Try out the Club

Unlock the fishing spots of Hayscastle Cross, weather forecasts and many other services with the Premium Club.

10-day free trial

Nouveau : FishAndYou, l'appli des concours de pêche

Avec FishAndYou, vous pouvez créer votre propre concours de pêche, et gagner de l'argent.

Créer mon concours de pêche

Discover everything to fish in Hayscastle Cross

Find the best moment to go fishing in Hayscastle Cross, the most caught species, the techniques used, go fish with anglers nearby, find a fishing charter or guide, save your spots and discover new ones.

Go for it!

N°1 | The Mackerel fish

The Mackerel fish belongs to the Scombridae family. The average size of adult mackerel is 30 to 40 cm and its weight ranges from 500 g to exceptionally 1.5 kg. It can live up to 17 years. It reproduces from March to September. The female can lay 450000 eggs. It can be fished all year round. The streamlined body and pointed head of the mackerel, give it an excellent swimming quality (up to 10 km/h). The characteristic feature of mackerel is its blue-green back zebra with more or less oblique and parallel dark lines, while the sides and belly are silvery white. There are 23 to 33 dark chevrons depending on the individual and include the forehead between the two eyes. The fins of mackerel are grey. It has two widely spaced dorsal fins, the first being characterized by 10 to 13 thorny rays. In addition, it also has two pectoral fins (dark based), two ventral, one anal and one caudal. The caudal is preceded by 5 small feathered fins on the dorsal and ventral sides called pinnules. The tail is very indented.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 20 cm

Difficulty :

N°2 | The Weever fish

The Weever fish belongs to the Trachinidae family. The Weever fish form a family of perciform marine fish, the Trachinidae, which includes nine species. Their sizes vary from 15 cm to more than 50 cm depending on the species. The Nine species are: The Lesser weever, the Spotted weever, the Guinean weever, the Sailfin weever, the Trachinus cornutus, the Greater weever, the Striped weever, the Cape Verde weever and the Starry weever. It can be fished during the hot seasons. The Weever fish can be classified into two categories, on the one hand the small Vive which measures less than 15 cm, and the large Vive, measuring on average 2 to 30 cm and can reach 50 cm in length. The large weever differs from the small one in that it has four thorns in its orbits. The weever is always dangerous, in that it is endowed with erectile spines are the bite is very toxic, which can have long-term consequences in humans. The weever is yellow on the back, with a whitish belly and yellow or brown streaks. Accidents are much more frequent since the weever is often buried in the sand, so the risk is greater, as you may step on it and get stung.

Fishing period : during hot season

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°3 | The Plaice fish

The Plaice fish belongs to the Pleuronectidae family. it does not usually exceed 61 cm. Growth is slow and the average lifespan is between 12 and 15 years. Reproduction takes place between February and May. Fertility is 125,000 eggs on average. It can be fished all year round. The plaice fish is a dexterous flat asymmetric fish: its two eyes are located on the right flank. Its body is thick. The ocular side is generally uniform, ranging from reddish to dark beige and spotted, while the blind side is white. His mouth is big. Its caudal is rounded and of moderate size. The lateral line is almost straight, except for a slight arc above the pectoral muscles. The dorsal fin has 76 to 101 rays, it originates in front of the left eye and ends on the caudal peduncle. The anal has 60 to 79 rays, it begins just below the operculum and ends under the posterior end of the dorsal fin. The head and body are covered with small ctenoid scales, they are rough on the ocular side; those on the blind side are mainly smooth and cycloid.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°4 | The Ling fish

The Ling fish belongs to the Lotidae family. It generally measures 1.60 m in adulthood, but can reach a height of 2 meters and weigh up to 45 kg. Its longevity is estimated at 10 years for males and 14 years for females. Breeding takes place from March to July. The female can lay up to 60 million eggs. It can be fished all year round except in winter. The Ling has a cylindrical and very elongated body. The head is flattened with a prominent upper jaw. The fairly long chin barbell is larger than the diameter of the eye. This species has two dorsal fins and one anal fin. The first dorsal fin is shorter and often shows a black spot on the back, the second one runs the rest of the body to the tail. The black caudal fin has a white border on the tip. It is uniformly greenish brown in color, but slightly darker dorsally in adults. The young are often lighter, with its coloring more or less marbled orange.

Fishing period : all year except in winter

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°5 | Seabass

The Seabass belongs to the Moronidae family. Its size is usually between 70 and 80 cm (1.10 m maximum). The life expectancy of the seabass is variable: about thirty years in an aquarium, 24 years in Ireland, 6 years maximum most often in the Mediterranean. Breeding takes place between December and March or January to May depending on the location. The female lays 200,000 eggs at once. The body of this fish is elongated and slightly compressed. The two dorsal fins (the first thorny and the second soft) are well separated and have almost the same length and height. The anal fin is composed of 10 soft rays preceded by 3 thorny rays. The caudal peduncle is quite elongated and the caudal fin is indented, with an upper lobe often slightly longer than the lower lobe. The pectoral fins are short. The upper part of the head is quite straight, the upper jaw is a little shorter than the lower jaw. The operculum may have a more or less visible black spot in its posterior upper part. The scales are small in size but clearly visible. The lateral line is slightly arched in the front part of the body. The back is grey in color, the sides are lighter, with yellowish or silvery reflections. The pectoral and ventral fins are yellowish white; the others are darker. Mostly in young individuals, black spots may be present in the dorso-ventral region.

