I was planning on writing this blog entry during January or February as everybody knows that that is when Pollack fishing is at it’s best, or do they? Last week (mid-September) my mate Simon Thomas gave me a call and asked if I wanted to make the most of big tides, sunny weather and a space on Dave Uren’s Evolution 33 Mirage. Dave fancied that there were some decent pollack and cod to be found at marks to the west of Plymouth and if Dave was confident, then there was no way I was going to miss out as I’ve had some cracking fishing with him over the last couple of years.

On the day conditions were perfect and the density and volume of fish marks showing over the two wrecks that we visited were unbelievable and more intense than I have seen before. I began fishing with traditional flying collar tactics using a firetail sidewinder and landed several pollack to about 10lb as did others onboard. After a while feeling like a change I feathered up a handful of joey mackerel, shortened my trace length to about 10 foot of 25lb fluorocarbon, tied on a 6/0 circle hook and started slow retrieves of live joeys over the wreck. Wow – this sorted the men from the boys!

My previous PB was an 18lb winter fish. Over the next few drifts I equalled it, then beat it with a 19.5lb fish and then added another four fish of about 15lb and on switching to high speed jigs a cracking cod of about 9lb. This was one of my best days fishing in a good while on a nice boat with an excellent skipper and was shared with a bunch of good anglers who knew how to have fun – how can you beat a day like that while keeping your trousers on?

Dave Uren can be contacted on 0796 9100796  or check out his web-site at: www.miragecharters.co.uk

Pollack ID: As a member of the cod family Pollachius pollachius show similarities in shape and behaviour to the other species and in younger fish it may be difficult at times to make a definitive identification. As they get older, they retain the cod family characteristics of relatively large eyes, three dorsal fins and two anal fins, but become more distinct so that the only fish you are likely to confuse them with is the coalfish, and when you know how, these two are easily distinguishable. Neither fish possess the obvious chin barbel found in cod, although coalfish may have a very small version. The most obvious difference between the two species is the lateral line, whereas in the coalfish this is  light (almost white) in colour and runs in a straight line the length of the body, that of the Pollack is dark and has a very marked curve towards the head of the fish.

Breeding: Spawning tends to occur between January and April in water depths of about 100m when temperatures are in the range of 6 – 9°C, eggs and larvae then drift together towards shallower inshore waters where the immature fish spend their early years. Growth rates are very dependent on the food availability, in the first 12 months juveniles feed mainly on planktonic organisms and may reach 20cm in length. As they increase in size their diet becomes increasingly dominated by other fish and they take on the behaviour of an efficient predator.

Location: Pollack are found all around the UK and tend to like the cover offered by rocky reefs, kelp beds, piers and wrecks Pollack can grow relatively large, although the average size is about 50cm they can easily attain a length of a metre plus, though by then they may be 10 years old. Fish weighing in the high teens and breaking 20lb+ are caught regularly each year. The heavier fish tend to be caught during the winter spawning period over wrecks in the English Channel, although their voracious hunting behaviour and the need to feed during times of plenty mean that livebaits and artificials account for good fish on an almost year round basis. It is the predatory instinct that we must appeal to and so whatever your fishing platform, to trigger an attack you must get your bait close to the fish holding feature, impart some movement to your bait and hang on tight!

Facts:
Pollack (Pollachius pollachius)

• Streamlined body with 3 dorsal and 2 anal fins
• Body colour varies with habitat; generally dark back, silvery flanks, white belly
• Curved dark lateral line
• Protruding lower jaw
• Shore record: 18lb 4oz, 1986
• Boat record:  29lb 4oz, 1987