A few hours in the rough

[Spinner64]

Headed out about 12 today for a rock mark near Penzance with some mackie,squid,large sandeel and raw supermarket prawns for bait.
It,s about a 20 minute drive and the same again to get to the mark on foot, so the first rod was baited with a small section of mackie on a 2/0 60lb basic rotten bottom dropped in close for rockling or any other small species which might like a wee bite to eat.
I set the clutch/ratchet and started to set my gear out and get the other rod ready but got disturbed by that lovely sound of a slosh ratchet, dropped everything and grabbed the rod to feel a heafty tugging on the end.
Is it the worlds biggest rockling? no i know exactly what it is a very hungry conger's grabbed the small section of mackie and took off with it.
Worked my way down the rocks while trying to keep his head up, this eel was not giving up easily. After a few minutes i managed to drag him up out the weed and a very pissed off eel of around 15lbs is spinning like mad on the surface.
60lb trace, gaff 30ft back up the rocks as i,v not had time to set everything out. Oh well here goes drag him up the rocks by the trace, never got the chance ping goes the trace. He rolled on the surface for a moment then shot off at speed lol.
Cant win em all! cracking scrap though for an eel that size.
Could be the start of a good sesh i,m thinking, how wrong i was spent the next few hours with only this handsome devil for company.

Stayed til dusk then a rather large black cloud was heading my way so time to head for home after a very pleasant day chilling on the rocks.

[MRG2000]

Unlucky on the eel Steve , hansome looking scorpion tho ....

[dovorian]

Sounds like quite an exciting one there Steve. Shame you never landed the Eel. I bet it was a hell of a fight. I would love to catch one of those.
I like catching the mini species with my boy in the summer, The scorpions are smart looking fish and come in lots of colours!
Nice one.
Jason

[Spinner64]

The eels over at that mark are always very dark and in great condition, the water is only 15-20ft deep there so they give a great scrap. If i had a proper conger trace it would have been no problem to drag him out for a pic but that's sods law. I had a 22lber in 2010 which never fought as hard as that one today.
Caught quite a few bullhuss at the same mark right under my feet, thinking of changing to wire traces.
Do you get any eels down the arm where you fish Jason?

[dovorian]

Hi Steve,
I have heard only rumours of conger eels! A lad on my ship says he caught one in folkestone harbour once and another guy said he had a small one off the beach off dugeness.
There must be a few in the rocks around the coast, I would like to target them one day and see if I can get one.
I think the back end of the summer is the time.
I dont think there are any down the arm. I have tried a wire snood before but not had anything other than dogfish on it!
I hope to get down the arm this leave. It might be the last time though as Im going for a job with the coastgaurd and if I take it I would loose my pass. On the plus side I would be home alot more so can get out more.

[Spinner64]

Pity you lose your pass Jason but you are mobile now so that will help. Was nice to see a reasonable sized fish, didnt expect it so quick lol.

[lazy hooker]

well done steve.

nice report, unfortuate about the self releasing conger but the scorpion is a great fish....love the colours on them.

[scottish_and_mental]

Plenty time for an eel mate.. that scorpion fish is much better lookin anyhow ..
that reminds me .. i better give John a ring and see if we are actually gonna go fishing this year !