Fishbook: Wrasse

‘Fishbook’: Our species-guide series based on “Get Fishing”
the brilliant how to fish book by Allan Sefton

We profile the UK’s most common as well as some lesser-known fish species to help newcomer anglers find out more about fish that can be caught in our lakes, canals, rivers, ponds and sea.

Understanding the kinds of fish you might catch will add interest and could even make your fishing easier! Here you’ll find out more about…

WRASSE

Name:
Wrasse

Scientific name:
Labridae

Life span:
Around 5 years

Typical size:
9oz to 3lb

British record:
9lb 7oz

Waters:
Fairly common in rocky coastal areas throughout the UK, but more common in south and south-west England

Interesting fact:
The best approach is usually to fish the bait under a float to suspend it clear of the bottom and the weed beds

About Wrasse

The deep water around rocky headlands is home to another exciting fish. Wrasse are specialist feeders on shellfish, crabs and other creepy-crawlies found on the rocks and weed beds.

You need natural bait to fool them. The best approach is usually to fish the bait under a float to suspend it clear of the bottom and the weed beds.

There are several species of wrasse found around the coasts of Britain.

The biggest, and most commonly caught by anglers, is the Ballan wrasse. They are often mottled brown in colour to disguise them in kelp beds.

All species of wrasse have distinctive muscular lips and small sharp teeth to dislodge their prey.

Visit the rest of the How To Fish video gallery here to learn new tricks and discover more about the basics of angling.

Find out more about:

• Mackerel
• Coalfish
• Bass
• Pollack
• Flounder

Read more about how you can get into sea fishing. Alternatively, find a venue near you where you can #getfishing!

Some of the above content is taken from the new book, Get Fishing – the ‘how to’ guide to Coarse, Sea and Fly Fishing by Allan Sefton published by Merlin Unwin Books. This colourful, lively book is aimed at complete beginners of all ages, those who have been out fishing a couple of times and want to take it further and families of all abilities. It’s also packed with top-tips and info that make it useful for more experienced anglers too. Find out more about, and purchase a copy of the book here.

Header image thanks to David Overland and text reproduced with permission and © Merlin Unwin Books.