Story and photos by David Y. Wei and Suzanne L. Clouthier


BASICS Bottom Fishing


avid’s late mother could never understand why most British Columbians treated bottom-dwelling fish species with such disdain. When she arrived here from China more than sixty years ago, and for many years thereafter, commercial and sport fishers alike considered rockfish “rough” or, even worse, “trash” fish, and would often just give them away. Mrs. Wei could hardly believe her good fortune.


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She was more than happy to wow her family and dinner guests with a deep-fried rockfish, its crunchy-crisp skin rising through tangy, iridescent red, sweet-and-sour sauce, dotted with pineapple chunks. Another family favourite was whole rockfish steamed gently with ginger and scallions, served with a sharp garlic- and-black bean sauce.


Most saltwater anglers still


prefer the exciting fight of salmon, but many have also discovered the culinary versatility of bottomfish, and are willing to devote more of their time on the water to catching them. Luckily, when you find bottomfish, they are relatively easy to catch using simple tackle and gear.


28 The SPORT FISHING Guide 2012 Rods, Reels, Line


Keep the kids busy catching tasty smaller species like rockfish, flounder, or kelp greenling just by dropping a baited hook and one- to six-ounce weight to the bottom from a pier, or by casting off a rock jetty. A seven- to eight-foot spinning rod, matched to a saltwater spinning reel with a 125- to 200-metre line capacity in 12- to 20-pound monofilament, will take care of fishing in shallower depths (to about 30 metres).


For serious deepwater drift- fishing to depths of 100 metres or more, consider purchasing a stout,


heavy-duty 6.5- to 7.5-foot “halibut” rod matched to a fast-retrieve, level-wind, star-drag reel with a 200-metre line capacity of 50- to 100-pound test braided super line. The sturdy rod will handle heavy drift jigs and lead weights up to one kilogram in weight, and the reels have drags that can stand up to battle with a 100-kilogram “barn door” halibut.


Braided super line (Spiderwire


Stealth, Tuff Line XP, or Gorilla Braid) is much more expensive than monofilament, but its high breaking-strength for such a thin diameter allows lures and baits to reach extreme depths with a minimum of drag. Super line also has very little stretch, which better


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