Species profile
Ray
Thornback, homelyn and cuckoo ray on the Wicklow shore: where to find them, when they show, and the rigs and baits that work.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good tomorrow?Quick answer
Thornback, homelyn and cuckoo ray on the Wicklow shore: where to find them, when they show, and the rigs and baits that work.
Ray · Running now · June to August peak on the Wicklow coast
In season
April to OctoberIn season now
Typical size
Varies by species, Killoughter ranks thornback ray, homelyn ray and bullhuss together as primary/secondary summer predators on the shingle belt
Conservation
Release advised
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Jun to Aug · catchable Apr to Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Clean to mixed sand off the Greystones to Wicklow shingle beaches, where thornback, homelyn ray and hounds share the same summer window. Distance casting reaches the rays while close-in worm baits pick up smaller flatfish.
Related names
- Thornback ray
- Homelyn ray
- Cuckoo ray
What to use
Sandeel · Ragworm and squid cocktails · Peeler or hardback crab for hound-heavy sessions · Fish strip pennel rigs
How to fish them
Match the mark. Brittas Bay runs thornback ray May to September through the gullies on long-range pulley rigs, while Killoughter and Five Mile Point pair homelyn ray with specimen hound tactics on spring nights. Check the safety and tide notes for each beach before copying a single flood-or-ebb rule across them.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
Amazon.ie affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See the fishing calendar for month-by-month targets.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we've used or would genuinely buy ourselves.
- View on Amazon →
13ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
- View on Amazon →
6000 to 8000 fixed spool sea reel
Balanced line capacity for beach and mixed ground.
- View on Amazon →
Pulley rig ready-made pack
Fast setup for clean ground and snag avoidance.
- View on Amazon →
Crab fishing lure
Realistic crab lure for bass, works from piers, beaches and rock marks.
Wicklow marks
Arklow South Beach & FerrybankBeach
Avoca river-mouth shore complex (Ferrybank + South Beach). Bass, hounds, flatfish; historical specimen sole.
Brittas Bay (South End)Beach
Premier Wicklow bass beach. Specimen bass in storm conditions; smoothhound and rays in summer.
Five Mile PointBeach
Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.
Killoughter BeachBeach
Reputed best Wicklow beach venue. Specimen homelyn, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss in the catch record.
Magheramore BeachBeach
Surf-shared cove. Honest reality: dogfish-dominated beach. Bass potential off the south rock shelf in calm conditions.
Silver StrandBeach
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and tomorrow's plan for this species
Read next
Beginners
Shore Fishing for Beginners: Ireland Start Guide
Start shore fishing in Ireland with one rod, one rig and a safe beach mark. Honest gear, bait and tide advice for your first sessions on the Wicklow coast.
Species
Bass Fishing Wicklow 2026: Best Marks, Baits and Tides
Where to catch bass on the Wicklow coast in 2026: the beaches and rock marks that produce, the baits and lures that work, and the tides to fish them on.
Species
Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait
Smoothhound from Irish east coast beaches, May to October (peak June to August). Peeler crab rigs, evening flood tides and Wicklow sand marks that produce hard-fighting double-figure fish.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Target ray on tomorrow's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.