Fishing for thornback ray

[South hams hunter 8,832]

We arrived at the mark early, half expecting there to be people there and have to go elsewhere but luckily there wasn't a headlight in sight. 

We all got set up slowly due to being in no rush; nice and evenly spread out as with the tide pushing through lines can tend to stray a bit. Rig wise I had gone for Limitless Sea Fishing LTD  80lb XT super strength mono for rig body with 60lb for trace joined with limitless #4 Megapower SSXT super swivels and the same for the pulley swivel (these little swivels punch well above their weight with a breaking strain of over 170lbs!) with a single 3/0 Avenja Ultrapoint XT on the business end. I love the way a single prawn sits on these hooks!

First cast I thought I'd pop a lug in short to avoid the main channel and current with the chance of a bass. As I was setting up my second rod I noticed the line had gone slack so wound down; I thought I could feel a fish but as I was retrieving it got hung up and being the heavy handed fool that I am, put too much pressure on and it parted. 

Second cast didn't go much better; I cracked off. While I was having a mare I looked down and so had Mills; his line was wrapped around a close mooring buoy and even though only about 20 yards out it was still too deep for Sam to wade out to just yet but about half an hour later he managed to unhitch shaun from the buoy.

I finally got both my rods in the water but they had been dragged massively down tide and worried I'd interfere with the other lads I decided to bring them in and cast uptide more but yet again I had a hang up and parted my gear ( I really do need to stop treating 20lb line the same as my hussing gear) 'I'm fishing one rod!' 

As Sam and Shaun started to bring their gear in for a bait change it was quite obvious that they where attached to each other and by none other than the gear I had just lost. I retied my leader and cast it back out with the bait still as it had gone out the last time.

A short while later and I finally had an actual bite, well a slack line. I could feel the fish trying for the sanctuary of the side of the channel but it was already to high up in the water column and came in fairly easy; no surprise really because it was only a butterfly but first blood none the less.

Not long after and we could see Mills rod had a decent bend in it so we walked down and as we got to them both his other rod and declans rod went slack; pre occupied with whether shaun had a fish or weed we all sort of assumed they must have both been hit with weed. Shaun did have weed on his line so decs decided to check his rod; shaun took the slack out of his so that he could remove the ball of weed. Decs clearly had something on his rod and it was nodding all the way in. He'd successfully had his first cod from the shore and was already excited about the fish and chips he was having for tea tomorrow.

Once his rod was back in the water shaun decided to investigate his slack line and it was quite clear there was a fish on it. Another Thorney on the bank and although not huge it wasn't a butterfly.

Next up was me again but it was even smaller than my last one with an absolutely perfect lip piercing, I was tempted to recast the half a prawn but thought better of it. With Mills having another a few moments later while the whole time Sam was getting weed with a small eel chucked in and even had what we think was a ray drop the bait halfway in.

Shaun had another bite and it was scrapping in the tide but it was just an over zealous eel followed by a short period of nothing; 'prime time Sam get a fresh prawn on'.

Sam was getting a few rattles and thought it must have been another eel but then there nice positive pull down; 'fish on' - at this point Sam was yet to have ever caught a thornback so the excitement was quite clear in his face but it wasn't a scratch on the smile when he actually had his first one in his hand. A scrappy male that as usual had fought all the way in as they do and once calmed and photographed went 5lb exactly.

'Decs has got a fish on' Miller shouted whilst eating his lunchable; the boy loves a scooby snack while we're fishing. A real good bend in the rod and decs wasn't gonna give the fish an inch; if they hit the bank chances are you ain't getting them out. It stayed as deep as it could all the way in but before long another ray out.

Next up was Sam again but unfortunately this fish had managed to hit the bank and was now stuck solid; so Sam asked what he should do and we explained the 2 options:
1) go for broke, keep constant pressure on and either dislodge the fish or lose the gear
2) give the fish some line with a loose drag and the option to swim out but the fish could drop the hook.
Ultimately the choice was Sam's as there was a chance of losing the fish either way.

He opted to put the rod on the stand and give it line, we could see the fish still giving the odd bite but wasn't moving at all. he walked up tide slightly to try and give it pressure from another angle and pop. 

The tide was now racing in so we didn't have too long left before we were pushed off completely. Mills had another slack line which resulted in another ray the size of a saucer. Declan was also bringing a fish in but not acting very ray like and it wasnt, a cracking schooley bass.

One rod packed down and when I picked up the second one I could feel a fish on and it felt a better fish. As much as I lifted I couldn't get the fish up a great deal and as it got in the shallows it was quite clear why; there was 2 rays on the surface about 10 foot apart. I should have took a picture of it really but basically Sam's lost leader had tied around my grip lead and I had bought in both fish. 

Me and Sam grabbed our fish and knelt down for a photo, decs in his innocence said " look how small Johnny's is" and we all couldn't help but laugh. 

We had a cracking night fishing with both club members and friends; we had 9 ray out, a bass, a cod and a few eels but even with the bad luck at the start we persevered and it all came good in the end. The night was full of laughs, mick taking and banter and we will definitely be doing it again.

[dytkos 17,536]

Is that going in a magazine JC? 

Cheers, D.

[jok 3,035]

To be fair it’s a full assessment of the evening, if that is where your’coming from. What a change to some of the other drivel currently on the forum. Well done. Enjoyed even though I hadn’t a clue what you are on about. Jok

[South hams hunter 8,832]

10 minutes ago, dytkos said:

Is that going in a magazine JC? 

Cheers, D.

No mate just fb; just for my sponsor is all. 3rd or 4th session I've wrote up for them

 

5 minutes ago, jok said:

To be fair it’s a full assessment of the evening, if that is where your’coming from. What a change to some of the other drivel currently on the forum. Well done. Enjoyed even though I hadn’t a clue what you are on about. Jok

Yes mate; the rough with the smooth and a good time with good mates.

Thank you 

[jok 3,035]

Wish I’d met you when we were diving, off my boat, in that area. Thing is we never really took too much notice of fauna, more so the wrecks and what was on them. I did give an angler a bit of a shock when I surfaced, hooked, on Chesil Beach. Bet he thought the biggest thing I’ve ever got into. In fairness we all laughed our socks off. Magic. Jok.

[South hams hunter 8,832]

33 minutes ago, jok said:

Wish I’d met you when we were diving, off my boat, in that area. Thing is we never really took too much notice of fauna, more so the wrecks and what was on them. I did give an angler a bit of a shock when I surfaced, hooked, on Chesil Beach. Bet he thought the biggest thing I’ve ever got into. In fairness we all laughed our socks off. Magic. Jok.

I bet you laughed  

[Moorman 1 1,322]

A cracking write up JC, nice to see that your out living the dream mate. Keep at it!

[South hams hunter 8,832]

2 hours ago, Moorman 1 said:

A cracking write up JC, nice to see that your out living the dream mate. Keep at it!

Cheers mate, trying to

[WILF 44,262]

Great read, great pictures…..nice one mate

[South hams hunter 8,832]

10 hours ago, WILF said:

Great read, great pictures…..nice one mate

Thanks wilf, appreciate it 

[NEWKID 26,144]

That's a great write up mate...Nice one..

[South hams hunter 8,832]

19 hours ago, NEWKID said:

That's a great write up mate...Nice one..

Cheers NK

[foxdropper 17,092]

Excellent mate .Proper write up .