Email to a friend
Print versionThe Dreaded Butterfish!
My recent trip to Brazil for the world Championships, although not successful on all fronts, turned out to be a fantastic experience that I will never forget. You will see a more detailed report in the near future, but for now I am going to share a certain tale of woe, confusion, and outright frustration. A fish that is known by many international anglers as a ‘butterfish’ was the stress provider this time.
 |
On our first night on the beach I met a local angler. Like most Brazilians, his English was very patchy to say the least, so conversation was difficult. He pulled a fish out from the cool of the sand - a strange looking green fish that I had never seen before, with an even more interesting mouth.
It didn’t have teeth as such, at least nothing like what we are used to as normal fish teeth in the UK... rather, it had a beak like a parrot – and it was clear that it could cause damage. The man was using a rather strange set-up; a trace consisting of 150lb wire as a body, and snoods of 100lb wire. I was positive that such measures were way over the top, and couldn’t help but wonder why he was going to such extremes. My first thought was that such a beefy rig could be used over and over again for a long period of time, although in reality this wasn’t the case.
With toothy critters in the UK, there are always ways around bite-offs without needing to enforce drastic measures like this chap had. Then again, I was in a different continent thousands of miles from home.
We made our way back to the hotel to grab the gear, and then I made a start with some tackle modifications. I pulled out a hook which I had stored away in the case of fish with teeth being present on these beaches. Next step - as I didn't have wire, and it would likely be banned from the Championships anyway, was a short biting snood consisting of 100lb mono. Although a quick fix, I was eager to race down to the beach and experiment.
I and the rest of Team Scotland tackled up close to where the local was fishing. By this time he had landed half-a-dozen fat butterfish. I wasn't going to get over excited; I had seen how many small fish there are in the area, and was still adamant that these were going to be the main focus of our trip. However I wanted to make sure I could catch this species.
First cast at about 60 yards, the rod folded followed by slack line. I eased back into a decent weight. A few seconds passed, then the rod’s progressive curve release back into its normal bend under the weight of a 4oz lead.
 |
What had happened... well, I had actually hooked a small fish on the top snood - a species which looks much like our freshwater barbel. The middle hook was completely gone, as though someone had taken a pair of scissors to my 20lb line well beyond my 6 inch biting trace. The bottom hook was still attached, but had been crushed inwards and resembled a pin.
I instantly gave up on my current 'that will do' attitude to targeting these fish. It was clear that they were serious biters, and easy fix solutions were not going to solve a problem here. Back to the hotel, and we soon confirmed that wire was indeed banned from the championships.
Three plans were devised; first of all was to create a T-bar effect on the hook. These fish, although could clearly snap, don't have the largest of mouths, and if something long and metal was in the way of them biting past the hook eye, perhaps we would have a fighting chance. I poked a needle through the eye of a size 4 hook, and then crimped either side.
This didn’t work; the butterfish chewed them up with little effort. Next plan - a series of crimps threaded up the snood and over the knot at the hook. This was the most successful method; some anglers actually landed butterfish (plural) using this tactic, but not me! They seemed to be able to bite in between the most minute of gaps, and even chomped their way beyond the line of crimps.
Next plan – steel booms. Another rule of the World championships is that your hook must be attached to line of some form; no wire, and not directly onto a boom. So, we tied a knot using mono that had both the hole of the boom, and the hook eye within its loop, so hook and boom may as well have been joined, but for match rule purposes they were officially and legally separated via a very tiny section of mono.
 |
This, I was positive, was going to be the answer. During one match day the lad next to me pulled in a decent butterfish early on, so to compete I would have to find one too. I lobbed about 40 yards into the gutter with the boom rig, and didn't have to wait long for a bite. Unfortunately I couldn't connect, and cast after cast they managed to pick away and dissect any tricks I could throw at them. My head was in a mess with this fish, and at times I just couldn't help but think, why me?
 |
All tips welcome
del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
 Fishing Rods Fishing Reels Rod Rests Fishing Hooks Rig Components Accessories DVice & Leads |
Plugs, Lures Lines & Leaders Shore Fishing Rigs Feathers & Lure Rigs Luggage Clothing & Hats Deals |
BERKLEY FRENZIED POPPER £3.91 Each TIDEWATER LURE RIGS 83p Each 7" WSF Jelly Worms Get ready for the new Plugging Season, Buy 3 get one of them for free, Blue Pilchard Divers WSF NOW STOCKS SAKUMA HOOKS
SALTWATER FLIES FROM FULLING MILL FROM £1.25 BACK IN STOCK PENN CAPTIVA CV2 REELS BACK IN STOCK SALT / CAPTIVA SPINNING COMBO DEAL BACK IN STOCK ABU CARDINAL 304FD PRICE: £37.18 |
