The Other White Ling

So, I know this isn't a yak or a Norcal report. However, I thought some of you might find this trip interesting and I felt compelled to share. Some friends and I set out to catch a fish that has been invading the upper end of Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming. They are known locally as Ling Cod, also known as Eelpout or more commonly as Burbot. I love to pursue new species and this was surely new. They are native to Wyoming but not the Green River drainage. We headed to the east side of the reservoir and crossed into the cowboy state.


True to form, we saw wild horses along the route.



We set out to ice fish about 30 minutes south of Rock Springs in the area known as Firehole.



Burbot like to bite at night through the ice so we hit the lake about an hour before dark on Thursday, January 18. The air temperature was 0 when we arrived.



While waiting for dark, we cooked up some fried Burbot my friend had from the last trip. Although the flavor of Burbot is highly touted as a mild white meat, I found it slightly fishy but very good.



We caught several rainbow trout and a couple of pup mackinaw while waiting for dark.



For the trout we were using 1/8 ounce leadheads tipped with mealworms. As soon as it got dark, we switched to 1/4 ounce 2 inch glow tubes tipped with sucker meat. The Burbot bit very lightly on a deadsticked bait. They fight like a catfish, rolling on the line and pulling very hard.



The bite was slow but steady, with about a dozen Burbot caught up to 22 inches. The regulations REQUIRE you to kill all Burbot caught as they are an invading species. We were happy to oblige.





They are actually a very handsome fish, despite their eel/frog resemblance. It was minus 15 when we left. The next day we all took snowmobiles into the High Uintah Wilderness in Utah in pursuit of big cutts, bows and brookies. Report to follow (if it's OK). Thanks for letting me share this adventure.

Ed Johnson






                                             

I enjoyed your post and look forward to the next one.

Talk about flash-frozen,and I thought it was cold out here with a little frost in the morning  .
Those fish kinda remind me of snakehead I was reading about.Invading nonnative species can be a real problem.
Interesting report.

I'm hoping to get back to Upstate New York this winter to visit my parents and do some ice fishing with my dad.  We don't usually get burbot up there, but we do get plenty of walleye, panfish, trout and northern pike.

I've never caught nor consumed Burbot, but folks up in AK sure seem like they can't wait to go ice fishing for them. Cool to see what they are actually talking about.

Scott

looks kind of like a bowfin?

Cool report and photos.  Well done!   

Ahh the memories.  We used to spear burbot through the ice at night in the rivers back home in Northern Wisconsin.  Also called "eel pout" or "lawyers".

If you're planning to be in Leech Lake MN in mid February, you won't want to miss the eel pout festival.
http://www.eelpoutfestival.com/

We always called it poor mans lobster... tasted OK but they are one fugly fish.

Keep those fishing reports -  with pics comin'.....It's all good at NCKA

And I thought it was getting cold in Marin...Brrrrr!