BATTLE WITH BULL HUSS
Where, when and how to target double-figure fighters
There can’t be many anglers who have not caught a dogfish. To say this humble, speckled rough-skinned swimmer is common is the understatement of the century, but as darkness falls they can be positively leaping on to a baited hook.
The lesser spotted dogfish only grows to a few pounds in weight, but just imagine how menacing this fish would look if it did reach double figures?
Well, actually it does. Okay, so maybe not the lesser-spotted variety of the species, but the greater spotted, or bull huss as it is known by UK anglers, can, in some areas, reach more than 20lb in weight.
A fish of this size would be truly exceptional, but fish into double figures are commonplace across many west and south-west facing coasts. West Wales, Devon and Cornwall all see their share of these peculiar-looking sharks, and with a few pointers in the right direction, they are not too difficult to catch.
The bull huss, or huss for short, is predominantly found over very rough seabeds, but has a particular fondness for kelp. Find a reasonable depth of water and beds of this thick, ribbon-like weed in the south west of England and, chances are, it will be home to some huss. If there are fish in situ, they will be present throughout the year, but the largest fish, the female of the species,
will move inshore during the spring to drop their egg purses. Fish landed in this condition should be released unharmed to the water to go about their business and ensure there are huss to be caught in years to come.
ROUGH AND READY
A settled sea may make for pleasant angling but, unfortunately, this is not a prime time to seek out these oversized dogfish, especially during the hours of daylight. For whatever reason, huss feed far more readily after a good onshore blow, or when a moderate swell has developed. This, of course, makes for challenging and possibly dangerous conditions for the angler.
A few simple rules will keep you safe. The first consideration has to be whether or not the sea is too big to tackle at all. Even if you are tucked out of the wind, a big groundswell can come from nowhere and, at the very least, give you a good soaking, even if you were previously set up on what appeared to be a dry vantage point. The fishing can be equally as good as the sea begins to settle again, so if in doubt, don’t go out.
Secondly, always fish with a friend when tackling any exposed marks, especially after dark when sport can be hectic. Set up well above the water and never, under any circumstances, turn your back on the sea.
Consider where and how you will land your fish if you get lucky enough to bag a big one, and actually whether it is safe to do so.
A long-handled landing net will mean that you don’t have to get quite so close to the water; many anglers I know have fashioned a boatstyle landing net by attaching old rod butts with gaffer tape to increase its length. It may look unsightly, but it will do the job. Better still, get friendly with a metal worker who may be able to construct an extra-long aluminium handle.
Boots with studs and clothing with reflective strips are just two other minor safety points worth thinking about, but safety really shouldn’t be overlooked and you will have a far more enjoyable session knowing that you have taken all the necessary precautions.
“Use a 6oz wired lead weight, which will stay where it is cast rather than roll into a snag”
PUTTING TACKLE TO THE TEST
When it comes to tackle, the nature of the ground you will be fishing over means that there is no room for error. Losing end tackle is part and parcel of this style of fishing, so rigs should be kept as simple as possible.
Pulley rigs, or even the running leger are perfect, and should be tied with heavy monofilament; 100lb is about right and will display superior abrasion resistance when it is continuously scuffed over the rocks. Standard 60-80lb rig bodies can break like cotton over this kind of terrain, so everything needs to be stepped up to give you a fighting chance. Rotten bottoms (weak links to the lead weight) are also essential and could mean the difference between a lost fish, rig and shockleader, or simply losing an old sinker.
Many anglers have turned to using a single wide-gape hook in a bid to keep losses down; the favoured big-fish Pennell set-up only doubles your chances of finding the bottom. A single size 6/0 hook is my preferred choice and will hold a variety of bait choices. Use a 6oz wired lead weight, which will stay where it is cast rather than roll into a snag, especially when the tide is running hard.
You’ve probably guessed by now that there is little finesse involved with this approach, and everything is bigger, heavier and more robust than you may normally use.
Rods and reels are another area where big is better, and a standard clean ground beach rod will have little say in trying to extract a huss form its kelpy lair. A soft rod will fold, so choose something with plenty of backbone to
enable you get a hooked fish up and away from the seabed. Don’t worry if you can’t cast it particularly well, it is rare to need to fish much more than 60 yards on most huss marks, and this really is one of those occasions when longrange casting is not only unnecessary, but also might contribute further to heavy gear loss.
It goes without saying that a reel of equal strength should complement the set-up. I have always been a fan of Daiwa multipliers, and recently I have tried the new Saltiga models; loaded with 25lb line, it doesn’t get much better than this when it comes to torque and winching power.
Huss bites can often be delicate pulls on the tip that are easily mistaken for dogfish, but I always like to give my fish a little time to take the bait. Huss are notoriously difficult to hook, and just recently I lost a good fish at the net when it decided to reject its meal; a regular trick that will see many fish lost in the final stages of battle.
Giving it some time to find the hookpoint, and making a positive strike only after tightening the line, are key points in setting the hook, but even then you will still lose some fish. It is not unusual for hooked fish to back into the kelp even before you pile on the pressure, and chances are that you will be met with seemingly solid resistance. Apply firm, steady pressure with that powerful rod, and hold it there for 20 seconds. More often than not this will apply enough force to gradually extract the fish from the seabed, and you can begin to confidently, yet cautiously, coax it to the waiting net. A bad leader knot will be exposed under these circumstances, so double check it if in doubt.
BAIT OF CHOICE
Huss baits vary from region to region, but fresh small fish that inhabit huss territory are undoubtedly the way to go, especially for bigger fish. I will often set up a second rod armed with three small fine-wire hooks and baited with pieces of mackerel to catch small rocking that seem to have the edge for catching huss on the coast of North Devon. If the small fish are not forthcoming to the bait rod, then blast frozen launce and mackerel are an effective substitute that will still catch their fair share of big dogfish.
Squid, cuttlefish and whiting can also make highly efficient baits.
As a final footnote, there are other species that inhabit the marks that are likely to hold huss, namely congers, spurdogs and possibly even tope. All of these predators are armed with teeth, so the use of a wire trace should be considered and will certainly not deter a hungry huss from picking up a bait.