4
ATLANTIC WOLFFISH
PERSONAL RECORDS SET USING ESCA
T
here is no doubt in my
mind that it was Esca that
made the difference here.
In addition to the immediate
response we got when we
started fishing with Esca, can
we also mention that the 3rd
member of our fishing party,
who didn't use Esca, returned
home without any fish.
We had heard about an exciting
location outside of Bergen
(Norway) that years ago had
been a great place to fish for
Atlantic Wolffish. Eager to get
started, we fished from a floating
pier over waters that were about
30 meters deep. Our equipment
included Esca, a new and
welcome addition to our tackle
boxes, since we've been having
great success with them lately.
Good coffee and good company
kept up our spirits despite
heavy rain. We fished for a few
hours using the well-known
"Atlantic Wolfish hammering
technique" where heavy lures
are repeatedly dropped on the
seabed to create sounds that
attract the fish.
I used the setup pictured below,
with no Esca. I removed the
treble hook and attached a
single hook and bait. I also had
mounted a so-called assistant
hook in the split ring at the top of
the lure. Jan used a "flying eye"
produced by Hakuma. The bait
was mussels and mackerel. We
didn't get anything using this
tackle � not even a nibble.
After awhile, we started talking
aboutmovingtoanotherlocation.
We decided to hold out a bit
longer when Jan remembered
that he had brought Esca. "I'm
going to try the Esca" he said.
He attached a blue multiblink
Esca to his tackle.
He cast a ways out from the
dock and began "knocking"
it inward towards us. Almost
immediately, he felt something
happening and right afterwards
he stood there with an arched
fishing rod fighting a heavy fish.
"It has to be a Wolfish", said
Jan, "I'm certain of it." And he
was right! It wasn't long before
we saw the unmistakable grey
color come toward the surface.
We didn't have the landing net
ready and the fish managed to
escape when at the surface.
Damn! But now we were as
excited as school kids.
Allplansaboutmovingtoanother
location were forgotten. I was
inspired by Jan's immediate
success with the Esca and
decided to try my own. I had
only green Escas with me and
decided to use the green fading
variation. While I was attaching
my Esca over the lure, Jan was
already bringing in another fish.
This time, the net was ready
and he was thrilled to land an
amazing Wolffish weighing in at
4.9 kilos � a personal record for
Jan!
Now it was my turn to try my
luck � and my Esca. Two small,
but clear tugs on my rod, and
I gave the fish a couple of
seconds before I jerked the rod.
This was not a small fish! After a
fight lasting a couple of minutes,
I landed a 5.1 kilo Wolffish � a
new record for me � and the day
was saved!
I know that it was Esca that
made the difference here! Just
ask the third member of our
fishing party � the guy without
Esca � who went home empty-
handed!
by �smund Isaksen
Marlin World is testing ESCA
products this summer in
Madeira island.
USING TECHNOLOGY

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