TOWYN TOPE TRIP TODAY

[SpeciMan]

Sounds like you've been having a great time in Wales Phooey!

 

Thanks for sharing the info of your dunking.. as you mention we can learn from that. I like the idea of releasing from the anchor and being taken for a ride but I don't think I'll do it down there unless I have to - the tide can be quite fast and I don't want to visit Ireland this time of year and make the paddle back.

 

Given your experience, this year I won't attempt to bring a big one on board if I catch one (my SPTW is 26inches wide). Perhaps rafting two yaks together could be the way to go.. or catch one from a wide yak.

 

I think my best one last year was about 30lbs and that was hard for me to lift up. In my opinion a played out 20-25lb'er (unhooked first by the side of the yak) should be manageable and will still make a good photo (as will mouth shots of big ones by the side of the yak) .

 

The tope you caught looks massive. The snout on your fish is huge.. it must have been a lunker

 

Have many bull huss been caught? We caught quite a few whilst tope fishing last year - I know they are often regarded as a pest but I didn't mind catching them myself. They are 'supercharged' dogfish compared to the smaller LSD's we usually get down here (although their skin is like coarse sandpaper -- ouch). Artfullfisher caught a double figure one - I will be chuffed if I catch one of that size this year.

Edited June 5, 2006 by SpeciMan

[Martin Hurst]

I had the anchor on the bungee trip as described but i was that charged up after catching and the tide was ripping through I didnt paddle up tide !! Think i'll go with a cable tie next time around

[Simon Everett]

In which case just sit and get your breath back before paddling upstream - it doesn't hurt to sit there a bit longer and recover.

[Hungry Fisherman]

question do you fish with one or two rods while after tope i was thinking a lighter rod smaller bait and a main rod with whole mackerel trace etc would that be ok or should i just go one main rod?

[SpeciMan]

Whilst tope fishing I'd fish one rod only, anchored from the stern if the tide is not too strong. Given the numbers fishing, when a pack runs through there will be multiple hookups. We will need to space ourselves out a bit.

[SpeciMan]

... make a few calls on the moby to Nifty but they go to ansafone.

 

Given the location and the different phone networks we're on, coverage may not be good. For those of us with VHF how about dual monitoring Channel 6 (for fishy chat) & Channel 16 for emergency calls?

[SpeciMan]

....she thrashed about a bit and over we went, fish, boat, tackle and me.

 

 

People pay good money to go swimming with sharks. A nice bonus to the trip

[Martin Hurst]

Specimen ,

last week when i was out there were a lot of huss on the reef . hooked upto a lot but they were chocking on the full mackeral and mostly dropped off at the side of the Yak which to my mind was a result - big ugly creatures!

[Martin Hurst]

Hungry , I dont think i'd even contemplate having two baits out I took a light spinning rod out and every so often had 10 minutes messing about just to break up the wait - but always reeled in the Tope rod! Had a big Garfish which i released but now realise is the best tope bait of all

[phooey]

Sounds like you've been having a great time in Wales Phooey!

 

 

Have many bull huss been caught? We caught quite a few whilst tope fishing last year - I know they are often regarded as a pest but I didn't mind catching them myself. They are 'supercharged' dogfish compared to the smaller LSD's we usually get down here (although their skin is like coarse sandpaper -- ouch). Artfullfisher caught a double figure one - I will be chuffed if I catch one of that size this year.

 

I had two over the 3 days fishing for tope, both around 10lb mark. I think Nifty might have had more.

They are reasonable sport but not compared to the tope!