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Identification:
Member of the cod family.
The body is long and slender
with mottled green/brown appearance. Flanks are lighter with brownish blotches,
belly is white. Has a characteristic dark blotch at thr rear of both dorsal
fins.
There are two dorsal fins and one anal fin. The tail fin is rounded.
The second dorsal and anal fin are feathery and extend almost to the tail, both
are white edged. The lateral line is arched over the pectoral fin
Young fish
have a yellow/olive colouration with a lilac hue.
The upper jaw is slightly
longer than the lower, and has one barbel on the chin. Needle sharp teeth.
Breeding:
Spawning normally occurs March -
June in up to 200m of water. Ling have particular spawning grounds in the North
Sea and Icelandic waters. Up to 60 million eggs laid by each female. Each egg is
bouyant and will float amongst the plankton for around 10 days . Hatched fish
grow rapidly reaching approx. 8" in the first year.
Habitat:
Adult ling live mainly in very
deep water up to 400m . Smaller, younger fish will frequent shallower water
under the protection of rocky ground. Adult ling are nearly always found where
there are heavy rock formations or big wrecks. Unlike the conger, the ling does
not live in the wreck or a hole but prefers the cover of seaweed.
Bait
Use whole fillets of mackerel,
pollack, coalfish, whiting, codling, or smaller ling. Whole fish such as
mackerel and herring up to a pound or so in weight with the backbone and tail
fin removed and the hook placed in the front lip look like free swimming fish
and big ling really hit these hard.
Range
Small ling all around the coast of
Britain. Aldult ling are abundant in very deep water around Scotland, the South
and West coasts of Ireland, South West England and English Channel.
Additional Notes:
Excellent
eating.