Smoothhound at Killoughter Beach.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Smoothhound 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.

Smooth sandy beaches and clean ground where crab populations are strong; follows peeler crab movements along surf tables and gutters.

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, Smoothhound is worth targeting in May to October (specimen-class possible). Coast-wide, Smoothhound runs May to October (peaks July to August on evening floods).

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.

Evening flood tide from May through October is the classic setup, with June to August the peak. Smoothhound are most active from late afternoon through the first half of the night. Spring tides produce better fish than neaps.

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

Tactics on this mark

Fish peeler crab on strong pulley or running ledger rigs from evening flood into dark, using long fluorocarbon hooklengths to let baits sit naturally in the surf.

Pulley rig at distance (hounds/rays/huss); Standard flatfish rigs close in; Two-hook flapper

Gear: open beach. Facing E.

• Running ledger, 30 to 50 lb mono or fluorocarbon hooklink
• Size 4/0 to 6/0 strong hook, smoothhound fight hard
• Long hooklink (18 to 24 inches) to let the bait sit naturally
• No wire trace needed, smoothhound have no cutting teeth
• Pulley rig at distance (hounds/rays/huss)
• Standard flatfish rigs close in
• Two-hook flapper

Baits and lures

Smoothhound baits and lures: Peeler crab; Soft-back crab; Hermit crab; Squid and crab cocktails.

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: 1 to 3 kg on Wicklow surf beaches. Specimen class: Irish specimen weight is 3 kg; the Irish record is 7.5 kg, so a shore fish over 3 kg is a genuine specimen.

Grey-brown back, paler underside. Slender, streamlined shark with two dorsal fins. No sharp teeth, smoothhound have crushing plates for eating crabs and shellfish. The Starry Smoothhound has white spots; the Common Smoothhound does not, both are caught in Wicklow.

Tip: The quality of your crab bait is everything. Fresh peeler produces dramatically more bites than frozen. Present the whole crab or a large half crab on the hook and secure with elastic thread. Fish don't need to be fed, smoothhound will travel to find good bait.

Irish shore context: record class around 12.02 kg, Wicklow, 2020.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Thornback ray, Homelyn ray, Bullhuss, Bass, Codling, Dab. 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 Smoothhound species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Catch & Release strongly recommended for this hard-fighting shark species.

Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.

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

Other species at Killoughter Beach

• Thornback ray
• Ray
• Bullhuss
• Bass
• Cod
• Dab
• Flounder
• Dogfish

Full mark guide lists all 12 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Related article: Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait

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