Galway Bass - Part 2

The following day I returned to the same location and enjoyed a fine walk surrounded by bird life and with high hopes after the previous day's success. I arrived to find the spring tide at its peak and unable to cast into the areas I felt might hold fish so I bided my time, took a few risks and eventually moved forward with the now falling tide. I targeted the area with large 175mm plugs in and around the surf washed boulders and eventually was rewarded with an almighty hit on the lure followed by the unstoppable run of a big fish. I'd only felt this kind of power from a fish once before in my life whilst fishing in Waterford with Patrick Gallagher and that ended in a lost fish due to inexperience on my part. As the battle commenced the words of Padraig my Father in Law, a very experienced river angler, came in to my head. He had been recalling the tale of a battle with a big Salmon, to me, just the previous day, and how he used patience and guile to subdue and land the fish. These words came back to me just when I needed them because any attempt to bully this fish was going to end in tears. When the fish came to the surface my heart rate went through the roof, this was the biggest Bass I'd seen to date and I was determined to land it successfuly. After what seemed like an age I was able to enter the water, from my rocky perch,and gently tow the beaten fish far from the reach of the foaming waves to unhook and inspect it. This was a brute of a fish and in perfect condition, I quickly unhooked the fish and measured it at 74cm in length which according to my B.A.S.S. tape measure is a 9Lb fish I was over the moon and shaking like a leaf. After a few photos I revived the fish in calm water then released it totally unharmed although maybe a little embarrassed to have been fooled by a piece of shiny plastic....