Description
Saltwater Fly Fishing for Pollack is one of the best sea fishing trips in Scotland to experience. Pollack can be caught from the shore or boat. The ideal depth to target pollack is 20-40 feet.
The Pollack is the ultimate predator and a hard fighting fish.
The Pollack prefers to hunt in areas with rock features, and abundant kelp. This offers cover from predators like seals. This also gives them a perfect environment to attack baitfish and sand eels.
Locations throughout Scotland
We offer sea fishing close to Edinburgh Fly Fishing in The Highlands and Fly Fishing from a boat in Galloway, South West Scotland.
There are also large numbers of Coalfish, in these waters, it is similar to the pollack, and equally hard fighting.
Best Tackle for Pollack
In some instances and depending on the shore fishing mark we fish, an Orvis Helios3 9ft 10 weight single hand rod with a line tray. The line tray is perfect for avoiding the running line (the line that you shoot on the forward cast) getting snagged on rocks, and seaweed.
There are a few shore fishing marks, where the fish are bigger. Longer rods work more effectively here. In this situation, we use a 14ft or 15ft double hand rod, with a short scandi head and fast sink tip. This is an ideal set up to spey cast a long line out, where there is a shelf or ridge under the water.
We use quality fishing tackle, even for saltwater shore fishing. We have a selection of Orvis Helios Rods for single hand casting. For double hand Spey Casting we use Mackenzie Perflex 14ft and 15ft rods, these are extremely durable and highly effective at casting long distances.
An inexpensive sealed, and saltwater proof fly reel is the best choice. Fly fishing tackle will get abused and corroded in a boat, especially the reel. I wouldn’t bother with expensive fly fishing reels for fly fishing for Pollack. In fact the fly reel becomes redundant, as the fish are played by hand 90% of the time.
Sea Fishing Techniques for Pollack
A short sturdy fly rod, 8 or 9 weight is the ideal tool from a boat for Pollack. Fishing in the sea for pollack needs a short, aggressive sinking head line. I fish 25lb shot leader and about a 7ft length.
A Rapalla knot to a fly, allows the fly to articulate. It pays to vary the retrieve, and the more erratic, often reaps rewards. When fly fishing or spinning, don’t be afraid to pause your retrieve and allow the fly/lure to dive.
When a Pollack takes a fly, its first instinct is to dive deep to the safety of the kelp. You need to be strong playing these fish. Pollack have to be bullied, or they will “kelp” you. In other words, drag you deep into the seaweed, to try to shake the hook.
When fly fishing, it pays here to go into a rapid retrieve followed by a sudden stop. This is a highly effective fly fishing technique, for inducing a take from a Pollack.
