Species: Callig
About Callig
The most striking feature of a callig (or pollack as it is known 'across the water') is it's large eyes. Straight away this suggests that it predominantly feeds by sight. If we look a little closer we see that the lower jaw protrudes, which tells us that it feeds on prey above it. It also has powerful fins toward the rear, so it is obviously geared up for quick acceleration. Put all this together and it is easy to picture the callig lurking toward the bottom of the seabed, waiting patiently to dash out of hiding to ambush prey as it passes above.
Callig can be caught from the shore in good numbers from the end of April to the end of November. Fishing for them is simple, fun and available to everyone. You don't need to spend a fortune on top of the range beachcasters, sit for hours camped out in cold weather, or go to trouble of collecting bait - perhaps this is why some anglers seem to overlook the humble callig, dismissing it as an easy fish to catch.
Smaller fish up to about a pound in weight can be caught from breakwaters and some beaches, but for better callig you have to fish from rocks. Without doubt specimens of 10lb have been landed from Manx rock marks, but fish between 1lb and 6lb are a more realistic target, with any fish over 4lb being considered a very good catch. For many anglers though, size is not that important, as even a 2lb callig gives good sport on light tackle, and what they lack in size can be made up for in the sheer quantity of fish waiting to be caught. Fishing for callig is easy, fun and enjoyable, but it can also be challenging because sooner or later you are going to want to catch a big one, and then an even bigger one...
Tackle
The over-riding theme in callig fishing is simplicity. There is just no need to complicate things. As far as tackle goes it really depends on the likely size of fish, but be prepared to lose some gear if you want the rewards of consistent catches.
If the callig are likely to be in the 1-3lb bracket then a light spinning rod about 10/11 foot long capable of casting 1-3oz is perfect. Match this with a suitable fixed spool and load with 10-15lb mono or 20-30lb braid. This outfit provides great sport and allows the smaller fish to give a good account of themselves. This outfit will also land bigger specimens, but be warned callig hit baits very hard and fishing light will inevitably result in lost fish.
I prefer to use a slightly heavier set-up when fishing marks that I know will throw up bigger fish. A rod about 11/12 foot capable of casting 2-4oz is my preferred choice for targeting 4lb+ fish. Again, I prefer a fixed spool with 15lb line - but a small multiplier could also be used.
Other than rod and reel, all you need is your bait/lures and a good supply of weight and traces and you are ready to go. Travelling light allows you to hop from rock to rock as well as making it possible to venture to more remote marks. A long handled landing net is useful for landing the bigger fish, especially if using the light outfit.
Methods
There are only really a couple of methods to consider for targeting callig. Float fishing and simply drift lining a bait can and do catch callig, but spinning is the best method for consistently catching fish. Recent years have seen a growing trend toward salt-water fly-fishing, and the callig is the perfect target for this method, but that would require a completely different article...
Spinning (repeated casting and retrieving) can either be with baits or lures. Looking at lures first, you have the choice of metal or rubber/jelly type. Both of these will catch callig, with metal lures being more likely to catch mackerel, and rubber/jelly lures probably have an edge over metal lures for callig. There are literally hundreds of lures to choose from, most of which seem designed to catch the angler not fish!
For best results however you should spin with sandeels, which are readily sold in frozen packets of about 10-12 eels per pack. Keep them frozen until you are ready to use them. Defrosted sandeels quickly become soft and are difficult to keep on the hook.
A spinning trace is a simple a trace as you could ever make, which is just as well as you could lose lots of them in amongst the weed and rocks. To make a spinning trace, take a 3-foot length of 20-25lb clear mono and tie a quality swivel to one end and a Aberdeen pattern hook on the other. Hooks should be sized 1/0 for smaller fish, but step up to a 3/0 or larger for the lunkers.
