THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

line which just curves up slightly above the pectoral fin on a background colouration which can vary
between greyish and reddish brown without patterning.
As with the true dab, the skin
feels dry and rough to the touch
when brushed from tail to head.
But don't be misled by the name
implication here. Dab sized it
may be, but dab like it most
certainly isn't. The clue here is in
the generic part of its scientific
name which is Hippoglossoides,
placing it as a close relative of the
halibut, a fact visually confirmed
by the size of the mouth and the
eyes in comparison to the rest of
the body.
Dab top, Long Rough Dab below
An active predator, albeit on a
down sized scale of small fish
and quite a wide range of bottom
invertebrates out in moderately deep water, mainly around the northern half of the country, and in
particular Scottish waters from where it has been recorded on rod and line from both the boat and the
shore. Particularly in and around the Clyde with its deep water sea lochs and at one time regular angling
attention.
No doubt it could quite readily be caught elsewhere, and very probably is on occasions, but is then overlooked
on account of its small size.
A fish I feel sure is fairly readily catchable on small baits and hooks, given the appropriate deliberate
effort and knowledge of how to identify it should one come along. I've seen them in reasonable numbers
on a few occasions while commercial fishing well within sight of land out from Hartlepool.
TURBOT Scophthalmus maximus
Bucket List status – result
Turbot lie on the right side of their
body with their eyes and
pigmentation on their left side. If
the head end is pointing to your
right when viewed from above, the
eyes of the fish will be below the
turbots very large mouth, which
hints at its life-style as an ambush
predator of small fish.
Often a beautifully marked fish
with a blend of small darker spots
over a sandy background,
extending even onto the eyes and
the tail. This, coupled to the dorsal
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