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Overview

How to target

Brill
Species ID: brill

Brill

Brill are sight-hunting flatfish that favour clean sand or fine shingle with some tide run, especially the edges of sandbanks, gullies and the first trough on surf beaches. Around...

🌊 Tide: flood 💨 Wind: calm 📅 Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Best tide

flood

Moon

neap

Season

Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Wind

calm

Max weight

6 kg

Day vs night

Day 80%
Night 20%
Brill are sight-hunting flatfish that favour clean sand or fine shingle with some tide run, especially the edges of sandbanks, gullies and the first trough on surf beaches. Around UK shores they’re most credible from deep surf beaches and piers or headlands that reach sand in 5–20 m. Best period is late spring to early autumn when sandeels are abundant, with settled, clear water and a manageable tide. Fish the flood, targeting the seams where banks meet deeper water and over bars as the level rises. Use long, streamlined baits—whole sandeel, sandeel fillet, or mackerel/squid strip—on clipped-down long flowing traces or up-and-over rigs, 1/0–3/0 fine-wire hooks and 1–1.5 m snoods. A grip lead to hold station but with occasional slow lifts and short retrieves can draw takes. Brill often feed by day in clear conditions; vary casting range to locate them.

Temperature

8–17°C

Depth range

2–25 m

Baits

  • Sandeel 9.2/10
  • Launce 8.6/10
  • Soft Plastic (Sandeel) 7.9/10
  • Mackerel Strip 7.3/10
  • Casting Spoon 6.6/10

Rigs

  • Up and Over 9/10

    Clipped-down distance rig with a very long snood; ideal for surf beaches and outer sandbanks where brill patrol. Long trace lets sandeel or fish strip waft just off bottom while reaching range and keeping bait intact.

  • Pennel Clip Down 8.7/10

    Two-hook pennel secures long sandeel/garfish strips and clips for long casts to bars and gullies. Streamlined bigger bait suits predatory brill; use a grip lead in surf to hold station.

  • Flowing Trace 7.9/10

    Running ledger with a 3–6 ft snood for natural movement in tide. Great from shore when fishing close-to-mid range gullies/channels; lets live or fresh sandeel swim and tempt cruising brill.