To use the spinning trace, first slide a ball or barrel weight onto the reel line - anything from 0.5oz to 4oz depending on the depth and weather conditions - then slide a bead on and then tie on the trace. The bead acts as a buffer between the weight and the knot, and prevents damage to the knot. To bait the sandeel all you need do is to either thread the eel headfirst until the hook point reaches half way, and then whip it on with elastic cotton, or alternatively simply thread the hook in and out of the head end twice. Whichever method of baiting up you decide to use be sure to completely defrost the sandeel first and ensure that the hook point is well clear of the bait so that it can penetrate the mouth of the callig.
Once you have correctly baited up it is time for action. To some extent it is as simple as casting out and winding back in, but there are lots of different variables to consider and try each trip. For example, where should you cast ?, how quickly should you retrieve ?, how deep to let the bait sink ? The answer to each of these is to experiment until you locate fish. Callig tend to lie in wait to ambush prey, so you need to search to find the fish. Some days it will be simple, and you will catch very quickly, but other days you will have to work harder.
Try to cover as much ground as you can until you locate where the fish are. It often pays to cast along the rock face instead of straight out to sea. Over time you will build up knowledge of where the best places to fish each mark are, but don't rely on previous experience alone, experiment each trip.
Covering ground also means covering different depths in the water. Again this is something that you build knowledge up over time on each mark you fish. As a general rule you want to be spinning your bait as deep and close to the kelp as possible. This is where the callig are waiting to ambush prey as it swims past. Of course, if you are going to fish close to the weed, then tackle losses are inevitable, but this is a small price to pay for the returns. When your bait hits the water count it down for say 5 seconds before starting the retrieve. Experiment by counting for less or more time to change the depth you are fishing at up or down.
Speed of retrieve is another variable. It is generally accepted that slower is better, but there will always be exceptions, so again experiment until you find success.
Bites can be dramatic. You are just getting into a rhythm of casting and retrieving, trying different depths and speeds when bang, the rod slams over and you battle to contain the initial run for cover of an unsuspecting callig. More often though bites are more tentative and can take a while to develop. The key is not to strike at the initial plucks, but to carry on winding until the rod slams over. To begin with it can be difficult to resist the automatic and tempting response of striking at the first sign of a fish, and it will probably take a few missed bites before you finally learn to resist striking.
Baits
As mentioned above, sandeel is the king of baits when spinning for callig. Jelly/rubber lures will also work to a lesser degree - if I run out of sandeels during a spinning session then I switch to rubber lures, from which there are loads to choose from. My personal
favourites include the Storm Wildeye Sandeel and Fishtek Sandeel.
Mackerel, lugworm and squid can all be used to tempt callig when driftlined or fished under a float.
When
Callig are hunters who use sight as their primary sense. For this they obviously need daylight, and can be caught throughout the day, but will be most active at dawn, when they haven't fed for several hours, and at dusk when they know it will be the last opportunity to feed for several hours. The low light levels at dawn and dusk also give them an advantage of being able to see their prey without being seen. The odd callig can be caught on ledgered baits during darkness because like most hunters they are also opportunistic scavengers.
Tide is an important factor to consider, and one that really depends on the actual mark you are fishing so again you need to experiment. Generally though you will find that most marks fish best for callig over the high water period, but there are exceptions to this. Experiment and keep notes of your successes and failures. If you can combine the perfect tide time with a dawn or dusk period then you will have a great session.
Where
Callig must be one of the most common species around Manx shores, so it is safe to say that they can be caught at all rock marks (and some breakwaters). Of course, some places are better than others. I could list my favourites here, but what would be the point. The fun really is in exploring and finding your own favourites. Bear in mind that bigger fish will usually come from deeper water. Remember also that they are hunters, and like all hunters will try to gain every advantage. In the case of a callig they like movement in the water, such as a strong tidal currents - this gives them an advantage over their prey, which can become disorientated in strong currents. So then, rock marks with deep water and strong tidal currents (eg. headlands) are the places to devote time searching for the big ones. Good luck.
