Tope Fishing in Ireland: Shore Guide

What is tope?

Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) is a member of the shark family and the largest species regularly caught from the Irish shore. Fish of 20 to 30kg (44 to 66lbs) are caught from Irish beaches every season, with the boat record standing significantly higher. From the shore, a double-figure tope is a serious achievement and a realistic target for dedicated anglers at the right marks in October and November.

Tope are built for speed, a slender, torpedo-shaped body and powerful tail deliver runs of extraordinary length on first contact. The experience of hooking a tope from the shore at night, watching the rod slam round and line vanish from the spool, is one that anglers remember for years. They are also an increasingly protected species throughout their range, and all shore-caught tope should be returned immediately and with care.

When do tope appear on Irish shores?

Shore tope in Ireland are primarily an autumn species. The main window on the east coast runs from late September through to mid-November, with October the peak month. Tope follow the autumn migration of mackerel, herring and other baitfish inshore and are most active at night, particularly on big spring tides when bait fish are driven close to the beach by tidal pressure.

Boat fishing for tope has a longer season, June through October from marks off Wicklow Head, Arklow Bank and similar offshore ground. Shore fishing opportunities are more concentrated, more weather-dependent, and more demanding, which is precisely what makes landing one such a significant event.

Where to target tope from the shore in Ireland

Tackle for shore tope

Shore tope demands the heaviest gear in your armoury. A strong beachcaster of 13 to 14ft rated 6 to 10oz matched to a multiplier or powerful fixed-spool reel loaded with 30lb monofilament is the baseline. Tope make powerful initial runs and will test every component, reel drag, knots and line. There are no second chances with weak tackle on a big fish.

Best baits for tope

Whole fresh mackerel is the outstanding tope bait from Irish shores. A whole medium mackerel (18 to 22cm) flappered, scored along each side, on a 6/0 hook with the point exiting through the tail root is the classic presentation. Bind the bait firmly to the hook shank with elastic thread so it survives the cast intact. Fresh is significantly better than frozen, if you can catch mackerel on the day, do so.

Whole herring is an excellent alternative when mackerel is unavailable. A large fresh sandeel flappered on a smaller hook will also take tope. Larger baits consistently outperform small ones for tope, the fish are hunting sizeable prey and a 200g whole fish is not too big.

Playing and returning tope

Tope require careful handling for successful release. When a tope takes the bait it will typically run hard immediately, let it run freely against the drag for 10 to 15 metres before engaging and striking firmly. Once hooked, tope make powerful sustained runs that may strip 50 to 100 metres of line. Keep steady pressure and avoid pumping too aggressively, the hook needs to hold throughout.

Tope must be returned. They are a Species of Conservation Concern and slow-growing, a 20kg fish may be 25 years old. Handle in the water where possible, support the fish horizontally, unhook quickly with long-nosed pliers and lower it back gently. A well-handled tope recovers and swims away strongly. Never remove a tope from the water for a photograph.

The tide and timing formula

Shore tope fishing is almost entirely a night activity. Fish move closer inshore after dark, following baitfish that are easier to hunt in low light. The most productive tidal window is the flooding big spring tide in October, high tidal energy, maximum baitfish movement, and low light coinciding. A session starting two hours before high water and running until two hours after is the standard approach.

Neap tides rarely produce shore tope. The reduced tidal movement means less baitfish activity and less hunting pressure from the tope. Save your effort for the big spring tides, they are the consistent producers.