Flossers are anglers who use the method of bottom bouncing or lining to catch fish. Their catch is mainly from the salmon species.
Flossing is a controversial method, regarded by some as an unsportsmanlike way of harvesting fish. The method uses leader 5 to 20 feet (1.5 to 6.1 m) in length with a 1 to 4 ounce (28 to 113 g) lead weight called a "Bouncing Betty" (named after a lethal landmine first used during World War II). Due to angling regulations in British Columbia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina, hooks devoid of any dressing (whether artificial or organic) are illegal.
To work with this method, fishermen often tie on long strands of green or orange yarn and/or Corkies to their hooks. The technique of bottom bouncing is to position the long leader so that it flosses itself through the fish's mouth. The hook attached at the end of the leader then usually pierces the fish's mouth from the outside in as the weight pulls the line downstream. The fish is snagged in the mouth.
Bottom bouncing is commonly practiced in the summer months on the Fraser River, when sockeye and chinook salmon run upstream to spawn.
See also