Most beach anglers have the idea that shore turbot are rare. Those caught being lucky fish. Certainly, luck plays a part in the size of the turbot you catch, but turbot within shore casting range are definitely not rare. A few anglers do target these fish from the beaches and do extremely well with double figure fish very much on the cards.

WHERE TO EXPECT TURBOT
Turbot are found right around the UK. Like most fish though, certain areas are better than others. Chesil Beach in Dorset turns up a few fish over the season, usually to anglers fishing big fish baits for bass close in. The beaches and rock marks of Devon and Cornwall can be excellent. In Wales pick any of the beaches and rocks west of Llantwit Major in South Wales, The Gower and Pembrokeshire beaches, those throughout Cardigan Bay and Caernarfon Bay and turbot are present.

Scottish shore marks offer tremendous potential, but are rarely fished. Turbot show from Luce Bay and Monreith Bay, just about any sandy cove or stretch north of the Clyde, but especially the north side of Loch Carron, Applecross Bay near Loch Torridon, Loch Ewe and the sandy bays towards Loch Inver and also Dunnet.

Turbot even show occasionally from the Northeast beaches and those along the Holderness Coast between Hornsea and Spurn Point. Likewise along the East Coast from Cley down to Lowestoft with the UK record shore fish of 28lbs 8ozs being taken from Dunwich Beach in 1973.

It's not so much the location that matters for turbot are widespread and probably on the very beaches you already fish, it's just that the anglers are not specifically targeting them so few are caught.

SEASON
There are two specific times of year when turbot are close in. The spring run is the more predictable. This starts during late March along the southwest and west coasts, though it's mid April before prospects are really worthwhile, with May and the first two weeks of June the peak period.

The mid summer months see the surf beaches devoid of turbot, but they come back with an inward migration starting as early as late August, but usually during mid September, peaking in mid October, but with late fish lingering right through until almost Christmas when they suddenly disappear. Fish outside these times certainly are "lucky" fish.

This spring cycle, not surprisingly, coincides with the sandeels return to the beaches. In fact, along the west coast, the sandeel never really leave as autumn comes to a close, and though their numbers are far fewer meaning the food supply is limited, find a winter beach that carries sandeel and you'll still catch turbot.

The main autumnal turbot run goes hand in hand with the whiting moving inshore and there are still enough sandeel about at this time, plus you have rockling running the surf and also small flatfish. Combined, they make a steady food supply for the predatory turbot.

GROUND FEATURES TO LOOK FOR
Being flatfish, it's no surprise to find that turbot frequent clean, sandy ground. But there is a dividing line between the likes of the smaller fish and those more desirable 3lb plus turbot.

The smaller juveniles will be found well distributed right across any clean, sandy surf beach. Any concentrations will be around the undulating sandbanks and shallow gutters where the fish can expect to find sandeels for food.

The bigger fish look for a little more variety in life, and whilst needing clean ground to actually live on they are found in the vicinity of shallow rocky reefs, patches of boulders and also around the ends of wooden groynes that run out to the low water tide line.
This interest in rocky features is to do with the smaller fish that live over such ground. Many wander off the rough ground and work around the edges where the turbot lay in wait. Gutted shore turbot often contain pout, poor cod and small codling which bear this out.
Turbot are also interested in investigating changes in seabed feature.

The best are areas where clean, fine sand changes to fine gravel. Sandeels will bury into the gravel but also tend to swim in shoals, not over sand, but over gravel, shingle and rocks. Locating these areas of change where the grain of the sand is heavier, or alternates to pea gravel can give you an edge. Turbot take on the gravel colour to camouflage themselves against the ground and work a neat ambush on the unsuspecting sandeels.

Other marks to consider are off rocky headlands casting back into a shallow, sandy bay where a tide running around the head of a headland brings fish washed down with the current. Big turbot lay on the edge of these currents and grow fat on the rewards.

The mouths of small estuaries are the other hot spots. Though turbot will not move very far into the estuary it'self, they will venture with the flooding tide onto the surrounding sandbanks that flank the estuary mouth and outer channel. It's simply the presence of sandeels that gets their interest.

DAYLIGHT OR DARKNESS
The smaller fish upto a couple of pounds can easily be caught in daylight. These are feeding principally on sandeels and with sandeels active only by day it's natural for the turbot to be caught prior to dark when the sandeels start to bury in the sand for protection through the dark hours.

You'll notice that the hour of dusk and then the hour towards sunrise will give the most fish. Think about this! The sandeels are most vulnerable when looking for somewhere to bury down for the night and whilst actually burying in. Turbot pounce when the sandeels are preoccupied with these functions in mind.

The bigger fish cannot sustain their bodies on sandeel alone as we've already seen. The pout, poor cod, small codling and rockling are mainly nocturnal feeders in this relatively shallow water so it's obvious that the dark hours will be better for the big predatory turbot that just sit and wait, half buried in sand, for a victim to swim within range.

NEAP OR SPRING TIDES?
Neaps can produce the smaller fish from the open surf beaches, and may actually prove better for fishing from the open rock marks onto clean sand. But the neaps tend to see slower and more confined movements by the food fish which makes it a poor time for the big turbot to be close in and working hard to feed.

