ray/skate or just dreaming

fishing last night off helvick pier using large softie crab and peeler cocktails (very large full softies) in the hope of a large bass, a few codling and a doggie obliged but think i may or may not have hooked into a large ray or skate aswell but unsure and if anybody with experience in catching these fish would help as all i can do is describe the fight . definate take of the bait but nothing dramatic, started to bring it in, put full pressure on it and very slowly gained line but felt almost like it was suctioned to the bottom , no runs or anything like that but definate life on the other end , im a big lad and full pressure from me means alot of pressure got it to within about 20 yards of the pier and it just freed suddenly. if it was a fish i would put it up there way above my previous biggest fish which was a conger about 20lb which was easy in comparison. i was casting in the same direction all night before and after no snags but it could easily have been someones fridge in the tide any expert analysis

could have been anything you want it to be seany that place is likely to throw up anything i had a similar experience one night down the quay only i got to see what i had hooked and was not impressed it turned out to be a big section of carpet

could have been anything you want it to be seany that place is likely to throw up anything i had a similar experience one night down the quay only i got to see what i had hooked and was not impressed it turned out to be a big section of carpet

was it at the carpets (see that coming) , just want my imagination fired up john never caught any type of ray before so dont know how they scrap

had the back of carpets wrote first but carpet was under carpets and it just looked wrong so ya it was down at the back of the carpet factory not saying that is what ya caught your probably better off not knowing actualy now that ive thought more about it the fish ya lost was a common skate that would have tipped the scales at 198lb

that would have tipped the scales at 198lb

about the same weight as a saturated persian rug , suppose i will never know might have to go back out there with a mack flapper nailed to the bottom