Date: Monday 2nd August 2010.
Duration: 3 hours
Tide: An hour before high tide
Bait: Bread
Method used: Float set-up
Weather: Warm & Dry
Results: 2 mullet
- 1 new PB mullet for me (& my biggest ever! 
) & 1 mullet for K2Report
Last Monday night began like any other mullet session that K2 and I have been out on so far this year. But, by the end of the night, it ended up being one of the best mullet fishing sessions that I have ever had and definitely the most memorable with me not only catching my biggest mullet I have ever had, but a new PB and my first specimen as well!
The forecast for the evening was good and so K2 collected me from work and we headed down to the mark. With Strangford fishing quite well at the minute and after the success that K2 had the week previous, we where both feeling quietly confident and looking forward to the evenings fishing ahead. We arrived at the mark an hour before high tide. On arrival we could see that conditions where prefect, with virtually no wind blowing at all and with very clear water as well. We began fishing and with the tide well on the flood, right away we could see good numbers of fish present. So, without delay we baited up and cast out our floats and instantly as soon as they hit the water and had settled some fish swam over to them, nudging our bait and sussing it out.
We threw bits of bread out, some floating, some sinking to try and keep them holding in the one area for a while and to also see if they where feeding and if so, whether it was on top of the surface or underneath. It became apparent quite quickly that they where feeding well on the bread, which looked quite promising. We where fishing for just under an hour when K2 struck into a very good bite and he had his fish on! I reeled in my own float immediately to allow him plenty of space to play his fish and grabbed the net so that it was there for when K2 was ready to land it. It gave him a good scrap, stripping line from his reel as it frantically tried to release itself from the hook. After 8 minutes the fight was eventually over and his fish was netted and brought up onto the bank. I took a quick picture and it was released.
The tide had began to drop abit by this stage now and there wasn’t as many fish about compared to what there was when we first arrived but we continued to fish on for a while anyway and boy I am so glad that we did!
Approx 20 minutes later and just when I was considering packing up I spotted a BIG fish swimming towards my float. At first it just sat there looking at my bait then all of a sudden it just went for it and my float got buried as the fish took off like a rocket downstream with my hook in its mouth. As soon as I struck into it I could tell and feel that it was a nice fish and so the battle commenced and what a battle it was!
My heart was racing as it went mad in the water, going on big plunging long runs up and down in front of me. This was one angry fish! Ten minutes into the fight my arms and shoulders where starting to get sore as I held onto my rod as tightly as I could. All that kept going through my head was “DON’T get off!” “Please don’t come off!” I played it gently, making sure I didn’t bully it, letting it run when it wanted too but at the same time keeping control off it so that it didn’t get too far away from me. My reel was screaming as line was stripped from it and just when I thought it had tired out enough for me to try bring it over to the edge and net it, it had other ideas and raced out again taking more line with it! I felt its head shaking furiously, the sheer power and strength it displayed during the fight was amazing! Even though I my arms were getting sore, the excitement and the adrenaline had well kicked in and taken over me and that kept me going.
Then finally after a fight lasting 20 minutes long my fish eventually began to tire and run out of steam. This allowed me to guide it over to K2 and the net and my fish was landed successfully much to my relief! Once it was up and out of the water, K2 placed it gently onto the grass and I went over and unhooked it. It was then that we both could see that it was by far the biggest mullet that I have ever caught, a new PB for me and to top it all off my first specimen as well
We didn’t weight it but we didn’t need scales to tell us that it was over 5lb! We could see clearly that it was just from looking at it. K2 took a few pictures and then I released it back in.We fished on for a short while after that but then called it a day and headed for home. After all the countless hours and sessions I have put in this year, all I can say now is that it was all worth it just to catch this one fish. I don’t know who felt more tired afterwards, me or it! My guess is it was me! If someone had’ve offered me there and then the choice between having £100.00 or catching the fish it would be no contest, I’d take the fish, it means more to me catching it than money could! It was a priceless catch for me and one I won’t forget for a long time to come! It’s been almost exactly a week since I caught it and I am still smiling when I think about it.
I must say a big thanks to K2 for encouraging me and telling me to stick at it and for giving me the confidence I needed to keep going. I must have been a nightmare to fish with over the past few months or so but I am sure he would agree that it’s all been worth it in the end.
Below are some pictures of our session from last Monday night for you to have a look at.
Fantastic catch
