My 52nd lure-caught species! A Connemara Clingfish. And on a metal!!
If the targets by design give you tremendous satisfaction, the chance encounters offer sheer delight. Bouncing a 2-gram JungleGym nano metal deep into holes between rocks, never did I expect to be swinging in a clingfish of any kind. But that is exactly what happened. Trying to avoid the ‘plague proportion’ pouting in open ground, I was trying to make something happen elsewhere. Dropping JDM jewellery between boulders may seem mental but it’s actually quite controllable if you’re careful not to wedge it in any crevices on the uplift.
So I was bouncing the 2g Jaco Ichi lure off rocks, blind, when I found a much deeper hole. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lure made it down twelve feet or so from the surface. I immediately had a couple of clear touches and then something found the hook. To my utter amazement, it turned out to be my first ever clingfish – a Connemara Clingfish, or Connemara Sucker by another name.
Here’s three things I didn’t know about the Connemara Clingfish before yesterday.
1. The stickiest fish I’ve caught in the UK. Should be called a gluefish!
2. No idea they could be found at this kind of depth
3. Love the vivid orange on the rearward dorsal fin. Very Arapaima!
26th July, 2024 @ 9:31 am
As I commented elsewhere, an outstanding catch on any day but, on a metal. WOW.
I know they’re there but normally along the crennelations at the base of the wall but those rocks often throw up a surprise catch. Really surprised at the depth you mentioned though ! Saturday was a nightmare there with the wind chopping up the water and swirling the prolific weed growth around so my 3 Wrasse species and Tompot targets from that spot didn’t happen.
Found a Scorp though which I know you liked.
It’s great that someone like yourself that’s been on the scene forever can still find ‘lifers’. LRF/Light Game – the gift that keeps giving
26th July, 2024 @ 11:26 am
Thanks Steve. Yeah, if that surface weed is moving around too much it’s almost impossible. I lost two decent fish to it even on a relatively calm day. Pretty sure one was a Tompot on metal. Can’t complain though!
28th July, 2024 @ 6:10 pm
Adam, Yet another great catch! Some nice colouring as well. I have never really fished my metals in known dangerous areas before. Who dares wins is not only for the SAS! When I get down to Pompey later in August I shall have to try some of the new “rockeries”.
Bill Seager.
28th July, 2024 @ 11:24 pm
Thanks. Exactly. Have to be in it, to win it. Not checked out the new features yet.