Mark × species · Seasonal
Coalfish at Killoughter Beach.
Coalfish is a seasonal target at Killoughter Beach near Newcastle. Best window on this ground: September to May. Access via the local road from Newcastle/Ashford direction.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Seasonal
Why fish Coalfish at Killoughter Beach
Reputed best Wicklow beach venue. Specimen homelyn, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss in the catch record.
A shingle beach in the heart of the Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt.
Documented in the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide as the regard of many anglers as the BEST of all the Wicklow beach venues, the beach turns up quality fish with regularity.
Specimen-class homelyn ray, thornback ray, smoothhound, bullhuss and occasional spurdog have all been recorded here.
Short: Reputed best Wicklow beach venue.
Harbour walls, pier mouths and rough ground where baitfish shoals run, especially in colder months when pollack fishing fades.
Reputed specimen beach for rays and hounds on spring nights, not a beginner mark.
The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide explicitly states 'many anglers regard Killoughter as the best of all the Wicklow beach venues' on the basis that it produces quality fish with regularity.
Specimen-class homelyn ray, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss are all in the catch record, this is a serious species venue, not a casual beach.
Two practical local notes: (1) the road in is poor, and (2) weed can shut the beach down after onshore wind, one SAI session was abandoned for that reason and turned out to be the wrong call (the weed cleared shortly after).
Season and tide
At Killoughter Beach, Coalfish is worth targeting in September to May. Coast-wide, Coalfish runs September to May (peaks October to March autumn and winter from piers).
Wider mark season: Smoothhound: May to October (specimen-class possible), Thornback ray: May to September, Homelyn ray: May to September, Bullhuss: summer evenings (specimen-class), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Codling: October to February, Dab: October to February, Flounder: October to March, Spurdog: occasional summer night, Whiting: October to February
Tide guidance here: Falling tide for the shingle-belt pattern. Evening and night sessions for the predator species. Distance casting required for hounds and rays; close-in for codling and flatfish.
Moving water around piers and harbour mouths. Night tides in autumn and winter often produce the biggest fish. Coalfish are less structure-dependent than pollack and will chase prey across open ground.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Fish small metals, feathers or natural baits in the flow around harbour mouths and deep pier edges, letting lures swing through the current in autumn and winter.
Pulley rig at distance (hounds/rays/huss); Standard flatfish rigs close in; Two-hook flapper
Gear: open beach. Facing E.
- Same methods as pollack, spinning, jigging, feathers
- More aggressive takes than pollack, heavier gear can be used
- Pulley rig at distance (hounds/rays/huss)
- Standard flatfish rigs close in
- Two-hook flapper
Baits and lures
Coalfish baits and lures: Feathers; Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastics; Metal jigs.
What this mark typically holds: Hardback green crab (hounds, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Squid (rays); Lugworm (codling/dab); Mackerel head (bullhuss).
Hardback green crab (hounds, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Squid (rays); Lugworm (codling/dab); Mackerel head (bullhuss)
Access and ground
Access via the local road from Newcastle/Ashford direction. The road in is poor, described in SAI session reports as 'potholed' with limited improvement over the years. Small car park at the end. Railway crossing required for some access routes.
Parking: Small car park at end of access road; arrive early on quality conditions.
Safety: Railway crossing required for some access routes, designated points only. Standard shingle-beach safety. Weed can shut the beach down after onshore wind, judge the conditions on arrival.
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town or Greystones tackle shops.
Nearest town: Newcastle. Skill level: Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 300 g to 1.5 kg on harbour and rock marks. Specimen class: Larger coalfish over 2 kg possible in deep water channels.
Very similar to pollack but distinguished by a straight lateral line (not curved), a white lateral line, and a jaw that is roughly equal (not strongly protruding). Dark green-black back, pale flanks. Young coalfish (known as 'billets' or 'cuddies') are common from pier walls.
Tip: Coalfish and pollack are often caught together from the same marks. The autumn run of coalfish through Greystones Harbour can produce excellent sport, small shoals of 500 g to 1 kg fish attack feather rigs in the harbour mouth from September onwards.
Irish shore context: record class around 7.26 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Smoothhound, Thornback ray, Homelyn ray, Bullhuss, Bass, Codling. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Killoughter Beach updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Coalfish species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
No major concerns but keep only what you will eat fresh.
Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Coalfish species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Killoughter Beach
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.
NEXT STEP
Open the full mark or species guide.
Pair pages assemble mark and species catalogue facts for this ground. Depth sessions live on today's plan.