Pollack on the Fly Part 2

Heres a link to the Video

After a enjoyable day alone I invited Steve a friend and Co worker at uksaltwaterflies to come out on the boat. Steve had not fly fished for 20 years. His casting was pretty good considering the lack of practice. High density lines while standing on a moving platform represent a reasonable challenge. It was a steamy boiling Hot day . Not best for the fishing , the larger Pollack were hiding and unwilling to play ball.

Steve managed to catch a Bass. His first on fly. It was a fun morning.

Please excuse Steve swearing when he hooks a Bass !!

Pollack on the Fly Part 1

Pollack Fly fishing trip May 11 Th. 2008

It’s still a week or 2 early for Bass here, the second set of springs will no doubt bring a tidal wave of giant Bass! Lets hope not as if that were ever to happen a greed y commercial fisherman would be more than happy to scoop them up with no regard for the future of his own fishery. Ok politics aside.

So in the absence of Bass I have turned my attention towards catching Pollack from Reefs and Pinnacles. Usually I regard Pollack as a by catch, such is my favouritism towards Bass fishing. This style of fishing is very basic in terms of technical fly fishing. Boat handling becomes the critical skill rather than fly casting. I did ponder too myself a couple of times. Is this saltwater fly fishing as I drifted over pinnacles watching the fish on my Fish finder and lining up my drift. Regardless of the ethics it’s still a very enjoyable way to fish, you certainly do hook into larger fish than you tend to when fishing my local Rocky shore marks. I think I will start to do more of this fishing this summer and see if I cant get a Double figure Pollack on the fly.
Method
Once you located the correct starting point and have set up your drift you cast the fly either ahead of the boat or at 90 Degrees to the boat. With a stiff Northerly today wind I fished with the stern facing the wind. Depths ranged from 20 - 60 feet. As the fly swings around the bites tend to start. You can let the fly swing fully astern and then jig and retrieve the fly. Sometimes retrieving a few meters and then paying the line out again. This certainly breaks the gentlemen’s rules but when handling a boat in chop on your own while fishing the fly it is useful.

Lines and flies
I have been fishing with 8 # and 10 # Rods both with Rio Outbound Di 8 Sinkers. 30 lb Seguar Fluorocarbon leaders and a variety of flies. With regard to flies I have now started to fish 1/0 Deep eels and other Long Mobile flies. If you fish small flies you will be plagued by Small Pollack. If you fish a large Saltwater fly they tend to tail nip the fly ,rather than swallow it, its rather like bait fishing . As you drift you can feel endless tugs and pulls from small fish nipping while you await a thump from the larger specimens . The 6 lb Fish today fell to a bright red Zonker on the Second cast .

So today I had well over 20 Fish , with several 4 pounders a Five pounder and one just under 6 lb. The little guys don’t really pull your string but the better fish really do stick a bend in the rod. as they dive for cover .

It may not be pure fly fishing but as a pre Bass fishing season distraction it was pure fun !

Saltwater Fly fishing in Cornwall - May 2008

After a busy week I managed to sneak away for a whole tide today. We had a pretty large Spring tide combined with a strong very gusty South Easterly Breeze . This made maintaining the correct drift , managing the boat and a fly rod rather a challenge. Constant tweaking of the boat and much swearing as the fly line spooled out of the Orvis line tray in the gusts,were the order of the day. It was good to see the Herring fry were in the shallows dimpling the surface in the margins of the Estuary . Despite the arrival of the Fry there was still a wintery feeling to the place . Peak season the estuary will be a soup of Bait and life. The Stingy Noodle weed beds are still rather thin. I should have looked at the water temperature on the Fish finder . I checked several favourite Bass spots but alas nothing there, Not a pluck or a follow . Usually if they are there you will see them follow or hook them within a few casts.

So it was back to Pollack duty. Armed with the 8 # and Rio Outbound Di 8 . DNA Olive Clouser size 2 # (Just for a change) The heavy seas restricted my movements so I fished well within the sheltered confines of the estuary . As usual there were plenty of willing Pollack and Coalfish , no monsters , the best fish would have maybe tweaked 3 lb. 20 or 30 fish later that was enough..I had fished 2 marks ranging from 18 to 35 foot deep. All the better fish were deep down. Time to return with a glowing red face thanks to Sunshine a windburn. Nice to be catching fish and bobbing around.

A few weeks from now the daily Herring fry Bltz’s will start . Hopefully !

AG