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What was that?

Neil Smart

Senior Member
Fishing the Lower Severn at Tewkesbury last evening, Bait was a few feet from the side, started to get 'liners' and after a couple of minutes what appeared to be a log surfaced right under the rod tip. The 'log' soon disappeared after taking a gulp of air, I do believe it was a Catfish, never seen anything like that before, has anyone else?
 
Them coming up for air does happen fairly frequently - I witnessed it every day for a week when fishing in France years ago (although I never caught one), and they will even feed off or near the surface - there are seasoned catfish anglers who, of an evening, will only fish near the surface for them in the summer, BUT conditions have to be just so I believe.
 
Fishing the Lower Severn at Tewkesbury last evening, Bait was a few feet from the side, started to get 'liners' and after a couple of minutes what appeared to be a log surfaced right under the rod tip. The 'log' soon disappeared after taking a gulp of air, I do believe it was a Catfish, never seen anything like that before, has anyone else?

Yes Neil,the last cat I landed last year from a Stillwater did a similar thing just before engulfing the surface fished livebait.Interestingly once on the unhooking mat it **** out the remains of a large rat,bones,fur,the lot
 
Fishing the Lower Severn at Tewkesbury last evening, Bait was a few feet from the side, started to get 'liners' and after a couple of minutes what appeared to be a log surfaced right under the rod tip. The 'log' soon disappeared after taking a gulp of air, I do believe it was a Catfish, never seen anything like that before, has anyone else?

You sure it wasn't a log Neil....like in that other thread :D:D

Cheers, Dave.
 
Out of the Pinn, into the Thames, around the English Channel and up the Severn estuary. Normal migration pattern for the burbot this time of year.
 
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It's only half a mile from where the big cat came out last time, so not really that unbelievable to think it was a cat
 
I'm
Sure it wasn't a seal?

Sure.
It was a fish, either a catfish or maybe even a sturgeon, whatever it was it was I think mopping up my pellets, with the indications I was getting on the rod tip.But the way it just came up from the depths, vertically, and then sort of porpoised and was gone again. Very odd, never seen anything like it.
 
I'm

Sure.
It was a fish, either a catfish or maybe even a sturgeon, whatever it was it was I think mopping up my pellets, with the indications I was getting on the rod tip.But the way it just came up from the depths, vertically, and then sort of porpoised and was gone again. Very odd, never seen anything like it.

They just do it for the halibut not on porpoise :D
 
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