A 'Monster' Moment
by Sea Bass Safaris guide Tim Harrison
Every now and again my almost daily pursuit of the elusive sea bass lands me in a set of circumstances that have to be seen to be believed. As West Wales’s only professional bass guide I’m out there fishing more than any and I see lots of extraordinary things but occasionally what I see deserves to be shared with others.
This particular day showed no hint of the fishing experience that was to come. I was out guiding and had led this particular client to a stunning bay, so isolated that only a stiff thirty minute walk and a serious climb can reveal its beauty. I call it Dragon’s Cave and its one of my hot spots. It was windy – a force four to five from the South West, with white caps on the sea, no swell and gin clear water. In short it was the kind of day that ‘bassing’ is made for but as a very experienced guide I take nothing for granted and I’m always on ‘tender hooks’ as we start fishing – will they be there…..
We tackled up with a Monster Tackle supplied Heddon Zara Super Spook on one rod and a Lucky Craft Sammy on the other. Third cast over a known lie a big fish rolled onto the lure. I see all kind’s of takes but the one that makes my heart thump is a dark fish rolling positively but slowly on to the lure – it means big fish, a serious big fish. The next second or is it half a second – everything goes solid. With a serious fish there is no mistaking the weight, the power and the knee jangling pull – this is special. The drag slips and a dark shape moves off its lie and starts heading for open water.
After ten minutes nervous tension – it may even have been more – the fish was ready for landing. We had seen it for almost the entire fight from the second it took the lure to now when it was at our feet. But this fish, although a true monster, had yet to throw its biggest surprise. As it wallowed at our feet and I began choosing my landing position, a second smaller bass hit the lure that was already in the monsters mouth. We watched in disbelief as four, maybe six, smaller fish came in at speed and one of them deliberately hit the monsters lure. There is no doubt in our minds that the smaller fish was attempting to rob the lure (or what it considered to be the bigger fishes catch).
For a minute we had both on – the monster now tired and lethargic in the water and the smaller fish thrashing. The inevitable happened and the action of the smaller fish dislodged the lure from the monsters mouth and it gently swam away. We landed the smaller fish, measured it with a Bass Anglers Sport Fish Society tape and weight measure, photographed it and put it back. It was 66 cm long and would have weighed around 6lb’s.
How big was the big one – bigger than I have seen and in my guiding career and I have landed two fish of 10lb +. This monster moment I will dream about forever…
About the Author
Tim Harrison set up Sea Bass Safaris three years ago. He now guides anglers for five months of the year. His fishing is all done on Fly and Lure and on a catch and release basis.
See www.sea-bass-safaris.co.uk for more information
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