It's that time of year and the brother David Smith was on his holidays so he was busting for a go at the tope or sharks.
Since the sharks where out of reach with the weather we had a bash at the tope in the Lough Foyle.
David had one earlier on in the year here at the Donegal meet and was itching to get another.
Take, take, take.
Our first chance came and out we went about a 1 hour before high water.
It was a handy paddle but bait again was very scarce.
I got 4 small whiting and 1 small mackerel on the way over and David also got 1 mackerel and 1 whiting. We split the bait and went over to our mark.
Anchors in and baits down.
Our lines where in only minutes when David's rod got a good take, then another. I was giving him some stick for missing the takes and I was shouting directions on how to hook them, just in time for his next hit. This time he done it to a tee and set the hook. The fight was on and as usual the tope was going ballistic, squeals of joy from David as the tope tested him and his gear, But pop the trace broke. The brotherly banter started and I asked him what he had on as a trace. When he replied he had a set of large home made rigs on tied with mono the banter was fierce lol, and he was advised to stick to wire hook traces.
Mayhem.
No sooner had the slagging stopped my rods started to bob. Rod down and hook set I was in. He was fighting close to me and started to head across the other line before I could get it in. Then it also took off. I also hooked that one and mayhem ensued.
I had one rod going one way and the other going the other. They crossed the lines and one broke when they snagged on each other. So I still had one very lively tope on and he was going mad. A great fighter.
I got my tope to the kayak and as I grabbed the rubbing leader the knot on the swivel parted, A certain swear word could be heard all around the foyle. I couldn't believe it. David couldn't help himself and had to ask what trace have you on lol, I couldn't write the reply he got lol, But sure no point dwelling on it.
I soon re-rigged.
Bait shortage,
The 2 rods set up again and the lack of bait was rearing its head.
I got 3 baits from 1 mack, 2 fillet baits and a head bait.
So I put 1 fillet and 1 whiting bait out.
Which left me with very little bait. So the light rod went out for what ever I could catch.
By now David had also hooked into a tope. It was a good fighter and going ballistic. It done every thing to get away. But in a short time he got his in, and it was in the 25lb to 30lb range.
Rods away,
Now only a few minutes had passed and my rod started to bob and bounce, very similar to a dogfish take. This was not good as bait was scarce. So I reeled down and struck, oh it wasn't a doggie lol, It was a tope a mad lively header of a tope and rather than running he shot up down and side to side. A very scrappy fight and very hard to second guess him, but dam it was fun.
I got him in and that brought it to 1 each thankfully lol.
Tide turning.
By now the tide had turned and we where having a ball. I had a missed run and he didn't come back for a second hit. Another bait knackered the last bait was already down. But hold on the light rod was rattling and up came a dab about the size of your hand. He was hooked as live bait and put down on a flowing trace and I left the raggy piece of mackerel on as well so if he dug into the sand the crabs would harass until he would move.
He didn't get a chance to settle when he was hit very hard and after a good scrap a nice 30lb tope came on to the kayak for a quick snap.
The score was 2 to me and 1 to David.
If you think I am competitive David is ten times worse lol.
David was busting for another and the tope where more than obliging and again nailed David's bait. A half hearted run followed, It was one of those runs that you know he's not properly hooked and soon he came off, much to Davids dismay.
Tide getting stronger.
The tide now was really flying now and we where thinking of home when my rod took off and boy did he take off using every bit of the tide to help him scream line off. As always a cracker of a fight and massively addictive type of fishing, the best of craic on light gear.
The score now three, one to me and only for the lack of bait I'd say David would have stayed on lol.
Session 2 tables turned.
The next day another short session was on the cards.
I was busting to hit a tope on the fly so that was my plan.
Again the bait fish where desperately scarce with myself only getting 1 sandeel and 2 small dabs and David getting 1 mackerel.
We set up on our mark had a good bucket of chum with me to bring the tope close for the fly.
Again it wasn't long for the tope to show up.
My bait rod was very close to my kayak and it got a hit, so I lifted it away from him quickly and began to draw the fly over him, but he didn't touch it.
David also got a hit and hooked up and was having a great scrap and he was having a ball.
This tope was mental going mad and at all sorts. He even jumped over the bow of his kayak at one stage lol. I think he thought he was a salmon lol.
Tope in and pic taken it was 1 nil to David,
Would I get a hit on the fly.
I wasn't worried as tope on the fly is something I'd love to do.
No time had passed and another tope had found my bait this happened 2 more times and the fly was drawn near them with no hits or follows.
I was assuming at this stage my fly was not deep enough and David was into tope 2. It was landed and gave him a battering while on his kayak lol. What happened was the tope was a tad lively and he tried to hold the tope by the tail and it reared up and head butted him lol. It was comical. David didn't care he was having the time of his life.
Here's David sporting his shark wounds lol,
Getting shown up lol.
The score was 2 nil to David and I had missed out on 3 tope by trying to get one on the fly.
Oh I would never live this down if he had 2 and I blanked lol.
I put the fly to one side and wanted to get at least 1. I had the 2 rods in now 1 with a dab and the other with a half sandeel.
By now David was grinning like a Cheshire cat and was delighted with himself.
Soon my sandeel got wholloped and a good run was had but while clearing the fly rod he got some slack line and dropped the hook.
The tope seemed to be in packs as we both would get hit at a similar times.
David was hooked up as well and managed to land tope number 3.
I on the other hand was down to 1 dab and he wasn't on the hook to long when he was devoured by a tope. A great roaring run and half way through the fight bang my wire trace broke. Oh I was very disappointed. But sure these things happen from time to time, and it was time for home.
David was over the moon with his 3 tope and even more delighted since I blanked. So a bit of slagging and tough paddle home finished 2 good sessions for us.
So we had 6 tope over the 2 evenings and serious bit of craic. Well done David ya jammy bugger lol.
So until next time tight lines all, well except David lol, Only joking.
Thanks for reading.
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