Botany Bay Flathead

[Coyote]

There's something very satisfying about feeling the unmistakeable 'tink' in your line as you hop a lure across the bottom of Botany Bay, trying to tempt a flathead. The adrenal gland fires up for half a second, and I strike. Yep, tight line.

It feels like a reasonable fish. Just a steady weight. I gently guide it towards the boat - 4lb braid with a 6lb leader suddenly seems a little too heroic.

It doesn't do much until it gets near the boat, then the reel starts to sing in staccato as the headshakes play back through the line. Definitely a flathead.

Fellow raider (who shall remain nameless for the sake of courtesy) reaches for the net, and would have used it, had yours truly remembered to put it in the boat before heading out.

Fellow raider then reaches for the hand gaff, and the fish materialises beside the boat.

FR reaches, swings hard, and does everything perfectly, except gaff the fish, which retreats to the murky depths uninjured. We look at each other wondering what just happened.

Probably not a bad outcome. If I'd had a net, I likely would have released it anyway, as it looked to be pushing 60 cm. (Although at this point the fish could have been any length at all - they always grow in the telling.)

We end up landing a couple more, and keep one for the table.

Lovely with some butter, garlic and white wine in the frypan.

[hoges1974]

There's something very satisfying about feeling the unmistakeable 'tink' in your line as you hop a lure across the bottom of Botany Bay, trying to tempt a flathead. The adrenal gland fires up for half a second, and I strike. Yep, tight line.

It feels like a reasonable fish. Just a steady weight. I gently guide it towards the boat - 4lb braid with a 6lb leader suddenly seems a little too heroic.

It doesn't do much until it gets near the boat, then the reel starts to sing in staccato as the headshakes play back through the line. Definitely a flathead.

Fellow raider (who shall remain nameless for the sake of courtesy) reaches for the net, and would have used it, had yours truly remembered to put it in the boat before heading out.

Fellow raider then reaches for the hand gaff, and the fish materialises beside the boat.

FR reaches, swings hard, and does everything perfectly, except gaff the fish, which retreats to the murky depths uninjured. We look at each other wondering what just happened.

Probably not a bad outcome. If I'd had a net, I likely would have released it anyway, as it looked to be pushing 60 cm. (Although at this point the fish could have been any length at all - they always grow in the telling.)

We end up landing a couple more, and keep one for the table.

Lovely with some butter, garlic and white wine in the frypan.

Well done boys pitty about the lost beast

Might be in the bay Sat hopefully i get a few

[sherackattack]

There's something very satisfying about feeling the unmistakeable 'tink' in your line

amen.

[robeebee]

nice read mate

well done on the other fish

[Ray R]

G'day and to Fishraider, good read and a nice flattie, keep 'em coming and remember the net next time.. Cheers...

[brendong]

Coyote and nice read.....no wonder you did better than I did in the HSC all those years ago....shame about the big girl....but I'm sure you'd have returned her back to the system anyway....I've seen you do it on many occasion.

Nevertheless, thank goodness it wasn't me flailing away with the hand gaff.

Glad to see you brushed the temptation of opening a 'SpaceBook' (my$p@ce + faceb00k = spacebook)account and went the Raider option instead.

I think most Raiders would agree, their time spent trawling through raider posts is far more valuable to enhance their techniques, knowledge and 'Fishing Habit' than trawling through endless amounts of pictures and useless info posted on 'SpaceBook' sites.

[Mr T Rout]

Well done Coyote!

It's a bit of a shame about your fellow Fishraiders technique with the gaff. It can happen to the best of us.