Ray at Five Mile Point.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Ray at Five Mile Point

Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.

A beach with more sand and less shingle than the rest of the Greystones-Wicklow shingle belt, distinct micro-geology that supports a specimen smoothhound run on spring nights (over 7 lb specimen size has been documented here).

May produces homelyn ray and plaice; summer produces mackerel close in.

Honest reality check: outside the specimen-hound spring-night window, this beach acts as a nursery for immature fish (cod, dab, flounder, whiting at ~6 inches) for much of the year.

Short: Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark.

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.

Spring-night smoothhound venue, the main reason to fish here, nursery beach the rest of the year.

The specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, with fish over the 7 lb specimen size documented and ragworm or peeler crab named as the best baits.

Most anglers fishing the Wicklow shingle in spring chase bass on the surf, but Five Mile Point's softer sand profile produces specimen-class hounds in the dark.

Set expectations honestly outside that window: this is a small-fish nursery beach for much of the year (cod, dab, flounder, whiting all at ~6 inches).

Season and tide

At Five Mile Point, Ray is worth targeting in May (peak). Coast-wide, Ray runs April to October (peaks June to August may at Killoughter and Five Mile Point, where homelyn ray peak alongside the hounds. Bullhuss show on summer evenings at Killoughter.).

Wider mark season: Smoothhound: May to October (specimen-class >7 lb on spring nights with ragworm and peeler), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Homelyn ray: May (peak), Plaice: May, Mackerel: June to September (close in), Flounder: October to March (nursery), Cod/dab/whiting: nursery class for much of year

Tide guidance here: Falling tide pattern for the shingle belt. Spring-tide nights for the specimen hounds. Worm/spoon for plaice in May.

May to October on the shingle belt, where thornback, homelyn ray and hounds stack up together. Match your tide choice to the individual mark rather than a single generic rule.

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

Tactics on this mark

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.

Pulley rig at distance (hounds); Two-hook flapper (flatfish); Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May); Light spinning (mackerel)

Gear: open beach. Facing E.

• Distance casting for rays on clean sand
• Worm-led close-in tactics for smaller flatfish on the same beaches
• Crab-led approaches when bullhuss appear in secondary lists
• Pulley rig at distance (hounds)
• Two-hook flapper (flatfish)
• Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May)
• Light spinning (mackerel)

Baits and lures

Ray baits and lures: Sandeel; Ragworm and squid cocktails; Peeler or hardback crab for hound sessions; Fish strip pennel rigs.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm AND peeler crab (the documented best baits for the spring hound run here); Lugworm; Sandeel (mackerel).

Ragworm AND peeler crab (the documented best baits for the spring hound run here); Lugworm; Sandeel (mackerel)

Access and ground

One-mile-long access road from the R761. Parking limited at the end. Beach access then via the dunes.

Parking: Limited at the end of the access road; arrive early on quality conditions.

Safety: One-mile road from the R761; parking limited. Standard shingle-beach safety.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town or Greystones tackle shops.

Nearest town: Newcastle. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: Varies by species, Killoughter ranks thornback ray, homelyn ray and bullhuss together as primary/secondary summer predators on the shingle belt. Specimen class: Specimen-class smoothhound and ray show at Killoughter. See each linked profile for thornback-specific sizes.

Thornback, homelyn and cuckoo ray are the rays you are most likely to meet on the Wicklow shore. Thornback are the commonest, with rows of spiny bucklers along the back and tail. Homelyn, the spotted ray, are smaller with dark spots across the wings, and cuckoo ray carry a distinctive dark, marbled eye-spot on each wing.

Tip: Killoughter and Five Mile Point pair homelyn ray with specimen hound tactics on spring nights. Read those marks carefully before committing gear or wading depth.

Irish shore context: record class around See thornback profile for specimen context.

Same-mark companions

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

Live ranked advice for Five Mile Point updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Ray species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Sharks and rays are easily stressed, support fish in the water, avoid lifting large rays clear of the surf, and release breeding-size fish when possible.

Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.

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

Other species at Five Mile Point

• Smoothhound
• Bass
• Plaice
• Flounder
• Dogfish
• Mackerel
• Coalfish
• Cod

Full mark guide lists all 12 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

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