outdoordan Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 It was a place that I had often walked past on my many kingfish popping sessions, and wondered on its Mulloway potential. It had a lot going for it, sand bottom next to heavy reef, good depth with plenty of water movement and a nice covering white water in a moderate swell. I had pulled a few pan sized snapper from this area in the past, and with the recent swells abating and the high tide falling on the change of light, things looked about right. It was with these fish in mind that I made the decision to jig up a few squid in preparation for an evening session on the stones. By the time I clambered down to my rocky perch, the sun had all but surrendered to inevitable darkness. Through the filtered half light of dusk I surveyed the area before me. Waves reared and tumbled over the finger of reef, the remnants of which spilled for some time before reforming for a less enthusiastic assault at the rocks by my feet. Heavily laden clouds loomed ominously to my south, being escorted by the stiff and relentless breeze. The spray whipped up by the wind filled the air, bathing me in its salty mist. The water was ever darkening as the ambient light waned. So it was with conditions which I could not improve if they had been personally scripted, and calamari whose skin still twinkled with blotches of pigment in its deathly throes, my excitement began to mount. As the last of the dayshift anglers left a nearby ledge, the lonely nightshift kicked off with the first offering finding its mark on the edge of the sand some 50m away. It was only minutes before the first interest in the bait was registered by two sharp taps reverberating up the line. I bowed the rod tip and as weight came on I struck, but was rewarded with nothing more than the weight of the lead. I left the line where it was hoping the assailant would return, but after a few minutes with no action I retrieved my gear to find two bare 5/0’s where the squid strip once hung. Another morsel was selected and cast back into the vicinity of the first. With anticipation running high, I stood poised, willing the telltale tap to come. And when it did come my heart nearly burst. No matter how much I anticipate it, when that bite registers, whether fishing for yakkas or kings, that instantaneous hit of adrenalin shatters my frame of mine and rips me into the present moment. Where you act on impulse alone, almost separate from conscience thought; an out of body experience. With that first tap, I bowed the rod and slipped the reel out of gear. As the fish moved off, I conceded line with as little resistance as I dared. With several meters of line now offered to my quarry, I raised the lever into “strike”. As the fish pulled the remaining slack from the line, I raised the rod to meet it. The rod loaded under the weight of the fish, but then eased as the fish made toward my position. I cranked like hell to once again come tight and it wasn’t until the fish was virtually at my feet that I succeeded. As the fish bored left along the face of the rocks which I was perched, I had the unnerving realisation of the line being hung up on the underwater terrain. The reels clutch was disengaged as the spool slipped beneath my thumb. I tried unsuccessfully to free the entangled line as the fish could still be felt surging and shaking its head. As the realisation and disappointment of my predicament was taking hold, a receding wave achieved what I couldn’t, and I was once again able to resume my battle. The fish bore frantically towards the finger of reef, but with the condition of the “lo stretch” monofilament now unknown; I was reluctant to dictate terms. The fish’s progress slowed as he began to vigorously shake his head. Each toss of his head cause the rod to buck in my arms, mimicking the theatre playing out in the black water. I began to methodically gain line on my adversary, but continued to fight him gingerly as to encourage him to carry out his battle in the relative safety of the sand bottom. I made my way across the rocky ledge to a low lying rock which would offer a better chance of securing my prize. The fish’s stamina was rapidly draining. Exhausted, he was brought to my feet, but without a gaff or companion, it was apparent that my battle had not yet been won. As each wave rolled through, the mulloway’s body rose and fell, but biding my time I waited. At last a larger than average wave lifted the exhausted fish’s body and delivered it to a lower rocky ledge. Between waves, I scrambled down, latched onto a gill plate and dragged the fish to the security of my rocky perch. Without cameraman or camera, I had to make do with an Iphone. The fish went 117cm and 13.6kg gilled and gutted While I have caught many mulloway off the beach and rocks much larger than this, I find this one particularly rewarding due to it being the culmination of what I have learned over years of chasing these fish, being applied to a completely new area. To learn a particular spot and what makes it tick often takes considerable time and dedication as you stumble onto the patterns of fish in that area. But to recognise a spot and achieve instance success based purely on my own decisions is conformation that I have developed a real understanding of these magnificent fish. Thanks for reading. I know it is a bit of an obscure report, but I thought I’d have a little fun writing it. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutsaboutfishing Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Great report, read like a piece of creative writing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishing steez Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Nice fish and great read, gotta love it when a plan comes together like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevefish Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 You need to write romance novels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevvyy Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 A very entertaining read and a great prize in the end !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 You need to write romance novels He probably already does, fishing is used to take a break from pencilling the stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 That is a nice fish Dan, good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Great write up. What a nice feeling knowing using your experience to have it all come together on the first attempt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tide'n'knots Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 awesome fish dan and great read also.... i enjoyed the read immensely !!! pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Very descriptive report and a quality fish. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 (edited) Dan...I enjoy your post. I can relate to the self satisfaction you describe of 'cracking the code' for your particular spot. Great catch as well. Edited February 22, 2016 by Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 It's about time you found your own spot! Well done mate & a great read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justonemorecast Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Great fish. Great read !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night_rider Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Awesome read Dan, thanks for sharing. There is something realllly rewarding about scoping out a new spot and being successful on the first wetting of your line! Especially with a massive slab of silver like that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 If you are not a writer, you should be. Very aptly put and an entertaining read. And damn nice fish as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raysenior Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Hey Dan .that's the best report I have read in a long time .well done .on the report and the fish :-) Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Dan That was a fabulous read. You no doubt have amazing angling skills and your flair for writing does justice to your catches! Well deserved fish man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Dan That was a fabulous read. You no doubt have amazing angling skills and your flair for writing does justice to your catches! Well deserved fish man! Well said. You bet he has amazing angling skills. Without a doubt one of the very best fisherman I have ever fished with. Not just on Jew either. Give him a puddle of water in the middle of nowhere & he will find a fish. Dan puts more effort into his fishing than anyone I know. The hard yards pay off & he does them. The fact he writes like he does is bonus. You should hear him talk about it!! Hats off to you Dan. I'm coming down to crack that 30kg fish with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witha Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 One of the best reports I've read. Really captures the romance of chasing these beauts. Keep it up mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoordan Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. Grant, your moneys in the post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasskl Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Awesome post, well written and such a good story on a life long lesson learned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Good onya Dan. Clearly you are extremely adept in the arts of fishing and story writing. Keep up the good work, Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Well done dan! Great read and congrats on you fabulous capture. What general area were you fishing??? Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoordan Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Sydney Northern Beaches Mate. This area has been pretty kind to me over the years, but it takes some figuring out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Sydney Northern Beaches Mate. This area has been pretty kind to me over the years, but it takes some figuring out. Cheers mate. And congrats again! It's an effort at the best of times, let alone off the rocks at night solo! After a story like that, I can only imagine how it pans out with a few mates at the pub after a few beers! Lol Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now