When I was a kid we spent a lot of time on the broadwater. One afternoon I swam the stern anchor into the beach and dragged it up. There was some old fishing line on it and as a keen fishing grom I started to pull it in hoping for a sinker or perhaps some tackle I could use. It took ages as there was a lot of line out.
After a few minutes I noticed some tension on the line and soon realised I was fighting a fish. I pulled in a solid bream! Probably the best I had ever caught at that stage.
I figure that someone had set a line and perhaps forgotten to tighten the drag or close the bail arm. and I got a sinker haha