Thornback ray at Brittas Bay (South End).

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Thornback ray at Brittas Bay (South End)

Premier Wicklow bass beach. Specimen bass in storm conditions; smoothhound and rays in summer.

One of the finest beach fishing marks in Leinster.

Brittas Bay offers a long, sandy beach with parallel gully and sandbar systems that hold bass, smoothhound and rays in summer.

The southern end, away from the main car park, is the most productive ground, cleaner sand, fewer crowds.

The beach has produced specimen bass over 10 lb in coloured rough water during easterly gales, the documented persistence-rewarded condition.

Clean to slightly mixed sand off open beaches where sandeel, crab and small fish are present, often at long range.

Premier beach mark. Specimen bass in autumn storms.

Premier Wicklow bass beach, smoothhound on summer crab baits, respect surf and undertow on big days.

Hardback green shore crab is the documented top smoothhound bait, modern UK/Irish consensus (Tronixpro, Talk Sea Fishing) is that peeler is attacked too quickly by lesser species like dogfish and pouting, while hardback lasts and selects properly for hounds.

Bait size discipline is critical: 2.5×1 inch sausage shape, bigger baits get picked up and dropped, which is the most common cause of dropped takes here.

The conditions tourists avoid (easterly gales with driving rain) are the conditions that produce specimen bass over 10 lb.

Season and tide

At Brittas Bay (South End), Thornback ray is worth targeting in May to October. Coast-wide, Thornback ray runs May to October (peaks June to August late spring through midsummer on clean sand).

Wider mark season: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; specimen window during E gales), Smoothhound: May to October (numbers build from late May spring tides), Thornback ray: May to October, Codling: October to February, Whiting: October to February, Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February

Tide guidance here: Flooding tide is the productive window for hounds and rays through the gullies, particularly two hours before high water until the tide peaks. After a south-easterly blow the bass fishing can be exceptional for 2 to 3 days. Documented summer requirement: ~100m casts; after storm conditions, short casts adequate.

Late spring through midsummer on clean sand. Fish the flooding tides and high-water soaks with baits anchored at long range on pulley or pennel rigs.

Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.

Tactics on this mark

Cast pulley rigs or up-and-over pennel rigs long over clean ground, leaving baits anchored to soak on flooding tides and around high water.

Pulley rig clipped down with 4/0 hook (smoothhound); Running ledger; Surface lures and weedless soft plastics (bass)

Gear: open beach. Facing ESE.

• Long-range pulley or up-and-over pennel rigs with fish strip or sandeel
• Crab and fish cocktails on hound sessions
• Leave baits to soak; strike only when the classic ray nod builds
• Pulley rig clipped down with 4/0 hook (smoothhound)
• Running ledger
• Surface lures and weedless soft plastics (bass)

Baits and lures

Thornback ray baits and lures: Sandeel; Bluey or mackerel strip; Crab and fish cocktails.

What this mark typically holds: Hardback green shore crab (the documented top hound bait, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Peeler crab (when bites are quick); Whole sandeel; Ragworm/squid cocktail (rays); Bait sized 2.5×1 inch sausage shape for hounds.

Hardback green shore crab (the documented top hound bait, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Peeler crab (when bites are quick); Whole sandeel; Ragworm/squid cocktail (rays); Bait sized 2.5×1 inch sausage shape for hounds

Access and ground

Take the R750 south from Wicklow town, turn east at the Brittas Bay signs. Pennycomequick Bridge over the Redcross River is the landmark on the way in. Walk south along the beach from the main car park, the further you walk, the better the fishing.

Parking: Paid parking is available at the beach. Brittas Bay is a popular destination especially in summer so arrive early to secure a space. The car park can fill quickly on fine weekends and bank holidays.

Safety: Strong longshore drift in heavy surf, be aware of your position and do not wade. Deep gullies can fill quickly on a flooding tide; mark your route back. Very busy with bathers in summer, fish the shoulders of the day (dawn and dusk).

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town (approximately 15km north) has the nearest tackle shops. Stock up before heading to Brittas Bay as there are no tackle supplies locally.

Nearest town: Brittas Bay. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 2 to 5 lb from Wicklow beaches. Specimen class: Rays over 8 lb are considered good shore fish locally.

Kite-shaped ray with thorn-like spines dorsally, often grey-brown with lighter mottling; underside pale. Thornback is the common large skate/ray label on Wicklow clean-sand beaches at range.

Tip: Read each beach's safety and distance notes before copying one tide rule across marks. Brittas Bay, Killoughter and Silver Strand each fish slightly differently and carry different hazards.

Irish shore context: record class around See the IFI records. Locally, 8 lb plus is a good shore ray..

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Smoothhound, Codling, Whiting, Dogfish, Flounder. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Brittas Bay (South End) updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Thornback ray species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Heavily pressured in some areas; unhook carefully in the shallows and return larger breeding fish.

Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Thornback ray species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Other species at Brittas Bay (South End)

• Bass
• Smoothhound
• Cod
• Whiting
• Dogfish
• Flounder
• Dab
• Mackerel

Full mark guide lists all 11 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.