Turbot and Rays - September 2016

Heading out of Brighton on a sea of glass aboard 'Brigand'

There is one fish that has been on my wish list for some time now and that is the Turbot - Scopthalmus maximus. Being the largest of our flatfish species along the South coast, a big Turbot is a formidable sight. With their distinctive shape, beautiful markings and cavernous mouth they make for some truly stunning trophy photos and some even better eating. Highly prized by chef's and anglers across the land, many would argue that they are one of the best eating fish in our waters.

Being as rare as hens teeth from the shore here in the South-East, the best chance of catching one is by getting afloat. In recent years, some productive Turbot marks have been discovered within range of the South coast charter fleet local to me. There are skippers running out of Brighton, Newhaven and Eastbourne that now target these wonderful fish.

Paul shows his simple baited Turbot rig

I recently got a call from an excitable Paul Harman, one of my fishing buddies. He had been offered a couple of places at short notice aboard the boat 'Brigand' skippered by Steve Green out of Brighton Marina. The plan was to head out to the shipping lanes, mid-channel and drift the banks for Turbot and Rays. There had apparently been plenty caught on his last run out there and the forecast for the next few days was looking about as good as it gets.

After hearing all of this, I immediately re-arranged my work schedule so I could take the next Friday off, it was too good a chance to miss. You really do have to grab the opportunities and weather windows when you can with this boat angling lark. It looked like I may get a shot at my first Turbot after all.

Two days later, 'Brigand' pushed out of Brighton Marina on a sea of glass with myself, Paul and an enthusiastic crew on board. The weather was fantastic, not a cloud in the sky and barely a breath of wind. It felt more like mid-summer than late September. Steve informed us that we would be heading way out to a series of sandbanks that we would drift over in pursuit of the Turbot, our primary target.

It was a fair old run out to the banks and there was a great atmosphere on board as everyone got to know each other. With a continual stream of tea and coffee from the wheelhouse, the time flew by as everyone readied their tackle and rigs. Before we knew it, we were creeping up on the mark.

The first task of the day was to gather the bait. Strings of feathers were deployed all around the boat and thankfully the mackerel were very obliging with 'full-houses' coming over the gunwales regularly. We filled a couple of boxes pretty quickly which is always nice, there's nothing worse than struggling to get enough bait for the day. Within no time, a large number had been filleted by Steve and his deck hand John with the fillets placed on ice to keep them in top condition for us.

I'd chosen to use the tackle on board for the day and was supplied with a quality 12-20lb class boat rod and multiplier loaded with low diameter braid. the rod had a nice soft tip which Steve recommended as being best for spotting the Turbot bites. I like to keep my rigs and end tackle simple and fishing for Turbot was no different. My rig was basically a running ledger on a slider with a spoon incorporated in the 30lb trace for added attraction and some coloured beads just above a 4/0 hook. My trace was around 4 feet long which I find gets nailed to the deck nicely, is manageable and tangle free.

Skipper Steve and I

Opinion is divided as to whether the bling in the form of the spoon and beads are necessary for Turbot, some swear by them others shun them. Personally, I don't see that it can do any harm and it may just induce a fish to pounce on your bait, buying you an extra bite or two.

As Steve set up the first drift of the day, he explained to us all what the sandbanks deep beneath us were like. There was a gradual incline all the way to the peak of the bank where it suddenly dropped away at a steep angle for some 40 feet or so. The Turbot like to sit the other side of the bank on the steep slope sheltering from the tide, waiting for it to bring prey over the top to them. this is where the Turbot bites are most likely to come and it's critical to keep your tackle in touch with the bottom as you drift over the bank and down the slope. If you're not feeling your lead on the bottom then there's every chance your bait is way out of the reach of the Turbot.

Reading the bites when they come can be quite tricky and it takes some skill and patience to get it right and hook up. The trick is to give a little line as soon as the first bite is felt, in much the same way you would when targeting plaice. This gives the Turbot time to really get a hold of the bait. When the second bite comes then give a little more line and as the third bite comes then just very steadily lift into the fish until the weight is felt and wind it up slowly. Gently, gently is the way to go when winding up a Turbot.

The preferred bait is the silver belly section of the mackerel fillet and on the first drift I dropped a piece around 4 inches long down to the sea bed, concentrating on keeping in touch as we went over the top of the bank. To my surprise, I had a bite straight away and gave some line. The rod tip then pulled down very positively and I lifted the rod, perhaps a little prematurely, into nothing. Upon inspecting the bait after winding in, it was clear to see a Turbot had made it's way up the bait with it's teeth marks just shy of the hook. A promising start!

Things went a little quiet for me after my near miss. The rest of the guys on the boat were having it away though, there were all manner of fish coming up. One of the guys had a couple of small Turbot and a nice brill, Paul had a thornback ray into double figures, a small gurnard and his first Turbot too. There were some huge greater weevers caught and a very impressive blonde ray that was weighed at 22lb along with a few smaller specimens. Just before slack water I finally hooked up, but unfortunately for me it must have been the only 8oz pouting on the banks!

Things were very quiet for a good while over the slack, as is often the way. I took some time out for a coffee and a sandwich until one of the guys caught another huge blonde ray which prompted me to get a bait back in the water.

And I'm glad I did, the tide had picked up again and I soon got a bite which screamed Turbot, it had all the classic marks of a big flattie bite. I went through the routine of patiently giving line until there was an unmistakably solid pull. I lifted into a nice solid weight this time. It felt good and I just hoped that this time it was the Turbot I'd been waiting for.

It took a while until I could see some colour, but when I did there was no mistaking the shape of my first Turbot rising up through the water, it was a good one too! Straight into the net it went and at 8.5lbs, the biggest of the day. It was a cracking fish and exactly what I had hoped for. It's nice when a plan comes together and a new species for me to tick off the list too. It was turning out to be a red letter day all round.

The icing on the cake came on my last cast of the day though. Steve, the skipper, had agreed to stay out for a couple of hours extra until dark for no additional charge, I think he was enjoying himself! it was just as the sun was slipping over the horizon that my rod bent over and kept on going. My strike was met with solid resistance and the familiar feeling of large ray kiting across the tide. It took some time to get it off the bottom but after that I gradually pumped it up to the surface and it was a beauty!

Easily the biggest blonde ray I have ever caught, well over 20 lbs, quickly unhooked, photographed and returned. It was a fantastic end to an incredible day. there were big smiles all round as we made the long steam back in to Brighton.

I'd highly recommend a day out on 'Brigand' with Steve Green from Brighton Marina, his infectious enthusiasm and hard work really paid off. He did a great job putting us on the fish, not your average charter skipper and very eager to please. Nothing was too much trouble, very refreshing indeed! Give him a call on 07572 065543 - he's taking bookings now. You won't be disappointed! Tight lines!!