Dope

Sorry for the typo in the title bar clearly I meant to write rope as in this pic taken only a couple of days ago it seems that this Tope is attached, using the word very loosely, to a slack piece of rope. So what is going on here? Other than the screamingly obvious fact that this is a stunning fish coming up towards 3 Fishes and a group of thrilled anglers.... well what you can see is a 100lb rubbing leader.

What you will not know, unless you have ever handled one of these babies, is that they have extremely abrasive skin. Its shark skin and shark skin makes short work of anything softer than it; which of course is just about everything! Indeed I took the precaution the other day of asking a shirtless angler to don his T again before cuddling his 50lb'er. A wise precaution I felt otherwise he would have had the closest chest shave he's ever had (its a new men's fashion, don't ask a 40 something year old why!). And what is worse still he then would come out in a prickly heat/nettle rash which hurts. Loads of bacteria in the skin I believe....can anyone tell me more though as I would like to learn?

So my 30lb nylon mainline is in trouble very quickly if one of these shark chooses to roll on it (and they do roll). So you add a metre + of 100lb leader to take the rub. They roll because they will both tear at food by rolling and in defence. You will have seen, I'm sure, underwater film of shark rolling on prey and indeed the same thing is done by crocs (not that there are any crocs here other than those worn by those who really should know better).

Yes I've been on the tope and bass this week. Lure casting for sea bass is my passion and what makes my blood flow free. Going after tope is my dirty secret hobby. I think it is the shock and awe (aka desert storm - and that was successful wasn't it?) moment. Not the shock that I feel but it is that seen in the faces of those who have never caught a shark. Its is a wow moment, a life memory; put simply it is epic.