Brassblotched Rockfish / Murasoi

2012/05/132020/11/25

Murasoi [jp] / Brassblotched Rockfish
Sebastes pachycephalus
(Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

Looks similar to common rockfish, but easily distinguishable with "no stripes".
Brassblotched rockfish are abundant in shallow waters with rocky bottom nearby Tokyo.

Habitat & Season

Brassblotched rockfish can be best found in rocky bottoms where obstackle or seaweed is abundant. Much like other rockfish, they become most active in low light condition and hide in obstacles during daytime, however, their aggressive behavior doesn't stop them from feeding when they are hiding. As a matter of fact, you can often find them hiding in skinny water no deeper than ankle high and they bite your fly hard.

You can find brassblotched rockfish all season.

Tackle & Flies

8-9 feet 6wt rod with intermediate fly line. Use 8wt where wind is strong or fish are big.
I usally use 12 feet leader system with butt x 3, taper x 3, and tippet x 6. This gives advantage of free falling, but you need to shorten tippet where appropriate.

Use #4-10 small baitfish or shrimp patterns. When fishing shallows, tying upside down will be ideal to avoide getting snagged.

Spot & Tactics

Fish always head upstream. Keep that in mind when you are tracing spots where rockfish maybe hiding.

In rocky reef and rocky beach, look for crevice or in between rocks. Be brave and let your fly sink to the bottom (you will need plenty of spares). In rather open area where rocks are scarcely positioned, try to make the fall larger from top to bottom. This will let more fish notice your fly from where they are hiding. Hit the bottom, pull up bit of distance, and drop it again.

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