A Tribute To The Ugliest Fish In The Sea

Loving the Ling: A Tribute to the Ugliest Fish in the Sea

A Tribute to the Ugliest Fish in the Sea

 

The ling or elpout?is without a doubt a disgusting, repulsive, annoying, slimy, smelly and unattractive fish in the sea.  Despite these negative qualities, it has a delicious lobster-like taste and boasts its own annual festival near Walker, Minnesota.  Why?  The eelpout may be ugly, but its redeeming qualities far outweigh any appearance deficiencies.

 

Eelpout, also known as spineless catfish, lawyer or burbot, tend to reside mostly in the deeper waters of clean cold Northern lakes.  Their appearance is part eel, part catfish, sporting one single chin whisker known as a barbel.   Its physique is lean and mean with considerable strength, challenging anglers with an audacious game of hide-and-seek.  Its primary draw for many anglers is the ease with which they are caught. During the winter months, eelpout relocate into water 25 to 50 feet deep for spawning.  As a result, anglers can expect to catch large numbers of these homely swimmers, often weighing in the double digits.

 

Early evening and after dark are prime times for successful eelpouting.  These ugly creatures of the deep are known carnivores; if it抯 fishy and fits in their mouths, they will eat it.  While this makes baiting them somewhat easier, it is this trait which also makes them an unwelcome guest to other anglers, as they tend to steal bait.  Like other nocturnal creatures, eelpout prefer to sneak up on their victims while they rest.

 

The strength, depth and aggressiveness of this species require stronger equipment than most game fishing.  Stronger lure combined with leaders of at least three feet and a swivel will keep the catch online and prevent lure from twisting with the fish.  Glow hooks and rattle spoons with minnows top off the lure, which is then allowed to free-call to the bottom.  The lure mingles with the muck and is then snapped back to the surface, at which point an eelpout may already be on board.  During the spawning period in late February, a catch of 100 or more is not uncommon, weighing on average between 3 and 8 pounds.

 

The author works in a bathroom design studio and he love photographey and was invited by immigration NZ and kitchen studio to take pictures for their websites.