Species Guides
UK Fish Species Guides
Long-form guides for 15 of the most-targeted UK species, plus a full catalog of 110 freshwater, migratory and sea species an angler might encounter in British waters.
Freshwater
Coarse Fish
The UK\u2019s most popular freshwater species, from carp and pike to roach and tench.
Carp
Season: May–October
Bait: Boilies, sweetcorn
Pike
Season: October–March
Bait: Deadbaits (smelt, mackerel)
Trout
Season: March–September
Bait: Flies (nymphs, dry flies)
Perch
Season: September–March
Bait: Small lures, drop shot
Tench
Season: May–September
Bait: Sweetcorn, worms
Barbel
Season: June–November
Bait: Pellets, boilies
Roach
Season: October–March (specimen), year-round (general)
Bait: Maggots, casters
Chub
Season: October–March (peak), year-round
Bait: Bread, cheese
Bream
Season: May–September
Bait: Worms, maggots
Saltwater
Sea Fish
Shore and boat species from bass and mackerel to cod and salmon.
Sea Bass
Season: April–November (peak June–September)
Bait: Ragworm, sandeel
Sea Bream
Season: June–October (peak July–August)
Bait: Ragworm tipped with squid, peeler crab
Sea Trout
Season: June–September (peak July–August)
Bait: Flies (surface lures, wet flies)
Mackerel
Season: May–October (peak July–August)
Bait: Mackerel feathers (sabiki rigs), spinners
Cod
Season: October–March
Bait: Lugworm, peeler crab
Salmon
Season: February–November (varies by river)
Bait: Flies (Ally’s Shrimp, Cascade
Complete catalog
Every fishable UK species
110 species an angler might catch in UK waters. Curated guides above are linked; the rest are reference entries.
Freshwater Game· 7
- Arctic charSalvelinus alpinus
- Atlantic salmonSalmo salar
- Bluefin tunaThunnus thynnus
- Brook troutSalvelinus fontinalis
- Brown troutSalmo trutta
- Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss
- Sea troutSalmo trutta morpha trutta
Sea — Other· 46
- Atlantic codGadus morhua
- Axillary seabreamPagellus acarne
- Ballan wrasseLabrus bergylta
- Black breamSpondyliosoma cantharus
- Black gobyGobius niger
- CoalfishPollachius virens
- Corkwing wrasseSymphodus melops
- Couch’s sea breamPagrus pagrus
- Cuckoo wrasseLabrus mixtus
- DragonetCallionymus lyra
- European congerConger conger
- European seabassDicentrarchus labrax
- Five-bearded rocklingCiliata mustela
- Giant gobyGobius cobitis
- Gilthead breamSparus aurata
- Golden grey mulletChelon auratus
- Goldsinny wrasseCtenolabrus rupestris
- Greater sandeelHyperoplus lanceolatus
- Greater weeverTrachinus draco
- Grey gurnardEutrigla gurnardus
- HaddockMelanogrammus aeglefinus
- HakeMerluccius merluccius
- John doryZeus faber
- LaunceAmmodytes marinus
- Lesser sandeelAmmodytes tobianus
- Lesser weeverEchiichthys vipera
- LingMolva molva
- Long-spined sea scorpionTaurulus bubalis
- Monkfish / anglerfishLophius piscatorius
- PollackPollachius pollachius
- Poor codTrisopterus minutus
- PoutingTrisopterus luscus
- Red gurnardChelidonichthys cuculus
- Red mulletMullus surmuletus
- Rock cook wrasseCentrolabrus exoletus
- Sand gobyPomatoschistus minutus
- Shanny / common blennyLipophrys pholis
- Shore rocklingGaidropsarus mediterraneus
- Short-spined sea scorpionMyoxocephalus scorpius
- Thick-lipped grey mulletChelon labrosus
- Thin-lipped grey mulletChelon ramada
- Tompot blennyParablennius gattorugine
- Torsk / tuskBrosme brosme
- TriggerfishBalistes capriscus
- Tub gurnardChelidonichthys lucerna
- WhitingMerlangius merlangus
Sea — Pelagic· 5
- Atlantic herringClupea harengus
- GarfishBelone belone
- Horse mackerel / scadTrachurus trachurus
- MackerelScomber scombrus
- SpratSprattus sprattus
Freshwater Coarse· 22
- BarbelBarbus barbus
- BleakAlburnus alburnus
- ChubSqualius cephalus
- Common breamAbramis brama
- Common carpCyprinus carpio
- Crucian carpCarassius carassius
- DaceLeuciscus leuciscus
- European eelAnguilla anguilla
- Goldfish / ornamental carpCarassius auratus
- Grass carpCtenopharyngodon idella
- GraylingThymallus thymallus
- GudgeonGobio gobio
- Ide / golden orfeLeuciscus idus
- Leather carpCyprinus carpio var.
- Mirror carpCyprinus carpio var.
- PerchPerca fluviatilis
- RoachRutilus rutilus
- RuddScardinius erythrophthalmus
- RuffeGymnocephalus cernua
- Silver breamBlicca bjoerkna
- SmeltOsmerus eperlanus
- TenchTinca tinca
Sea — Sharks & Rays· 17
- Blonde rayRaja brachyura
- Blue sharkPrionace glauca
- Blue skateDipturus batis
- Bull huss / nursehoundScyliorhinus stellaris
- Common smooth-houndMustelus mustelus
- Common stingrayDasyatis pastinaca
- Cuckoo rayLeucoraja naevus
- Flapper skateDipturus intermedius
- Porbeagle sharkLamna nasus
- Small-eyed rayRaja microocellata
- Small-spotted catsharkScyliorhinus canicula
- Spotted rayRaja montagui
- SpurdogSqualus acanthias
- Starry smooth-houndMustelus asterias
- Thornback rayRaja clavata
- TopeGaleorhinus galeus
- Undulate rayRaja undulata
Sea — Flatfish· 8
- BrillScophthalmus rhombus
- Common soleSolea solea
- DabLimanda limanda
- FlounderPlatichthys flesus
- HalibutHippoglossus hippoglossus
- MegrimLepidorhombus whiffiagonis
- PlaicePleuronectes platessa
- TurbotScophthalmus maximus
Other· 2
- MinnowPhoxinus phoxinus
- Stone loachBarbatula barbatula
Predator & Specimen· 3
- PikeEsox lucius
- Wels catfishSilurus glanis
- ZanderSander lucioperca
Reference entries from the public-domain GilledIt fishable-species catalog. Always check current rod-licence rules, byelaws, close seasons and protected-species rules before retaining fish.
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