Fishing period : Refer to section below

Minimum size : 40 cm

Difficulty :

N°6 | The Coalfish

The Coalfish belongs to the Gadidae family. With a size of up to 1.30 m, the coalfish can weigh up to 10 kg. It has a life span of 8 to 10 years. The breeding period varies according to the location. The female lays up to 4 million eggs. It can be fished all year round but at a minimum catch size of 61 cm. Its body is fusiform and elongated, covered with small round scales. In profile, the lower jaw is slightly prominent. The back is greenish brown; the belly is silvery. The clear and almost straight lateral line is well marked. It extends along the entire length of its sides. There may also be a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins. The mouth is terminal. She's black on the inside. The fins are soft-raked. They are dark like the back of a fish, except for the lighter pelvic fins. The coalfish has 3 dorsal fins, the first being triangular, the others longer, and 2 anal fins. The pelvic fins are positioned well forward, under the head, and the caudal fin is a little concave. Young people may have a small barbel on their chin.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 61 cm

Difficulty :

N°7 | The Flounder Fish

The Flounder Fish belongs to the Pleuronectidae family. It usually reaches a size of 50 cm; the maximum observed size is 60 cm for a weight of 1.5 kg. The maximum lifespan is estimated at 15 years. It reproduces in early spring. The female can lay up to 2 million eggs. The best time to fish it is in spring and autumn. The Flounder fish is a flatfish of general losanitary appearance, taking into account the triangular shape of the head and dorsal and anal fins. Both eyes are on the same side of the head, on the right side, for about 2/3 of the individuals. The mouth is small and terminal, with a slightly tapered snout. The oral commissure is located on the same line as the center of the eye. The lateral line barely curves towards the dorsal edge at the pectoral fins. It has a row of tubers in its front part. Similarly, the base of the dorsal and anal fins is highlighted by a line of tubers, which are clearly palpable. The anal fin has 35 to 46 soft rays. The oculate side has a variable coloring, from olive green to reddish brown, or grey, enhanced by dark green mottling, with small, dull and few orange spots. This helps to give it a "dirty" appearance. The blind side is white.

Fishing period : Spring and Autumn

Minimum size : 25 cm

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Haddock fish

The Haddock fish belongs to the Gadidae family. The average size of haddock is 30 to 50 cm. It can measure up to 1.20 m and weigh up to 14 Kg and can live until the age of 20 years. It reproduces in spring. The female can respond to up to 3,000,000 eggs. This fish can be caught all year round outside of spawning periods. Like all coastal fish of which it is a part, haddock has three dorsal fins and two anal fins. Its body is more or less dark, crossed by a black lateral line and characterized by its silvery reflections. Its belly has a lighter shade on its back, it can be olive green and sometimes black. Two distinctive features for this fish: the black spot at the base of its pectoral fin and a small barbel on its lower jaw.

Fishing period : July to February

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°9 | The Conger Eel

The Conger Eel belongs to the Anguillidae family. Its average size is 40 to 150 cm for an average weight of 4 kg. It has a life span of 50 years old. They breed from spring to summer. The best period to fish for Conger Eel is from April to September at night. Snake-shaped, oval body and the rear part is vertically compressed. The skin is relatively thick and covered with mucus that covers the scales. The lower jaw is longer than the upper and the nostrils are tubular. The dorsal and anal fins merge with the caudal fin and this all forms a single continuous fin that starts well behind the pectoral fins. There is no pelvic fin. Back brown-green with yellowish belly for yellow eel but back black with silver belly for silver eel. It turns black with a silver belly in silver eels for individuals ready to migrate to the Sargasso Sea.

Fishing period : April to September

Minimum size : 58 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The John Dory Fish

The John Dory fish belongs to the Zeidae family. It measures 30 to 50 cm on average and can reach a maximum weight of 8 kg. It can live up to 12 years. This fish is caught all year round but more easily from April to July. This fish has a high body and very strongly compressed laterally. Its head and the base of its fins carry thorns and bone ridges. The filaments carried by the dorsal fin are very long in juveniles and gradually regress until the animal reaches its adult size. Its eyes are high and his protractile mouth is widely split. An arched lateral line can be seen above the pectoral fins. Its color varies from grey-green with silvery to golden yellow reflections, often marked by longitudinal mottling. A large black eye patch surrounded by grey adorns the middle of each flank.

Fishing period : all year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

7.6

10 am

Take out your rods! The fishes are here.

High

Medium

Low

The best moment to go fishing!

The fishing forecast allows you to forecast your fishing trips and always go at the right time to the right place!

How it works

This is a score of 1 to 10 calculated city by city according to some forty criteria affecting fishing: moon, weather conditions, atmospheric pressure, sunrise / sunset. sun, tides, swell etc .