THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Out over the deep water wrecks for example, it's common practise to touch bottom with the lead in the
run up to wreck showing on the sounder, then as the target begins to show, start winding, while at the
same time counting the turns of the reel handle when fishing redgills, sidewinders and similar soft
bodied swimming lures, so as to gauge the feeding zone on the day.
This can be well up and sometimes even well off the wreck, as the pollack, attracted by their prey fish,
and in particular mackerel, may well be 'riding' the pressure wave created as water pushed along by the
tide is deflected upwards in the same way that rocks create boils in rivers as they disrupt the flow.
That said, where you feel the first nips and tugs if they are playing with the lure, may not be a true
reflection of where the fish first see it and give chase, as they will on occasions follow a lure for quite
long distances. Sometimes even to within visual range from the boat, which on a calm day I've witnessed
while reef pollack fishing around the Isles of Scilly.
This is probably the ideal point at which to talk about strikes and takes when fishing with a flying collar
rig, which tactically can be any one of several variants on winding up a long monofilament trace through
the water column. I've read many articles on this topic across a very wide range of views and
experiences, some of which at times seem to be at odds with each other.
Some say traces in excess of twenty feet tied up from fluorocarbon are a must. Others suggest just plain
old thirty pounds bs monofilament at lengths of between twelve and twenty feet.
My feet are firmly planted in the latter category, and I would add that the shorter the trace the fish allow
you to get away with on the day the better. I say this because long traces if not handled carefully can
lead to self tangling problems on the drop down.
Not so much on days with a good run of tide, or wind and tide working together taking the lure well
clear of the wire stand off boom with it's lead attached.
It's in slower conditions that you need to be more aware, flicking the lead away from the boat to create
a better angle of drop, then moving the rod tip to one side to keep the end gear clear of the main line on
the descent.
Slower controlled drops also help and are much better than allowing the lead to go in to free fall. And
it need not always be with lures.
King rag nicked through the head, live sandeels, even mackerel belly strips can all be fished in the same
way either inshore or off, over both wrecks or reefs where a nice slow steady retrieve and sufficient self
control never to strike are a must.
When they are ready, pollack will take a bait, turn, and kick for bottom in one fast continuous
movement, hooking themselves in the process. So be sure and have the reel drag set right, both allowing
and controlling the power dive under drag pressure which in turn will set the hook.
You can use a similar, lighter, shortened version for fishing soft lures from snaggy deep water rock
marks, though with the advent of light rock fishing (LRF), and more so for bigger fish, heavy rock
fishing (HRF), self weighted soft lures are now more the fashion.
With this in mind I talked at length to, and recorded a very interesting audio interview with Danny
Parkins in which he talks primarily about targeting big ballan wrasse, but also of picking up bass and
pollack from time to time.
I suspect slow twitching self weighted lures across the bottom would not be as good an approach for
pollack and to some extent bass as would be a lure travelling overhead silhouetted against the surface,
something I base on my fly fishing experiences.
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