The spring tides are when the food fish like the pout, whiting etc, are really on the move en masse, and these bigger tides will give you the bulk of the turbot caught.

Regards state of tide, then the first two hours of the new flood tide are excellent, equally so the first two hours of the ebb as the turbot move in with and drop back with the easy flowing tide. As tide strength picks up the chances of fish deteriorate. Low water can fish on some beaches, but don't bank on this time.

The surf beaches have a longer time span for fish. Slack water and right through the main flood period will see the turbot close in amongst the surf breakers. High water slack and the early ebb tide are not good with the fish moving out again quickly.

LONG OR SHORT CASTS?
It's unusual to need to cast more than 50yds for a beach or rock mark turbot. Virtually all the fish hooked, including the big ones, come from within 30yds of dry sand. Only occasionally on a very flat surf beach will longer casts be required.

On the beaches the fish are right in amongst the breaking water, even on the ebb tide. It's not clear whether these fish are moving through the water tables, or just sat tight behind them waiting for the smaller food fish to pass by. The first possibility seems the more likely.

WEATHER AND SEA CONDITIONS
Contrary to what so many writers say, turbot do not need very calm conditions to move close inshore. The ideal conditions are periods just after a short blow or gale when the sea has risen quickly and dies back equally so. This creates a steady pattern of surf with long, wide tables that brings the turbot very tight inshore.

Neither are they put off by weed in the water. In fact, a few tides after a prolonged blow when the sea has been really rough and razorfish have been washed from the sand can be excellent, especially on the ebbing tide.

Some colour in the water is another advantage for daylight fishing. Not the thick chocolate coloured seas of winter mind, but those stained with light sediment after a quick rise in the wind.
Prime time for turbot are the variable winds that fall light after a blow, or just a faint hint of onshore wind after a long spell of very settled weather and calm seas.

TACKLE AND RIGS
Because of the wild element of the open beach and also because you're never quite sure what size of fish will take the bait, you'll need to stick with a standard beachcaster suitable for launching a 5oz lead and big bait. It's immaterial whether you prefer a fixed spool reel or a multiplier. Choose line strength between 15 and 18lbs, depending on the type of mark and it's proximity to rough ground and features.

You need only one rig. Use a flowing trace simply to allow the bait to wash around in a natural manner through the surf tables. The hook length needs to be between 2' and 4' depending on the roughness of the surf. Go for short length if the surf is strong to minimize tangles. A line strength of 30lbs will easily land any turbot ever hooked.

The hook needs to be chosen to match bait size, the best hooks being a Mustad 3261BLN Aberdeen for sandeel baits, or the Mustad Viking 79515. Sizes from 1 to 4/0 will cover all options.

BAITS
Frozen sandeel can be excellent, but tends to pick out the smaller fish upto a couple of pounds as expected. For bigger fish, consider a whole small whiting with the fillets half cut away from the tail to allow the scent to travel, a pout cut the same way, or a single whiting or pout fillet which gives more movement as well as smell. Hook the fillets twice in the thin end by putting the hook point through from the skin side first, then back out through the flesh so that the hook point remains exposed away from the bait. Mackerel strip is okay, again for the smaller fish. Odd big fish will pick up fillets of frozen mackerel, but obviously prefer the fresher baits like pout and whiting. Juvenile turbot also take worm, razorfish and even peeler crab chunks. In rough seas, cut off the fillet leaving plenty of flesh attached. Pass the hook through the skin side at the wide end of the fillet this time and then again through the flesh side so that the hook point is exposed. Now roll the sides of the fillet together so that the flesh is on the inside ad then wrap along this with shearing elastic to make a tube shape. This traps the scent inside the bait which takes longer to wash out and gives the hunting turbot longer to locate the bait in a tossing surf.

TECHNIQUE
Unless you're fishing a really wild surf, use a plain lead that's heavy enough to just occasionally be dragged across the surf by the tide pressure on the line. This movement needs to be minimal and slow. The bait will be dragged in a shoreward arc and through the surf tables where the fish are feeding.

In rougher seas and from the rock marks, you may need to use a wired lead and let the fish come to you, but this static technique catches fewer fish than the moving one.

Bites show on the rod tip as small rattles from the smaller fish, but sizeable turbot create slack line bites as they pick up the bait and move forward into the tide before turning and swimming outward through the surf.

Try to land the fish using the surf tables as if the hook is in the membrane of the extendible mouth it can tear and the fish break free.

TURBOT TIPS
Forget beads and coloured tubing like you'd use for plaice, but try adding some silver paper just above the bait or a small revolving bar spoon during daylight. The flash of light reflection off the silver paper can increase the catch.

Big turbot, like wreck turbot, often come in pairs, so having landed one fish, get a bait out to the same spot as quick as possible.
A small injection of freshwater from a small stream or ditch running across a beach can interest and concentrate turbot. However, if this is in flood and carrying acid water from moors and mountains it will force the fish out beyond casting range.

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