Thornback Ray Fishing in Somerset

Big tides; fish 2h up to HW. Sandeel or squid on a pulley dropper to mixed sand/mud seams; 5–7oz grippers to hold in the run.

Fish the flood into darkness over sand/mud; pulley pennel with squid/sandeel or crab. Aim for gutters 2hrs before HW; 5-6oz grip leads in the tide.

Crab/sandeel or mackerel on pulley rigs cast to sand gullies on the flood; best spring into early summer, last 2hrs flood and first of ebb; night or coloured water.

Spring–autumn. Sandeel/squid cocktail on 4/0 pulley at 60–100m over mud/sand. 2 hrs up to HW best; big tides fish the last of the flood. Use strong grip leads.

Flood into dusk; cast 70–120m to sand/mud channels. Squid/sandeel or bluey wraps. Spring tides fish best May–Oct.

Sandeel/squid cocktails on pulley pennel; aim for sand patches at range. Neap tides and last 2 hrs of flood to first of ebb fish best.

Crab, mackerel or sandeel baits at range onto sand gullies; best mid-late flood, dusk into night, Apr-Oct. Use pulley rigs and 6-7oz grippers for the strong tide.

Evening floods around HW. Sandeel or bluey on a pulley dropper. Cast to the sandy channel beyond the harbour mouth. Keep baits static; watch for weed on spring tides.

Spring-autumn. Sandeel or squid/crab cocktails on pulley/dropper rigs. Cast to channel edge on the flood; strong gripper leads needed to hold bottom.

1–2 hrs either side of high on bigger tides. Sandeel or squid/mackerel at range to sand gullies. Strong 60–80 lb traces.

Late spring to autumn. Sandeel, bluey or squid. Long cast to channels on big tides; fish dusk into dark around HW.

Squid/bluey or sandeel combos at range into deeper channel on the flood into dark, springs best. Strong traces; avoid weeded slack water.

Squid/fish or crab baits on pulley rigs over mixed/clean ground. Best on neaps, last 3 hrs of flood to high water, spring-autumn.

Fish medium range to sand tongues on the flood; herring/squid cocktail or bluey. Spring and autumn peaks; neap tides help holding bottom.

Apr-Jun and Sep. Squid/sandeel or bluey, cast to sand channels beyond rough. Best last 3 hrs of flood into first of ebb, after dark.

Spring and autumn. Crab, squid or prawn on pulley rigs. Target sand-mud seams; mid to late flood into first of ebb.

Evening flood over sandbanks; sandeel/squid cocktails on pulley pennel. Spring and autumn.

Spring–autumn. Sandeel, herring or crab on a pulley pennel; fish mid to high on the flood. Aim for firmer sand gullies between banks.

Neaps or slack in big tides; squid/bluey on pulley rigs; cast to sand patches at range on the flood.

Mar–Oct. Squid, bluey or crab baits; target sand/mud gullies at mid–high water. Pulley rigs with 5–6oz grip leads.

Target sandy gullies on the flood; squid/bluey or crab. Best Mar–Jun and Sep–Nov on big tides into dusk. Use pulley pennel with 5–6 oz grip leads.

Flooding tide into sand channels; peeler crab or bluey/squid on pulley pennel. Best Mar–Jun and Sep–Nov. 5–7oz grips; avoid big springs due to fierce tide.

Spring–autumn. Squid or bluey/sandeel cocktails on pulley rigs. Aim for channels found at low and fish 2 hrs either side of high on big tides.

Spring peaks. Squid/sandeel or bluey on pulley rigs; 5–6oz grips. Aim for deeper run-offs and seams on the bars on the flood.

Sandeel/squid casts to the outer gully on big spring tides; last 2 hrs of flood into first of ebb. Use 5-6oz grip leads and a pulley rig.