THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

As a result, Tralee Bay is now voluntarily closed to commercial fishing, though not recreational fishing,
in the hope that the small discrete populations of both undulate rays and monkfish might one day fully
re-establish themselves.
In that regard, European law now states that both of these species must be returned to the water
immediately at their point of capture, so in effect, it is now impossible to break either rod caught boat
record, because they can no longer be officially weighed as stipulated on solid ground.
From what I see in the angling press, and from conversations with dinghy ray specialist Wayne Comben
who fishes out of Langstone harbour, ray species generally, and undulates in particular are making a
very strong come back from around Weymouth west along the Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex Coast.
You quite regularly see pictures of good sized specimens in the magazines, and I know from Wayne
that he can catch them pretty much to order inshore when conditions are right. One of five species he
has caught on the same day in fact on a number of occasions in recent times.
As for the shore prospects, the Channel Island rock marks and stone piers have always been favourite,
with St. Catherines Breakwater on Jersey having a lot of history with this species. But without doubt,
Dorset and Hampshire have stepped in to well and truly grab that mantle, particularly after dark from
the beaches later summer well on in to the autumn and at times beyond.
Associated audio interview numbers: 81.
CUCKOO RAY Leucoraja naevus
Bucket List status – no result yet
A small deep water ray with colouration and markings so
obvious that mis-identification should be virtually
impossible. I say virtually as opposed to absolutely, because
I have seen thornback rays, which are potentially capable of
mimicking other species, do a very good impression of a
cuckoo ray.
Not perfect, but enough to throw doubt into the thinking of
someone not too well up in fish identification. That is until
you look at the wing tip profiles, which in the case of the
cuckoo ray are particularly well rounded, unlike those of the
thornback which come to a point.
Top side colouration should be some shade of pale brown
with a prominent black and yellow patch known as an ocellus
placed in the centre of each wing. There are no other
markings. The upper surface is also covered in small
prickles.
For anglers, this is not a fish you can deliberately hope to target. If one comes along then it's a bonus.
If not, don't invest any time in the species. But you can increase your chances by having suitably sized
small mackerel or squid baits fished on a 2/0 to 4/0 hook hard on the bottom with a short flowing trace
when over clean ground in deep water.
The boat marks around the Isle of Arran are known to produce an odd one. I also once saw one brought
ashore on rod and line at Aberystwyth, and have heard of an odd one or two from the boats around
Anglesey and Caernarfon Bay.
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