Traces and Tips
Before we start, take a look at
which will help with the knots we refer to.
Ling Trace
A typical Ling Trace, the top clip goes to the mainline and a weight on a weak link to the bottom of the french boom.
There is an old saying that when fishing for Ling they like a bit of Bling. Some shiny metalwork near to the hook will provide flash and a bit of vibration, white 6 " muppets always seem to do well for Ling and a generous strip of Mackeral fished on a size 5/0 hook should pick out the bigger fish, mainline should be in the region of around 60lb and the snoods can be less at say 30lb, this will ensure that if you snag something you don,t lose the whole trace. Always try to incorporate a swivel where you can as they will make sure that your trace does not end up looking like a birds nest if the fish fights hard.
MONEY SAVING TIP
Don't buy spoons, but instead get a pack of around 10 stainless steel teaspoons from Tesco for a £1.00 and cut the handles off and use for flasher blades, the spoons can be drilled, add split rings and there you have it, fishing tackle is not cheap so lets save where we can.
The following tips are provided by Gerry Wilson the club secretary.
For all it's worth here is my two pennies worth of tips for amateurs at the fishing game. Don't laugh now.
1. Fishing for ling? You definitely need bait.
2. Bait? What's that? The best is white belly strips of mackerel, but colley, cod, or ling themselves can give the white belly skin.
3. And? Pieces of mackerel gill or gut can supplement bait for attraction but, being soft, is difficult to keep on the hook.
4. The lowermost hook generally catches most so keep that one well baited.And how do I get more lowermost hooks? Well, use a "spreull" or spreader.
5. Wind and tide is a bugbear --- sounds quite like another word I know. To have an angle on your dangle is not easy --use the optimum weight of lead to keep the line perpendicular but not detract from the feel. Does that sound ok?
6. Coloured lures on or above the hooks might help -- the ones that work best for me are silver, red and pink. Especially pink. A big pink lure and you're all set for anything!!!
7. Mackerel can be caught on most anything, but on a difficult day silver or gold flashing tinsel takes most.
8. Cod, colley, and pollack can adapt to the pressure changes when pulled from depths of 100+ feet but ling and wrasse can't adapt and are almost 100% "muggie-blawn". ie. they have partly or totally everted their stomachs up through their gullets. Being a non-reversible condition it is no use releasing them as they will die anyway.
9. Pollack are caught best on the flowing trace system with lures but no bait. Variation is needed -- don't make all the lures the same colour 'cos some days the pollack might take black.
10. If you're having no joy with any of the systems, change the colour of the lures often. Don't stick with what isn't working.
11.In general Big hooks -- Big fish. Small hooks -- All fish ( but it's a bugger if a big one bends your small hook)
---that's the word I was trying to mind!!
