Thornback Ray Fishing, Sandwich Bay

The One That Got A Ray

Sandwich Bay, Kent, UK

Magnificent View

My quest to catch my first ever Thornback Ray has been proving quite a difficult task, just this year alone I've had 5 sessions over two venues, twice at Sandwich Bay and 3 times at Herne Bay, I had fished day and night sessions without any luck hooking the odd Whiting here and there, except one session where I cuaght lots of Dogfish, so what had I been doing wrong? I'd mostly been using fresh Herring as bait, but reports were saying Bluey was catching better, I'd not found any Blueys untill now, but looking through a Pike bait pack in my freezer I realised that there was 4 halves of a bluey mixed in with some Sprats, Mackerel and Sardines, so now I had some bait, I also went from using size 4/0 pennel rig to a single 3/0 hook,to give better presentation.Was it the weather? I could not believe my luck as the weekend coming was my only weekend off in the month, allowing me to night fish and pick the tides, which was a perfectly timed rising spring tide, with high tide at 1.45am, a full moon and to top it off the weather was sunny with no wind meaning flat warm sea. This is as ideal for Thornback Ray fishing as it gets, So with all the signs there, I headed off to Sandwich Bay with sheer determination to catch my target species, I arrived at 10pm with the intention to fish till 3am.

Herne BayView From Bivvy

As I said before my plans don't always go right, in my hurry to go fishing, I had failed to notice that my scale batteries were flat and totally forgot to bring the camcorder, checking my phone I had 12% battery, maybe just enough for a few photos and a small video if I was lucky. But I didn't let this get me down because if ever there was a omen that I would catch a Ray then surly this was it. I fished 2x Greys 12' 6" TSX Centaur rod with a Shimano Ultegra XS-C 10000's loaded with 18lb mono, and my rigs were up and overs, with long 30lb snods with a single size 3/0 hook, I immediately baited them both up with chunk of Bluey put one to the horizon and the other at about 60meters, it wasn't long before both rods had registered attention, but the little rattling bites resulted in Whiting, the next few hours produced Dogfish and due to the tide starting to push through harder they were able to pull my 6oz breakaway lead free giving me a slack liner bite, and lot of excitement as each time I though this is a Thornback Ray, but not to be.

Where Are These Thorns

The tide was reaching high water and had started to ease off by now, still wondering and hoping that a Ray would be out there with my name on it. Then I noticed a boat coming along the coastline towards me, it was very close to the shore, but luckily went over both my lines, it then turned and headed directly at the beach 20 meters downtide of me, upon hitting the beach a large buoy was thrown over board, and the boat turned 160 degrees and powered away back out to sea. "Insert Censored Swear Words Here" I grabbed my first rod and reeled it in as fast as I could and saved the rig, but the buoy which was attached to a fishing net had now passed me at a range of 15meters and my second rod didn't have a chance. Totally dejected at the sheer disregard the boat had for me fishing, considering they could have warned me as they were well within shouting distance, but more annoyingly, I just had a long drift net floating across the whole bay in front of me, were there going to be any fish left for me to catch?.

My First Ever Thornback Ray

By now I was very despondent, having fished 4 hours and not caught a Ray, and now knowing a large drift net had just combed the sea in front of me, I couldn't even be bothered setting the second rod up, but I did manage to rebait and cast out my remaining rod. My attention soon turned to hunger, as in my hurry to go fishing I had not eaten dinner, but at least something went to plan, I was well prepared with kebabs and sausages which I started to cook on a little disposable BBQ, which whilst cooking gave me time to ponder at the beautiful stars in the clear night and the large red full moon rising above the horizon, well the fishing's gone wrong, but a BBQ on a beach on a night like this, drinking Jack Daniel's and Coke with my Mrs makes up for it for sure. I had just managed to turn my sausages a few times and I noticed a firm gentle pull on the rod tip, I look at the rod with little enthusiasm, I soon turned my attention back to the BBQ, but again a firm gentle pull followed by the rod tip snapping back to to a straight position, another slack liner, as I watched the line, it then got tighter putting a curve back into the rod which got bigger and bigger until the drag set in and started clicking releasing line, could it be?

A Pretty End To A Thorny Tail

I picked up the rod and gave the drag a quarter turn to tighten, and gently lifted the rod whist reeling in to take the strain, I felt a single thump vibrate down the rod, I was on and definitely a big fish! I reset my drag on the careful side, so as not to snap off, or pull the hook, and preceded to play the fish, this was clearly the biggest fight I had experienced sea fish in the UK, but the calm flat sea, and the fact it was dead on high tide with little tide meant that I could feel almost everything and a sheer pleasure to experience, it wasn't long before the torches picked out the nose of a Thornback Ray sticking out the water and then gliding on to the beach. Yes at last!!! I couldn't believe it,  the excitement set in, causing me to run around like a headless chicken looking for forceps and a cloth. It wasn't until I returned to the fish and pulled it a bit further up the beach I realised that this was quite a beast, and a angry one at that, it's tail covered in spiky thorns was trashing about violently and almost reaching its nose. But after some careful examination to see where I could get a hold of it without get spiked I turned the fish upside down which instantly calmed the fish down, with the mouth now exposed, I used long forceps to easily unhook the fish which was perfectly hooked. After a few, well lots of photos, I realised that this fish weighed a lot because I really struggled to hold the fish out away from my body to avoid any contact with the fishes thorns, I released the fish back into the lapping surf where it disappeared back out into the sea. I couldn't believe it, I was now over the moon! I had finally nailed my my first Ray even though my dinner was now a black smouldering mass surrounded by charcoal, I couldn't of cared less.

Dinner On A Perfect Night

I am gutted I didn't have working scales with me, not only had I caught my first Ray, I had done it in style with a large specimen, I have an idea about how much it approximately weighed as an experienced angler, and a fish lenght to weight convertor confirmed my guess to within 2lb. I'm very sure this is my first double figure fish from The UK shore, but the truth is the fish's weight will only ever be speculation, and I'm sure I would be extremely lucky to catch another of this size. I have the photo to remind me and the memory that I will never forget, the ups and downs and the effort over the years all came good in the end. As I said before with fishing, one fish can make a difference and whilst you got a line in the water anything can happen. I can now happily close the book on Thornback Rays and concentrate on other species, well at least till next time anyway.