Thornback Ray
Ray
A kite-shaped ray with a sandy-brown, blotchy back covered in small thorny spines, especially along the centre line and tail — the roughest-skinned of the UK's common shore rays.
Facts
- The most commonly caught ray from UK beaches, piers and estuary marks.
- The thorny spines running down its back and tail are a genuine defence feature, not just texture.
- Lays the classic black 'mermaid's purse' egg case commonly found washed up on beaches.
UK fishing rules
No statutory UK-wide recreational size limit currently applies, though several IFCAs run additional local byelaws for skate and ray species — check regional rules, and consider releasing larger breeding females given how slow rays grow.
Where to catch Thornback Ray (24 marks)
| Mark | Region | Season | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borth | Wales | Jun–Oct | Fish or squid bait cast out beyond the bar on a bigger tide. |
| Bude Breakwater | South West | Apr–Oct | Sandeel or fish baits at range |
| Camber Sands | South East | Apr–Oct | Fish bait cast at range after dark, best towards the Jury's Gap end |
| Crooklets Beach | South West | Apr–Oct | Squid or mackerel strip on a pulley rig, fished at range. |
| Deal Pier | South East | Apr–Oct | Fish bait cast at range from the lower deck towards evening |
| Dungeness | South East | Apr–Oct | Sandeel or mackerel fillet on a clipped-down pennell, cast beyond the near gutter |
| Hastings Stade | South East | Apr–Oct | Fish bait cast at range off the open shingle |
| Lee-on-the-Solent Seafront | South East | Apr-Sep | Fish bait fished at night |
| Loch Linnhe Picnic Site, Lochaber | Scotland | May–Oct | Fish baits (whole sandeel or mackerel) fished hard on the bottom on the flood tide. |
| Luce Bay (Sandhead) | Scotland | Jun–Sep | Fish or crab bait fished hard on the bottom at range. |
| Mumbles Pier | Wales | Jun–Sep (historic) | Sandeel or mackerel strip cast well out for a chance of ray. |
| Northcott Mouth | South West | Apr–Oct | Sandeel at range |
| Penarth Pier | Wales | Jun–Oct | Cast well out over sand/mud with sandeel or fish strip. |
| Pevensey Bay | South East | Apr-Oct | Fish bait on a pulley rig cast beyond the bar |
| Reculver | South East | Apr–Oct | Sandeel, bluey or mackerel fillet cast at range |
| Sandymouth | South West | Apr–Oct | Squid or mackerel strip on a pulley rig, fished at range over sand. |
| Saunton Sands | South West | Apr–Oct | Fish bait fished at range on a rising tide. |
| Slapton Sands | South West | May–Sep | Sandeel or fish bait fished at range on a flooding tide. |
| Southend Pier | East | Jun–Sep | Squid, sandeel or fish strip on a running ledger cast into the estuary channel from the pier head. |
| Tenby Harbour | Wales | Nov–Feb | Fish or squid bait on a simple running leger cast from the wall after dark on bigger winter tides. |
| Ullapool (Loch Broom) | Scotland | Jun–Sep | Bait fished on the bottom from deeper harbour-adjacent marks, an occasional catch. |
| Walton-on-the-Naze Pier | East | May–Sep | Mackerel or eel section on a running ledger cast from the pier end during the summer ray run. |
| Westward Ho! | South West | Jun–Sep | Fish bait fished on a simple flowing rig into deeper surf gutters. |
| Widemouth Bay | South West | Apr–Oct | Sandeel at range after dark |