Mark × species · Occasional
Thornback ray at Silver Strand.
Thornback ray is an occasional catch at Silver Strand near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: occasional summer. Follow the coastal road south from Wicklow town, signed from the R750.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Beginner/Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Occasional
Why fish Thornback ray at Silver Strand
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
A small, sheltered sandy cove tucked between rocky headlands south of Wicklow Head.
One of the cleaner sand beaches on the Wicklow coast and one of the few accessible east-coast marks for spurdog on summer night tides, under-known feature confirmed across regional sources.
Surf in spring and autumn at night is the classic productive window.
The sheltered position makes it a viable option in northerly or westerly winds when other marks are too rough.
Clean to slightly mixed sand off open beaches where sandeel, crab and small fish are present, often at long range.
Sheltered cove, spring bass and a rare east-coast spurdog chance on summer night tides.
You may see this beach listed as Furzeditch East, its townland name, but every fishing source calls it Silver Strand.
Spurdog on summer night tides is the species note worth knowing: these are not common at most east-coast beaches and Silver Strand is one of the few accessible marks for them in Wicklow.
Cut-off risk at high tide is the genuine safety story here, more than slippery rocks: the beach physically separates into coves and anglers have been caught out.
Season and tide
At Silver Strand, Thornback ray is worth targeting in occasional summer. 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), Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February, Plaice: May to September, Spurdog: summer (night tides), Mackerel: June to September, Thornback ray: occasional summer
Tide guidance here: High water and the two hours either side give the best fishing. The beach is relatively shallow and fish move in closest at the top of the tide. Flooding tide on a summer evening is the best time for bass along the shoreline. Spring/autumn surf at night for the bigger bass.
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.
Two-hook flapper; Running ledger; Light spinning (bass); Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)
Gear: general shore. 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
- Two-hook flapper
- Running ledger
- Light spinning (bass)
- Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)
Baits and lures
Thornback ray baits and lures: Sandeel; Bluey or mackerel strip; Crab and fish cocktails.
What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog.
Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog
Access and ground
Follow the coastal road south from Wicklow town, signed from the R750. Access through caravan parks. Short walk from the car park.
Parking: Small car park at the strand, fills quickly in summer. Seasonal charges may apply. Arrive early in July and August.
Safety: The beach separates into coves at high tide, creating a genuine cut-off risk. Mark your retreat route on arrival. Rocky approaches at low water require care; stick to sandy sections when moving along the beach.
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, a short drive north on the coastal road.
Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/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, Flounder, Dogfish, Plaice, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Silver Strand 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 Silver Strand
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.