot of records and start again. One record which was sacrosanct was Dick Walker's 44lb carp. He caught it in 1952 in Herefordshire and transported it in a van to London Zoo, where it lived until 1971. Walker was a very well respected angler, writer and journalist and he had photographic evidence of the fish when freshly caught. However, no evidence existed that he caught it legally on rod & line. Everyone trusted him.
The irony was that the BRFC stated that for certain species the record was "open" to claims over a certain weight. Walker had well-documented evidence of having caught a number of fish above the so-called "record" but none of his previous captures were recognised - I don't think he wanted them to be.
One of the most ridiculous records to be discarded was John Garvin's 53lb pike, caught in an Irish lough in the early 20th century, along with the fact that it regurgitated a 10lb salmon before it was weighed. There is no question that pike of this size exist (the largest pike with strong evidence was a 72lber caught in Loch Ken some time in the 19th century).I think most pike anglers still accept Garvin's as the record, and also the "modern" record which is in the low 40s. I don't know what the "modern" record is now, although one holder was That Gareth Edwards.
I think it is unfortunate that Bruce has chosen not to fit in with the standards set by Steve & Kurt, but I do not doubt for one moment that he is doing the miles he claims. If he does beat Kurt's record with his very solo attempt without raising suspicions about his bona fides, then I think in years to come people will recognise his efforts, even though it is outside the auspices of any organisation other than Strava. However, we are only 4 weeks in. I would be very surprised, and even more impressed than I have already been by Steve and Kurt, if he can pull this off.
