Medway Estuary 1st October.

Post by **Cranfield** » October 1st, 2003, 2:23 pm

What may have been my last mullet fishing trip of the "season", turned out very successfully.
I was fortunate to land my best fish of the year, a thick lipped grey mullet, weighing 6lb-8ozs exactly.

Bait was bread flake, fished under a small float at the waters edge, in under 2ft of water.

The size of the tail gives an indication of the fighting capabilities of these fish, on a 12ft float rod, spinning reel with 6lb line right through to a size 8 hook, it gave a very good account of itself.

Yes, it was as cold as it looks, with a persistent drizzling rain.
Strangely enough, I hardly noticed it.

Post by **Sir reel** » October 1st, 2003, 2:54 pm

Greetings Cranfield,

Very nice report. Sounds like you gave a pretty good account of yourself as well. GREAT HAT!

If you did not release the monster... what sort of method did you use to prepare it?

Post by **Cranfield** » October 1st, 2003, 3:53 pm

Sir reel, I practise kiss and release.

We don,t have enough of the big breeders, to cull any.

I know this report is not " from the area", but I am wearing the hat.

dewyafish · Post by **dewyafish** » October 1st, 2003, 4:01 pm

Great pic and report.

What is a "float rod"???

Post by **CSMarine** » October 1st, 2003, 4:11 pm

We don't care Cran, we wanted to see one of these critters we were talking about yesterday. Looks like a Flint River Striper what got his noggin mashed.

Thanks for the report. Very interesting.

Post by **Cranfield** » October 1st, 2003, 5:30 pm

A float rod will come in a variety of "actions", usually described as light, medium, heavy and variations of those weights.
They will be 11ft minimum.
I have them at 12, 13, 15, 18 and 20ft long.
The longer rods tend to be the lighter end of the weight scale.

The one I used today was a 12ft, carbon fibre, light/medium rod, it has the tip action to cast a float rig, weighing no more than 1/2 ounce, but the strength in the middle and butt section to put pressure on fish, up to about 10lbs.

The length of rod helps the casting, it also enables you to control and pick up the line at distance, especially when striking.

Being carbon fibre they are light and no effort to hold and cast all day, even in windy conditions.

dewyafish · Post by **dewyafish** » October 2nd, 2003, 11:21 am

Interesting.
Never seen a rod that long, but I can see it's utility.

Post by **Sir reel** » October 2nd, 2003, 11:35 am

Sounds like one of them telescop'n bream busters....

Post by **Ken K** » October 2nd, 2003, 12:28 pm

Looking in my "Big Book of British Fishing" , I also see Leger rods and whips. Then you have your sinkers: Plummets, Bottle, Wye, Hillman, Olivette, Bomb and Barrel. There is a wide assortment of "Booms", not sure what those do. Ah, the bobbers: Loafers, Polywags, Driftbeaters, Crystals, Peacocks, Wagglers, Loaded, Avons, Sticks, Onions, Zoomers, Blues, Grays and Darts.

Some of the lures have interesting names too: Sprat, Flying Condom, Toby Fat, Kilty Kerryman and Big Fish.

Post by **Cranfield** » October 2nd, 2003, 1:10 pm

All essential equipment for the avid Angler.

The Flying Condom is a great sea trout (our version) lure.
In the up market Trout Magazines its referred to as a "Flying C", for modesty reasons.