Donegal kayak Angler: Tope on the fly rod a weekend of firsts for the lads and myself part 2

Hi all,
Before you say it, no that's not a type O.
Yes tope on the fly rod.
With Mike and Brian home with an epic weekend under there belts and Sunday was a blow out,
Monday was the only slightly doable day for the next 10 days according to the weather, So to hell with it after work I was going.
It was giving 15mph westerly, and although the Foyle would not get dangerously rough in that direction of wind it could be a fierce paddle home. But there where tope to be caught and I can put up with a tough paddle for a bash at those power full fish.

Breezy and some tide.
Yes it was breezy and the tide was not as fierce as it was on Saturday so I was pleased with that.
But it was very cold in the breeze, it was like winter.
Thankfully the typhoon ps220 has a nice hood so that saved my neck from frost bite lol.
But like Saturday it was again very quiet. I had a few doggies, a flonder and a couple of whiting.
But not a sniff of a tope.

Frozen and time for home.
I was frozen and it was time for home, I had the 2 bait rods down and I used the last of my fish chunks up. And all I had was 1 small whiting and a half fillet of old mackerel.
As I was sitting there about 8 gannets came up the sand banks and hammered the banks for about 20 mins, I had a glimmer of hope for a moment but with my poor bait situation and the cold. The hope of any action soon passed.
So I started to stick a post up on facebook to tell the lads I blanked when one rod took off. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. I struck and nothing, dropped run. I could have cried.
That fish didn't return. So I reeled in the camera rod and got the fly rod out armed with the small whiting which I had made into a mini flapper bait.

My ambition this year was to get a tope on the fly, last year I did try but my line was to light and rose to quickly trough the water.

I have been talking to Mike and he has recommended a line that stays very deep so that seems the way to go.

Back to the fly rod.

Ye I had one burning question, its one thing getting a tope to hit a fly but could I and my gear handle a tope. My budget was nearly spent on this project so before I invested in a new line I wanted one on the gear I had.

To do this I was going to try the fly rod set up with bait.

It wasn't a route in the tackle box and drag out a trace. I had planned to use the lynx de-tatch 100lb wire trace with 7/0 hook. It is a strong hook, with a needle point tip on the hook. Ideal for trying to set with a flimsy soft rod.

The flick,

I pulled out about 40ft of line and with one flick the small whiting flapper shot trough the air, aided by a stiff breeze.

I flicked it up the tide so it would sink, roll along the bottom and I could retrieve it as it rose up in the tide.

I was on my third flick and as my fly rod bait sank deep my bait rod then got a take. I lifted and struck, FISH ON, and off just as quick.

Oh I was near heart broken, 2 missed none landed in one session, not good at all.

Again I was ready for home and the cold was really setting in.

My last bait was now being slaughtered by crabs and it was getting late.

It's not over until your home

Yes again I was ready for home. Oh yes again the tope where not finished with me.

Suddenly the bait rod and the fly rod started to go.

I made my choice and grabbed the fly rod, stripped the line and struck hard.

With that the bait rod lunged forward.

But thankfully it was the same fish. It had just run one line into the other.

Thankfully it was on the fly rod.

Bait rod cleared and I had the scrap of my life.

The tope went bonkers. He didn't run a huge amount of line off, but he went mad all around me.

Dragging the kayak all over the place twice he nearly got to the anchor.

He did do a few runs and the reel screamed like something you would expect from a tarpon in Florida. Thankfully my fly reel has an excellent drag and that saved my hand from a good burning.

Some pictures I think.

Yes its time for a few pictures by now.

So here is the beauty of a tope about 23lb to 25lb and an epic fighter. Yes there is a vid that will be up very soon.

Happy was an understatement. My modest budget gear can handle a tope. So the new super sink line is ordered and I will be doing a lot more of that. The fight was epic and the tope went back good and strong, no dragged out fight and the tope will be back for more in no time.