Caught this nice Tope from my own boat, Santarez,out in Wigton Bay on the 14th June. She measured 69 inches long,and had a girth of just over 32 inches.
Using the SSACN weight / length chart those measurements come out to roughly 60lb, but I just know that it was a very heavy fish.
Was part of a great weekends fishing out from Garlieston with my partner, Laura, and my youngest daughter Kayleigh, who both also managed to catch their first tope and smooth hounds.
Well I have been chasing smoothhounds all week and had managed a couple to 4lb then I was joined by my mate MCoool who caught his ‘first hound’ - @ 8 1/2 lbs an impressive fish, a cracker!
I’d managed a 5lb’er and then my rod lunged forward violently, luckily the drag was set and I played the fish a good 15 minutes as it took run after run; the power was unbelievable, it put in more runs than many of the tope I was getting from the shore last year,
I got the fish to the rocks as MCoool was trying to get me worried jesting you better watch it doesn’t come off....he was getting me worried!
I lifted the fish out the water and carefully made my way up the rocks, Gary Pye witnessed the weighing, this uncommon common smoothhound topped the scales @ just over 11 lbs, smashing the Scottish shore record to pieces, however, that will not be claimed as the fish was returned alive and well.
I am so chuffed all the effort has paid off and I was rewarded with this magnificent fish.
Well, That’s my story - Scott Vance
Had a phone call 7:30 in the morning "fancy a days fishing" and 2 hours later rather unexpectedly I was into this 2-3lb bream which was caught on rag worm.
