It took 4 of us to land it!

Just back from a family week in Barnstaple, N Devon.

Been there a number of times over the years and have never found anywhere
profitable to fish until yesterday. (Friday)

I did escape with the rods on Thursday for the day, but on the way to
collect some bait got my car totalled by a blind teenaged local in an almost
empty car park.

It took the rest of the day arranging recovery to Kent and a replacement car
so no fishin' that day!

Friday I took the wife out for lunch and found an award winning little café
on the north bank of the River Taw.

Although it was low tide the view over the railings shouted FISH HERE!!!!

To me it looked very Bassy.

Although bank to bank there was over a mile of exposed sand and gullies, the
primary course of the river was about 50 yds out and there was a fantastic
eddy to within 10yds of the quay wall.

Loads of mud close in showed the usual marks of a lot of bait digging.

Ever hopeful I called in at Tesco for some mackie and those raw prawns and
sallied forth for the evening - high water at 22.00 hrs.

I fished with an easy lob into a beautiful eddy which got even better as the
tide pushed up the estuary into the river.

7pm a couple of local guys arrived and fished from a little pier and
proceeded to wind in a stream of small fish

By 8 pm I had done my bit feeding the crabs, it was dark and pouring with
rain so I wandered up to the two guys to chew the fat and see what they were
catching, on what and what rigs.

The bait was what I would call Harbour Rag - about 2 to 3" long hooked in
small bunches and fished off a paternoster with about a 10" snood and 6 oz
of lead.

I was holding bottom with 2 oz.

They were each catching a 6" bass per cast.

One of them very generously gave me a large handful of his rag and wished me
well.

8.30pm and still pouring with rain I went back to my rods, a quick change of
rig to a 2 boom paternoster and blow me a bite within seconds of the bait
going into the water.

Missed it , and the next two as well.

Next cast a rattle and then a nod and the rod actually moved in my hands and
I was in to something larger than the tiddlers.

The bass of a lifetime perhaps?

As I drew the fish towards the wall it started to get very bullish and I had
to give it line.

Eventually the beam of my headlamp showed a large silver fish on the
surface, but still with plenty of fight in it.

Still the bass of a lifetime was still on so take it easy and consider how
to land it.

Shouts for a drop net brought loads of laughter from the two guys and also
from another couple of guys fishing further away.

When they realised that I wasn't joking they all wandered over, by which
time I was at the head of the old stone steps leading down the side of the
little pier.

Two guys went down the steps, one to hold onto the other while he lifted the
fish out of the water and a third held my rod so that I could climb under
the safety chain at the top of the steps to stay in contact should things go
wrong.

All went well and a fine grey mullet of about 7lbs was safely in my hands.

My first mullet, my largest fish ever from a beach and a lot of "was that on
those worms that I gave you?"

There were also lot of other comments about lucky holidaymakers as the fish
was safely returned to the water.

If any of you guys read this and recognise yourselves, thanks a million for
everything.

You made a good holiday a fantastic holiday.

Oh and to finish, there was also a 6" bass on the top hook which was also
safely returned to the water

Tight Lines

Keith M

In article , Keith M
wrote:
Just back from a family week in Barnstaple, N Devon.

snip fun - you're going to have to go back and do it again you know ;-)

All went well and a fine grey mullet of about 7lbs was safely in my hands.

My first mullet, my largest fish ever from a beach and a lot of "was that on
those worms that I gave you?"

Mullet do sometimes take worms after dark at this time of year. A technique
worth trying where they do is float-spinning well after dark. Set up a
medium sized float to carry about 10 grams half a metre below the float and
allow about as much trail to a #4 hook. Bait with just one ragworm. In a
calm harbour or other place where you can see the gentle ripples of moving
mullet (tough at new moon) cast beyond them then reel in -very slowly- so
the bait just flutters along. Don't stop when a fish nibbles, keep reeling
steadily until one takes solidly. It has to be calm, this doesn't work for
mullet where there is any chop - but then you substitute mackerel strip for
scad and pollack.

Cheerio,

--

Nice story Keith, and well told! Thanks for the tail.

Glad you enjoyed it.

David
"Keith M" wrote in message
...
Just back from a family week in Barnstaple, N Devon.

Been there a number of times over the years and have never found anywhere
profitable to fish until yesterday. (Friday)

I did escape with the rods on Thursday for the day, but on the way to
collect some bait got my car totalled by a blind teenaged local in an
almost empty car park.

It took the rest of the day arranging recovery to Kent and a replacement
car so no fishin' that day!

Friday I took the wife out for lunch and found an award winning little
café on the north bank of the River Taw.

Although it was low tide the view over the railings shouted FISH HERE!!!!

To me it looked very Bassy.

Although bank to bank there was over a mile of exposed sand and gullies,
the primary course of the river was about 50 yds out and there was a
fantastic eddy to within 10yds of the quay wall.

Loads of mud close in showed the usual marks of a lot of bait digging.

Ever hopeful I called in at Tesco for some mackie and those raw prawns and
sallied forth for the evening - high water at 22.00 hrs.

I fished with an easy lob into a beautiful eddy which got even better as
the tide pushed up the estuary into the river.

