So, what do you think it was...?

[Bob F]

As Rich mentioned in his trip report yesterday, I had an interesting encounter whilst out on the Pinnicle (120ft deep on the slates).

 

I'd had a couple of very small knocks on my rod and left it to develop for a while. Nothing much happened, so I decided to reel in and rebait. But the rig was stuck in the bottom. I slackened off and hoped it would release itself.

 

After a short wait I tried again, and it was free, but with what felt like a pouting on the end, About 10 ft up I felt something a lot bigger, and called out to Rich that I was in. A couple of seconds later and I was crying that I'd lost it.

 

Suddenly fearing that the fish had climbed in the water I reeled in fast and about half way up I felt a heavy thump again, and shouted to Rich that I'd still got it. But within a second it had gone again.

 

This time I could feel the weight of the lead, so I just reeled in normally. It still felt like I had a small fish on, so I looked over the side to see what was coming up. I could just make out the typical spinning of a Pout when out of nowhere a large shadow shot in and the line snapped.

 

It all happened so fast that I wasn't really sure what I had seen.

 

I reeled in the line to find my 70lb mono trace had been cleanly bitten off.

 

Rich then got some knocks on his rod and reeled in to find my Pout caught on his line about 15 ft down. The barb of my hook had got caught on his braid.

 

I simply pulled it off. The remains of my pennel rig was hanging from it's mouth, but there were no marks on the Pout at all(???).

 

When I got home, I had a look at the other half of my rig which I'd slung in the weight box on the boat. It was then that I noticed there was only 2ft of it left.

 

Now, I was using a 4ft rig of 70lb mono. 6ins were hanging from the Pouts mouth and 2ft was left on my line. So, what had happend to the other 18ins??!!??

 

Could it really have been a shark with an 18 inch gape???

 

And why were there no marks on the Pout?

 

Perhaps it was a shark with poor eyesight that misjudged the its lunge at the Pout.

But what were to two heavy tugs I felt whilst reeling in? If it was a shark having a go at the large Pouting, why weren't there any marks on the fish??

 

Tis a mystery and will just go down as another fishermans tale, I suppose.

 

Had me spooked for a bit, though.

 

BF

 

 

 

 

[Adam F]

Maybe it was a real old shark.....gummy, no teeth and half blind!!

[great white]

Sounds as if the beast had teeth and was fast so ether a Shark or Tope.

 

The othe bites may have ben from something else, that pulled your pennel into two as it had a go at the bait

 

may even have been a large whiting or another larger pout. I have caught double hook ups of both these species on a single pennel rig lots of times.

 

I expect that the larger fish you saw had a few goes at the top fish before also biting the line.

even a small tope can easily bite 70lb nylon.

 

 

We will never know , but its good to know some bigger fish are still about.

Even if the weather will not let us get at them.

 

Better luck with the beast next time Bob.

Charlie

 

 

[Newboy]

Maybe it was a real old shark.....gummy, no teeth and half blind!!

Now you mentioned it, where is old mad mike nowadays?

[Bob F]

I believe there are some family health problems.

 

BF

[overdraft]

Bob are you sure Rich did'nt spike your tea!! as he seems to be very quite on the subject?