mistery fish/fahan/Donegal 8/9/08

[b]People me/the son/and dauther

[b]Duration 2.45pm to 6.20pm

[b]Tide L/W at 5.47pm

[b]Weather brill:

[b]Bait mackerel/squid

[b]Rigs 4.0 hook pulley rig

[b]Results a few thornbacks, and a lost mistery fish




[b]Report time for low tide at fahan were just right so we went down to pass a few hours. as useal we started getting the rays, they were all on the small side. but they were hitting the rods very hard, and thats the best bit, no little taps on the rods, just good solid rod benders. i was changeing the bait on my Dauthers rod and i seen a massive pull on the rod i had out at distance, stood by the rod for a few minutes waiting for another pull, nothing was happening, so i put the click on and left it on free spool. went on with rebaiting the Dauthers rod. then my reel started to scream, soon as i lifted the rod i flipped it off free spool and gave it a good strike. jes: it took off like a bullet at the end up i could not tighten the drag anymore and it was still takeing line of me, when i did get a bit of control i could feel it shakeing its head. then he headed off on another run, this time there was no stoping it. it took nearly every bit of line off my reel before it finaly broke free dont know what it was, never even got a look at it. the only thing i can think of was maybe a tope. but i'll never know!!!

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

a big bass

Another great session that mark is really producing for you nice shot of fighting the mystery fish hopefully next time you'll land it be interesting to see what it was do you get any tope up that way??

do ye get any skate up that direction, could be one of those.

The son and daughter have left for malin head today for a week, maybe you could give them some tips, they will never be off the pier.

sounds exactly like a tope, double hit two long runs...

Given where you were fishing, that would have to be a tope wouldnt it? However, incredulous it may sound but didnt the lads from rathmullan charters have a Porgie not too far away at the Hawks nest in shallow water last year? Prob a tope though, nice one but unlucky on losing it. Just to throw it into the mix, there were also (unconfirmed) reports of a common skate being taken at Buncrana pier but thats many years ago. Bet you'll be digging out the wire traces and mack flappers for your next visit there all the same.....

I really have no idea what that mystery fish could have been.
However, I am sure of one thing and that is the pain and disappointment I would be feeling after losing such a fish - especially after not even catching a glimpse of it!!

Well done anyway and I really, really hope you land it the next time. I'd love to find out what it was.

All the best,
John D.

sorry wrong date on post was yersterday the 7th

thanks for your replys lads,
but going by the nature of the run i tend to belive that it was indeed a tope, on the frist run it took app; well over 100m of line off the reel, with his second run it nearly empted the reel, and this reel holds 250m of 15lb line. the brake off was on the leader( 60lb line ) when i checked it, the last meter or so above the brake was very rough and messed up.
the swilly dose get good runs of tope every year, but never this far up towards the marina, but ones have been got off the shore just across the lough at rathmullan.
spot on there petekd, next time there will be a rod out with trace and a mac;flapper
gravel, malin head is alive at the minute with mac;/coalies/garfish/scad and pollock,
tell the son and Dauther to use crab, always plenty laying about the pier.
other highlight of the day ( which put the smile back on my face ) was three guys out on one jetsky acting the maggot, next thing the three of them went flying threw the air, and the jetsky left upside down
heres a pic; not very good thou; but i could'ent stop laughing

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

def a tope ,,, if your going for em next time try using a 200lb mono pully rig,,,, and if you can use your drag 15lb main line is fine with a longer leader to help land him close to shore,,,,

nice fishing, as for the mystery fish i saying tope as they are in the swilly, now where did i put the wire traces