SPECIES PROFILE
Ray
How Wicklow spot pages split thornback, homelyn and cuckoo ray labels in one belt, marks, seasons and rigs taken only from the catalogue copy.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
See if ray are worth targeting todayIn season
May to SepIn 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 from the catalogue season window, parsed for Wicklow shore fishing.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- Now
Where they live
Clean to mixed sand off the Greystones to Wicklow shingle beaches where the catalogue runs thornback ray, homelyn ray and hound fisheries in the same summer window, distance casting reaches 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
Follow each mark’s ranked list: Brittas Bay runs thornback ray May to September through gullies on long-range pulley rigs; Killoughter and Five Mile Point pair homelyn ray with specimen hound tactics on spring nights; use the spot safety and tide sections before copying a single flood-or-ebb rule across beaches.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
Amazon UK affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See the fishing calendar for month-by-month targets.
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13ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
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6000 to 8000 fixed spool sea reel
Balanced line capacity for beach and mixed ground.
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Pulley rig ready-made pack
Fast setup for clean ground and snag avoidance.
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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.
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Target ray on today's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.