Gary Robinson, the well known kayak angler fishing for Hook1, made the most of a bonus day off following cancelled lectures last Friday morning. A calm sea could only mean one thing – a dash to the east coast to see if any tope were in an obliging mood…
I nearly ran the kayak down the beach and started paddling for a feature that can hold a lot of tope close to it – a shelf about two kilometres from the beach. Dropping from eight to ten metres, this underwater feature can usually harbour my intended target.
On the way to the mark I dropped feathers a couple of times and on reaching my destination I had secured a fresh supply of small mackerel that I could use as bait, my number one choice for a marauding tope. The anchor was dropped, the kayak found its niche in the moderately flowing tide and the fresh bait was lowered to the bottom and then allowed to run down the tide for a good fifty meters, taking it away from the kayak overhead.
Fishing for tope is a waiting game but fortunately I did not have long to wait. Shortly after dropping the first bait the ratchet on the multiplier reel started to sing, signalling the run of a tope with the bait. Standard stuff; let the fish run a short distance and then engage reel, lean back to set the hook and hang on tight.
I followed procedure but what happened next was far from standard. The fish kept running and running, tearing line off the reel at a rate that I have never seen a tope been able to do. I tightened up the drag on the reel and it still kept going. I stopped the spool with thumb pressure and tried to turn the leviathan. That done, I managed to get about ten yards back on the fish when I felt a couple of head shakes and the line went limp.
Gutted, I reeled in the slack line to find that the 80lb steel wire I had been using as a trace had been bitten through so cleanly it looked as though a set of wire snips were to blame. What could have done that? I have my suspicions…
The next take resulted in a dropped run. A quick inspection of the bait revealed a lot of scarring – a definite tope.
Third time lucky; I sent a bait back down again and very shortly after there was another steaming run. Everything played out as planned this time and after a spirited battle and wrestling match beside the kayak, I had my prize sitting across my lap. I popped the hook out and held the tope up for a photograph before letting her slip back into the water where I supported her until she was ready to swim off.
This was shaping up to be a good day. I decided to sit it out for a couple of hours more. I hit seven sharks for the day, managing to get three of them to the side of the kayak. A ‘red letter’ day and one that was overdue. I had spent lot of hours chasing tope during the months previously and had not fared very well at all. Today was different. I love it when a plan comes together!
Gary Robinson
kayakfishermanireland.com
For the full report and loads more photos see kayakfishermanireland.com/friday-feeling/
Kayak angling in Ireland
Gary discovered the thrill, freedom and pure joy of kayak fishing almost by accident. After purchasing kayaks with the intention of paddling trips with his long-suffering partner, he started to assess the suitability of such a craft as a fishing platform. Some internet searches showed him that he was not alone in his thoughts. America and Australia already had blossoming populations of kayak anglers. Needing no more encouragement, he set about rigging his first sit on top kayak and transforming it into a fishing platform to gain access to some of the more inaccessible waters. Now into his fifth year of kayak fishing he shows no sign of slowing down.
Find out more about Gary and his adventures at www.kayakfishermanireland.com
