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What's your weirdest catch?


wunwetfoot

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Having read Elton's posts regarding "Best finds" started me thinking. I have, as probably all of you have done, found odds and ends of tackle on the bank but what came to my mind was slightly different.

Years ago, :yawn: back in the late 60's, I had a couple of weeks holiday with my parents, at a caravan site at Camber Sands (East Sussex).

I had ,of course, taken some "kit" with me and had discovered that "The Camp" was enclosed by drainage ditches (typical Romney Marsh type ditches). They were between 20 and 25 feet wide with various areas of bankside rush and shrubs. The depth varied between 4 and six feet.

After skulking in the undergrowth for a few hours, just alongside the smouldering camp "dump" (how romantic I hear you thinking), I discovered that there was a substantial sized shoal of Mullet trapped in there by the tidal gates. Being that I was only accustomed to fresh water fishing, I didn't know these fish and didn't fully appreciate their infuriating habits (such as being practically un-catchable!) :headhurt:

I fished on the float with maggots, tiny slivers of fish and bread flake. They were really hard going, I did get a few of the smaller ones but the "submarines" among them were too spooky to be caught. I also had a few bonus eels (up to 2lbs) on my "match tackle" which gave me a good run for my money.

It was while I was waiting for the cruising shoal to return that my float dragged under. I lifted into it expecting to be caught in the bottom covering of weed but this was quite solid. After a few moments of pressure, whatever it was began to rise slowly although the strain on the rod top was really quite worrying. It eventually came free of the mud with a covering of weed and was lifted to the bank for investigation. I cleared the weed and sludge......

......... I'd caught myself an alarm clock!!!!

It was one of those with the two bells on the top either side of the hammer and a Union Jack on the face! I'd "hooked" it neatly by the handle between thetops of the bells!

Of course, I took my odd "capture" back to the caravan to show my Parents.

The previous owner must have had one hell of a hangover and have been a member of the England Cricket Team as it was one hell of a lob from the nearest caravans!

Wondering if, by some strange chance, it might still work (:nerd:) , I levered the back off and rinsed it thoroughly under fresh water.

At the end of the holiday, at home, I washed it again in clean water and when dry, gave it a bath in parrafin. After a little bit of cajoling from me, it ticked!

It continued to run perfectly for many years before it was passed on to my "Kid"brother and never once did it let me down and make me late for fishing! :fishing1:

 

What's your weirdest catch?

Edited by wunwetfoot
"....you should have been here yesterday!"
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I've posted it before but it's hard to beat a 3lb dead chub -- hooked perfectly in the lip with a no 20.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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All,

 

Not far from where Newt is located I caught a "whitefish". But that's not too weird. The weird thing was I caught two back to back casts. I think that is the kreel limit in Florida.

 

I can't say as I've really caught anything both weird and usable. Caught Lots of kit as I'm sure we all have.

 

The most satisfying "catch" was having a Jet Ski spool a 200 yard reel of 60 lb Power Pro (actually a friends reel). About 100 yards down the lake every bearing in the machine began smoking then it went dead in the water. They had been "running our lines" all day and had over a mile wide lake to use. I am not a big jet ski fan but especially when they seemingly intentionally interfere with bank fishing and have been reminded of that fact.

 

Phone

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I've posted it before but it's hard to beat a 3lb dead chub -- hooked perfectly in the lip with a no 20.

Nice one Ken, but I'll bet it still fought harder than almost every bream I've ever caught!

"....you should have been here yesterday!"
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All,

 

Not far from where Newt is located I caught a "whitefish". But that's not too weird. The weird thing was I caught two back to back casts. I think that is the kreel limit in Florida.

 

I can't say as I've really caught anything both weird and usable. Caught Lots of kit as I'm sure we all have.

 

The most satisfying "catch" was having a Jet Ski spool a 200 yard reel of 60 lb Power Pro (actually a friends reel). About 100 yards down the lake every bearing in the machine began smoking then it went dead in the water. They had been "running our lines" all day and had over a mile wide lake to use. I am not a big jet ski fan but especially when they seemingly intentionally interfere with bank fishing and have been reminded of that fact.

 

Phone

Hi Phone, not too sure what you mean by "whitefish" (although I do have a suspicion of what you refer to!)

The Jet Ski was a result..... now that's something! You're not alone in your lack of fondness for them. Where I live "just off the south coast" on an island, we are plagued by the things in the summer months. The owners get a few beers in them and just go all out to annoy everyone. They very rarely venture out of the harbour and just buzz up and down a half mile stretch of water..... trying to fish at times is hopeless, although the Harbour Master sometimes catches one and dishes out a hefty fine for their trouble!

"....you should have been here yesterday!"
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Nice one Ken, but I'll bet it still fought harder than almost every bream I've ever caught!

 

It didn't so much fight as ooze and give off a little slick of oil - it wasn't fresh !

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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Fly fishing in Sweden for seatrout in the 90's i caught a 100 Krona Note, (about £8 then) in fast flowing water, I tried all day but could not catch anymore!!!! Caught a few trout though!!

Jasper Carrot On birmingham city

" You lose some you draw some"

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I once caught a 4.5m whip, complete with the 5lb tench that had dragged it in a few mins earlier when my son had put the whip down with the bait still in the water. One of my best ever wallis casts - I managed to snag the line between the whip and the fish at a range of about 20 yards and moving at a fair rate across the lake!

 

Mat

Mat

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I caught a bream once which was definitely alive when I played it in but when I knelt down to unhook it it was stone dead: and I once landed a Crucian of 1lb 10oz, when I went to unhook it I couldn't find the hook, tracing the line I found it was completely wrapped around the fish roughly perpendicular to the dorsal with the size 18 hooked around the line above the dorsal thus forming a noose.

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