bad times

[Neil G]

At the beginning of the year I hooked what looked like a very big pike, saw the flash of it's side and knew it was a biggie.

 

Being a resident of a deep, stong flowing river it took off and I couldn't stop it at all

[Steve Walker]

I remember hooking something on the Severn at Ironbridge. It was presumably a very big barbel, I never got to see it. I suppose it could have been a big pike or a salmon, but realistically I think barbel. I was using match angler's feeder gear, and this thing just turned and headed for Bristol. I followed it downstream until a large willow stopped me, couldn't risk giving it any more line and it broke me.

[Anderoo]

I hope my brother doesnt see this thread as he lost a real lump on Saturday evening!

 

Ive never (knowingly) lost a real big fish but I was so gutted when Andrew lost his I can imagine how bad it must be.

 

What do you reckon it was Budgie...?

[Dick Dastardly]

What do you reckon it was Budgie...?

 

Definately a big carp but how big we will never know.

[Newt]

And you folks wonder why I like using 50lb powerpro line routinely and 80lb if conditions are tough.

[Anderoo]

Definately a big carp but how big we will never know.

 

Ouch, bad luck Andrew.

[Andrew Burgess]

I hope my brother doesnt see this thread as he lost a real lump on Saturday evening!

 

Ive never (knowingly) lost a real big fish but I was so gutted when Andrew lost his I can imagine how bad it must be.

 

Too late Budgie already seen it

 

Definately a big carp but how big we will never know.

 

A big carp alright and we shall never know how big it was or what the true weight will be. If I did manage to land it it would have certainly smash my personal best carp, but it did fought very well and I tried very hard and my best to bring it in but not in this case! Really a bit disappointed but I will keep trying for it

 

Ouch, bad luck Andrew.

 

Cheers Mate

[lutra]

I once pulled my boat in on Windermere so the dog could go for a pee and as he disappeared in the woods for a while I idly (and stupidly) cast a plug over the wide marginal shelf from the back of the boat. I promptly hooked by far the biggest pike I've ever had on in there. Playing a fish in deep water over the edge of a rocky shelf only has two possible results and I got the bad one. I do hope someone else hooked the same fish and got the plug out of it.

At least in that situation if I'd been quicker jumping from the boat and wading out I'd have had a chance. Several times I've hooked salmon in the Ribble on light float gear and it's just a no win situation. Sod's law dictates that I only hook them when it's bank high, so they swim past a tree and it's goodbye from them. For a mainly coarse fisherman, it's awe inspiring to have a fish swim upstream, midriver, against that current!

 

I wouldnt feel too down about being beaten by a salmon on light float gear, it is the only species ive seen beat an angler by emptying his spool and that was a powerful spinning rod and reel and 15lb line going up stream.

 

Having caught my fair share of salmon over the years, a couple of things i can tell you are, as a general rule they only fight as hard as you do and if you play them nice and gently they tend not to go on mad screaming runs. The other thing is if you do find your self hooked to a salmon that you cannt stop, rather than running out of line or pulling so hard it comes off, or your line snaps, try opening your bailarm and giving it slack line. I did it once and it worked for me, it stopped with in a few feet.