Ling Cod in northern WA.

[CO FLy]

I realize that this is a fly fishing site, but I just had to post.
39 inch, 21.8lb Ling Cod caught in 180 feet of water in the straits of Jaun De Fuca. Dead drifting hering along the bottom. Next time I am going to take a 8wt with full sinking line and some heavy, heavy, heavy, hering paterns, should work we shal see.

[tim newall]

I realize that this is a fly fishing site, but I just had to post.
39 inch, 21.8lb Ling Cod caught in 180 feet of water in the straits of Jaun De Fuca. Dead drifting hering along the bottom. Next time I am going to take a 8wt with full sinking line and some heavy, heavy, heavy, hering paterns, should work we shal see.
Well guess what, your idea is a good one. I have started fishing this year for lings and have found them very catchable up to about 40 feet deep. I use a shooting head 400 grain sink line attached to my backing directly. As you can emagine it is a nightmare to cast but the first ling of the season was 38" on a fly.
There is a easily tied pattern called a halfarabbit that works well for these fish and rockfish. As far as I can tell this is a pretty unexplored fishery around the San Juan Islands. I have gotten some strange looks when people pull up near our boat and see me casting a fly!
Let me know if you "discover a better method fopr getting fliesdown deep.
:)

[loophitech]

That is pretty wild!! I gear fished out of Neah a few years ago and we were out 40-45 miles hooking Halibut and Lings. The Lings we caught put up one hell of fight, mind you we were fishing 400 foot of water, so the idea of hooking a ling on a fly in lesser water is very intrigueing. Too bad I do not have a boat otherwise I would have tried here in the South Sound during the season.

LoopHiTech

[calebsb]

I have heard of fishermen working in pairs on lingcod so that one drops a flasher to the bottom and pulls it back fast to draw the lings up to where the other has a fly drifting quite naturally on a floationg line. Haven't had a chance to try it myself.