ever optimistic

So single handed trip this time.
heading west ! Two clear days of weather I just could not pass up even at the difficulties of being single handed with what might crop up..
day 1,
No hook ups other than
loads of 6inch mackerel constantly pretty much whenever I tried.
(always nice when this happens)
Stunning weather and displays of tuna literally every 30minutes  or so but not fields of them just one full breach but there obviously was numbers you could tell.

Managed to catch a good breach shot.
I had one do this between my floats and no takes .
….
day 2 ;
Arrival harbour 6.30am
bacon buttys on

exit harbour 7am
Day due for the same weather but it wasn’t. Was quite a northerly chop going fortunately I was in pretty close which helped but it weren’t ideal… anyway
 
no birds
no bait fish 
not one tuna bust sight
this was looking like a different place to yesterday…
so I carried on eventually found the mackerel and tons of it all small.
after about 4 hrs of getting pushed offshore I saw the birds working In close again and thought I’ll go in for another 2 hrs drift back again from there… so I’m not too far off to finish.
 
well I arrived at the birds put one bait out sent it back on the ballon.
put my second one down bent down to pick  something up got up and the float was gone !
F*****!!!
Wer on and at a rate of knots !!ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
A run that was frightening literally makes u question wether this is for fun !
Engine on and into battle getting stuck in with a lot more confidence in my ability now .. although it was bloody hard work driving the boat and fishing this way. I had to be on the wheel continuously. Or it would of been gone !

anyway I had it on the leader but (lesson learnt ) my traces are still way too long pulling his head up without ditching the rod was almost impossible this was about an hour in. Then the fight was very nearly over as that extra long trace wrapped round one eyes and I actually said ‘that’s a lost fish’

somehow I managed to unwrap it with the prop going how I didn’t loose it I don’t know!
anyway so another 40 mins the fish changed tactics now and was gunning for depth trying to keep me straight so I kept driving forward and around to avoid this .
it was helping but getting hard and tiring obviously …. Every time I wanted to get stuck into the rod I need to go back to the wheel to manoeuvre…
so back on the leader gloves on same thing I can either stay looking at the fish 10foot under or Unclip and go for it.
so I did and YES I got her up monumental size what a sight ! I stuck the gaff in and felt a wave of relief but to be fair the only negative was that he shook his head so much so that he actually slipped off the gaff turned and popped the hook himself .
 
i was gutted from a glory photo point of view but I knew i caught this fish unlike last year. Not a bad job on my own i thought … I wouldn’t recommend it though no matter how many people do it.
Sorry I haven’t got more photos you’ll have to use imagination and take my word for it this time !
back to Kent!
 
Josh

A man is struggling to find a parking space. “Lord,” he prays. “I can’t stand this. If you open a space up for me, I swear I’ll give up the drink and go to mass every Sunday.”
Suddenly, the clouds part and the sun shines on an empty parking spot. Without hesitation, the man says: “Never mind, I found one!”

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Now his schoolboy error is not that he's looking at more fishing gear, but that he's let himself get caught doing it 🤣

He sorted out the blocked Suez Canal with just 1hp

 
I'ts not just him but even his dog is not to be messed with.