I made a cast towards an outcrop of rock, around 20 yards out. It was low tide and I was fishing in around 6ft of water, the kelp gently swaying just below the water’s surface. The sea was calm with very good visibility; I could not only see the beds of kelp but could also identify patches of sand and areas of rock. I let my lure sink before engaging the bale arm and tightening up, giving the lure a few small flicks before letting it sink on a slack line. After a second or two, I tightened up and repeated the process. I could clearly feel the lure working over rock and through kelp, the braid transmitting up to me everything that was happening below.
Without warning, just as the lure was paused, I felt a sudden thud at the end of the braid. An unmistakable hit from a wrasse. Even when your braid is slack as the lure is paused, you can clearly feel the hit from a fish. I swept the rod back and felt the solid weight of a ballan. The second I’d set the hook I knew this was a good fish. Instantly, the wrasse knew something was wrong and his
