Sea Angling Ireland

After bagging myself a few smooth hounds of late I really wanted to catch one using my Penn Affinity rod with the light tip. This rod has changed the way I fish as it allows me to enjoy the fight of the fish in a whole new way. Using a fixed spool with 30lb braid I can feel the fish fight, pull and shake it's head not to mention the early warning bite signs. I've seen this rod buckle over for 2 or 3lb bass, codling and even some fair sized flounder.

The problem though is I would not cast with anything over 4oz with bait. So to get the bait out to where the smoothies were feeding was always going to be the problem. After much practice a clipped down "up and over" rig with a 4oz impact lead I was starting to get better distance with my casts. Not a very good caster I some how was able to see the mono on the reel after casting a few times. There was a spool of 100 yard 30lb braid added to this reel a few weeks back so I must have been getting at least 80 yards on her.

Loaded with a full crab bait I sent another cast out and waited. Must have been about 10 minutes when the rod tip started to shake and then a good strong bend. I struck into the fish and straight away felt a very heavy weight on the end of the line. What followed was a one of the best fights I've ever had from a fish. It ran and pulled all the way as I struggled to claw back line to my reel and with others looking on the pressure was mounting. After what seemed like an hour but probably five to ten minutes I could see the fins breaking the surf. As I battled to land the fish on incoming waves the rod was completely bent over and was making a "C" shape. Worried for my investment but eager to beach the fish I held my breath and with one last pull the Smoothie was dragged clean onto the beach.

Not the biggest smoothie I've ever landed but the biggest this year so far I was chuffed that my wish to land a smut on this rod had come true. The rod was well able for the pulling and tugging from the fish and I was left with two weak arms and a smile on my face. As I'm still learning so much about angling the rule of "match your gear to the fish" has been implemented so much this year. So often I have reduced my line to a smaller breaking strain, or opted for a smaller rod this combination allowed me to really enjoy the scrap and return the fish safely.

Great review Conor , I felt as if I was actually there, I could feel each pull and headturn of the Hound, and I could feel your relief as you beached him ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,hang on a minute,,,,,I WAS THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

great report conor ,you have whetted my apetite after reading that
report .i have a teknos sensi light paired with a penn 560 loaded with 30 lb braid .i can hit 80 yrds so it wont be to far of the distance for the hounds .im going to hit kilgorman thurs night
so i'll let you know how me and the rod get on

Cheers Mitch. Hope you do well on Thursday. It was hard fishing beside Dave he was hauling them out!

this brought a tear to my eye!you have seen the light:-)