7pm a couple of local guys arrived and fished from a little pier and
proceeded to wind in a stream of small fish

By 8 pm I had done my bit feeding the crabs, it was dark and pouring with
rain so I wandered up to the two guys to chew the fat and see what they
were catching, on what and what rigs.

The bait was what I would call Harbour Rag - about 2 to 3" long hooked in
small bunches and fished off a paternoster with about a 10" snood and 6 oz
of lead.

I was holding bottom with 2 oz.

They were each catching a 6" bass per cast.

One of them very generously gave me a large handful of his rag and wished
me well.

8.30pm and still pouring with rain I went back to my rods, a quick change
of rig to a 2 boom paternoster and blow me a bite within seconds of the
bait going into the water.

Missed it , and the next two as well.

Next cast a rattle and then a nod and the rod actually moved in my hands
and I was in to something larger than the tiddlers.

The bass of a lifetime perhaps?

As I drew the fish towards the wall it started to get very bullish and I
had to give it line.

Eventually the beam of my headlamp showed a large silver fish on the
surface, but still with plenty of fight in it.

Still the bass of a lifetime was still on so take it easy and consider how
to land it.

Shouts for a drop net brought loads of laughter from the two guys and also
from another couple of guys fishing further away.

When they realised that I wasn't joking they all wandered over, by which
time I was at the head of the old stone steps leading down the side of the
little pier.

Two guys went down the steps, one to hold onto the other while he lifted
the fish out of the water and a third held my rod so that I could climb
under the safety chain at the top of the steps to stay in contact should
things go wrong.

All went well and a fine grey mullet of about 7lbs was safely in my hands.

My first mullet, my largest fish ever from a beach and a lot of "was that
on those worms that I gave you?"

There were also lot of other comments about lucky holidaymakers as the
fish was safely returned to the water.

If any of you guys read this and recognise yourselves, thanks a million
for everything.

You made a good holiday a fantastic holiday.

Oh and to finish, there was also a 6" bass on the top hook which was also
safely returned to the water

Tight Lines

Keith M

Thanks Derek & David.
I'd be back like a shot but do I have to total another car as well??
Keith M


"david" wrote in message
...
Nice story Keith, and well told! Thanks for the tail.

Glad you enjoyed it.

David
"Keith M" wrote in message
...
Just back from a family week in Barnstaple, N Devon.

Been there a number of times over the years and have never found anywhere
profitable to fish until yesterday. (Friday)

I did escape with the rods on Thursday for the day, but on the way to
collect some bait got my car totalled by a blind teenaged local in an
almost empty car park.

It took the rest of the day arranging recovery to Kent and a replacement
car so no fishin' that day!

Friday I took the wife out for lunch and found an award winning little
café on the north bank of the River Taw.

Although it was low tide the view over the railings shouted FISH HERE!!!!

To me it looked very Bassy.

Although bank to bank there was over a mile of exposed sand and gullies,
the primary course of the river was about 50 yds out and there was a
fantastic eddy to within 10yds of the quay wall.

Loads of mud close in showed the usual marks of a lot of bait digging.

Ever hopeful I called in at Tesco for some mackie and those raw prawns
and sallied forth for the evening - high water at 22.00 hrs.

I fished with an easy lob into a beautiful eddy which got even better as
the tide pushed up the estuary into the river.

7pm a couple of local guys arrived and fished from a little pier and
proceeded to wind in a stream of small fish

By 8 pm I had done my bit feeding the crabs, it was dark and pouring with
rain so I wandered up to the two guys to chew the fat and see what they
were catching, on what and what rigs.

The bait was what I would call Harbour Rag - about 2 to 3" long hooked in
small bunches and fished off a paternoster with about a 10" snood and 6
oz of lead.

I was holding bottom with 2 oz.

They were each catching a 6" bass per cast.

One of them very generously gave me a large handful of his rag and wished
me well.

8.30pm and still pouring with rain I went back to my rods, a quick change
of rig to a 2 boom paternoster and blow me a bite within seconds of the
bait going into the water.

Missed it , and the next two as well.

Next cast a rattle and then a nod and the rod actually moved in my hands
and I was in to something larger than the tiddlers.

The bass of a lifetime perhaps?

As I drew the fish towards the wall it started to get very bullish and I
had to give it line.

Eventually the beam of my headlamp showed a large silver fish on the
surface, but still with plenty of fight in it.

Still the bass of a lifetime was still on so take it easy and consider
how to land it.

Shouts for a drop net brought loads of laughter from the two guys and
also from another couple of guys fishing further away.

When they realised that I wasn't joking they all wandered over, by which
time I was at the head of the old stone steps leading down the side of
the little pier.

Two guys went down the steps, one to hold onto the other while he lifted
the fish out of the water and a third held my rod so that I could climb
under the safety chain at the top of the steps to stay in contact should
things go wrong.

All went well and a fine grey mullet of about 7lbs was safely in my
hands.

My first mullet, my largest fish ever from a beach and a lot of "was that
on those worms that I gave you?"

There were also lot of other comments about lucky holidaymakers as the
fish was safely returned to the water.

If any of you guys read this and recognise yourselves, thanks a million
for everything.

You made a good holiday a fantastic holiday.

Oh and to finish, there was also a 6" bass on the top hook which was also
safely returned to the water

Tight Lines

Keith M