Angling

Chances are, 2010 is unlikely to go down on record as one of the great years for anglers. In fact, its value to you will depend entirely on where you did most of your fishing. If there was one major disappointment of the past year, it was the absence of big bass, especially from the Channel wrecks that seem to have been so alive in the past. But I don’t like dwelling on the failures of a season past. It is the future that is important . . .

Now I must confess that January is not a month that particularly sets my adrenaline flowing, but what does pluck my fiddle is the prospect of fishing the warm tropical waters around Africa. I have just spent a very happy couple of weeks out in Kenya, so I thought I would whet your appetite for a spell of fishing African style with a quick taste of how things are done out there.

African sport fishing
Fishing is so thrilling in Africa - fish are more colourful, more powerful and harder fighting. In Kenya, fishing is mostly from game fishing boats, while in South Africa the most exciting fishing is from ski boats as they call them - launched either from the beach or the slipway.

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We are now into the winter fishing season, a time when a lot of anglers stow their tackle until the spring. But for those of you who get a buzz during the winter from pollack, cod, ling and flounder, the fun is just beginning. To start off the winter, I thought it might be helpful to first look at the pollack and then drop in a few tips on how to catch them.

The pollack dossier
Pollack (Pollachus pollachus) has a body typical of the cod family, with three dorsal fins and two anal fins. It has a protruding lower jaw, which helps with identification, but it does not have a barble. The lateral line curves up over the pectoral fin, which helps to differentiate it from a coalfish, where the lateral line is straight. The coloration is a rich, dark green on the back, shading to a greenish gold with a white belly. It really is a magnificent fish when you see it out of the water.
The pollack is a shoal fish found almost everywhere on the coast of the UK. The smaller juvenile fish stay inshore and are frequently caught in the spring and summer from piers and breakwaters and over reefs. As they increase in size, they move further offshore into deeper water and onto wrecks, where they have a more diverse food larder.

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Do you enjoy your fishing so much that you would like to start fishing in competition? If so, how do you get started? Well if your appetite for competitive fishing has been whetted, your best move is to join a club. It is not a requirement to fish in open matches (those usually supporting a charity), but for all others, membership of a club is a must - and it becomes even more crucial if you have ambitions to fish on the international circuit.

Getting to the top

A frequent question is how can I get to the top? You have to start by fishing in your  club’s matches. Don’t worry too much about your results in the early days. Just watch and learn. Try to get yourself on a boat with top anglers to observe how they fish throughout the day. Note how they switch tackle and tactics to suit the changing conditions. Slack water, strong tide, wind changes, position on the boat - they all have a bearing on the end result. Preparation is vital, whether it’s a club match or an open. Start by reading the rules. Results are calculated on ‘best specimen’ or a points system. Establish if all species are eligible. Note the minimum size of all species and be aware that rules can vary from match to match.

Away from the southwest, matches are generally based around points. Various systems are in use, but they are usually referred to as ‘catch and release’. All species have a points tariff - low for common species like mackerel and pout, and higher for more difficult ones like plaice or bream. To get the best points score, make sure you research the venue. Tackle shops are a font of knowledge. Knowing which species are likely to be caught on which state of the tide can make the difference between winning and losing. Which approach you choose to take is down to you. For instance, will lots of low tariff fish beat a few high tariff species targeted by another competitor? It’s a question that only local knowledge and experience can answer.  

The upshot

As a relative novice, starting in a club match is the best method of feeling your way. It is in these matches that you can hone your skills on which rigs are best and which hook sizes work. These are usually smaller than you would use for pleasure fishing, but either way, fishing in a points match is more intense than in a specimen match. You need to get the fish in the boat, get the line re-baited and get it down again as fast as you can. If you are quicker than the others on board your boat, you shouldn’t go far wrong. To reach international level, you will need to fish the bigger matches and attain a good record of top results against top anglers before being considered. But don’t be put off. Competition fishing can be great fun. I have fished competitively at all levels (in addition to pleasure fishing all my life) and I still very much enjoy both.

For more angling hints and tips pick up your copy of the November issue of Boat Mart or subscribe here.

The most exciting news of the moment is the reappearance of ling, not just in large numbers but also at good sizes. The biggest I know of is 29 pounds, caught on the Dartmouth-based charter boat, Gemini - but fish of around 25 pounds have been far from uncommon this summer.

Bagging a good one
The predatory ling has a cod-like appearance, with a long body, a vicious set of teeth and white flaky flesh that makes excellent eating. In fact, it is one of my favourites, especially the smaller ones.
Ling always travel in shoals, so catch one and you are almost guaranteed to see more drop on the deck. The bite of a ling is similar to a conger, although some will say it is more akin to a cod, but either way, once hooked, it is a powerful predator.
Ling are often caught when you are cod fishing close to the bottom, but the best method is to anchor and fish into a wreck with fresh bait. If you are good, you can drift over it with bait, using a lure. The top bait is fresh mackerel, either a fillet or a flapper, with lots of lovely juices to tickle their taste buds. Other good baits are squid, cuttle and pout.
The rig is a single hook, size 6/0 or 8/0 (they have a large mouth), tied to white nylon of 150lb or 200lb. About three feet in length should be about right. The breaking strain seems over the top, but you might also catch the odd conger, so lesser strains would see a big conger lost.
The best lure at the moment is the red and yellow ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ Sidewinder. The bulk of reports now name that lure for most wreck-caught fish, but make sure you use a big one. You will need a minimum 20lb class rod with a suitable reel and braid line.

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