Fish

Please help.

1. If the fisherman had not been so patient, he would not have caught so MANY? MUCH? fish.
2.There IS-ARE? not so MUCH-MANY? fish around the Shetlands now as before.
TIA

<<2)There are AS MUCH (or AS MANY) fish around the Shetlands now as before. >>

Do you use:

"are much"

often?

1. Many, unequivocally.
2. There are not so many fish around.