CUCKOO WRASSE
They may not grow large, but their spectacular colours make these fish a welcome catch
ANATIVE to the north-eastern Atlantic, the colourful cuckoo wrasse is found from Norway to Senegal, including Madeira and The Azores. In some areas where this species is caught, it is an important food fish for local populations.
SPECIES
The name cuckoo wrasse (Labrus mixtus) comes from Cornish fishermen who associated the fish’s vivid blue markings with bluebell flowers. In the Cornish language, a bluebell is bleujenn an gog, the cuckoo flower.
The male cuckoo wrasse normally has a blue head with a blue body and orange pattern and blue tail.
During the breeding season, the body coloration gradually changes to an orange head and body with a blue pattern that may be more pronounced at the head.
Female cuckoo wrasse have an orange head, body and tail, with a black stripe on the dorsal fin broken up by a number of white spots. Small female cuckoo wrasse are occasionally mistaken as being specimensize goldsinny wrasse.
The females have the ability to change sex when no males are present in the area.
The average size of cuckoo wrasse caught around the British Isles is about 1lb.
The current British boat-caught record stands at a weight of 2lb 7oz 12dr, and it was caught in 1998 off Dungeness, Kent.
WHERE AND WHEN
Cuckoo wrasse can be found at depths ranging from two metres to 200m, but more typically from 40-80m. Like most species of wrasse, they favour rough ground and are mostly caught over reefs.
Where suitable conditions exist, they are found the length and breadth of the British Isles. Cuckoo wrasse are rarely targeted afloat by anglers unless they are interested in species hunting, but they are frequently caught when targeting other fish. Be aware that cuckoo wrasse suffer badly from the effects of barotrauma.
The best areas to target them are throughout Devon and Cornwall, West Wales, Scotland, the rockier sections of the North East and the Channel Islands. The south and west coasts of Ireland also have excellent cuckoo wrasse fishing.
This species can be caught year-round, but spring through until the autumn invariably provides the best fishing.
TACKLE
The ideal outfit to target cuckoo wrasse is a medium boat rod, though where conditions allow, the use of lighter tackle would offer more sport.
RIG
Simple rigs are recommended because you are almost certainly going to lose terminal tackle to snags. A set of baited feathers or their modern equivalents will catch plenty of cuckoo wrasse, and most are taken as a by-catch by anglers using such rigs for other species.
If you prefer to tie more purposeful rigs, then a straight-forward one or two-hook paternoster featuring short snoods of about 6in to 8in of 30-50lb monofilament terminating in strong, short-shank hooks of size 4-1, such as the stainless steel Sakuma 410, are perfect.
BAIT
Cuckoo wrasse can be caught on a wide selection of baits. Crab is very effective, especially a piece of peeler. Worm baits such as ragworms and lugworms will catch plenty of fish, as will prawns, shellfish, fish and squid.
METHOD
The general method used when fishing for cuckoo wrasse is to fish on the drift, ensuring your bait covers more ground. It is important to ensure your bait is fishing very near to the seabed, where cuckoo wrasse live and feed.
Lower your rig slowly down until you feel the lead weight tap the seabed, then reel in a foot or two of line to raise it slightly above the rocks or weed. Keep holding the rod and keep confirming your baits are working in the optimum strike zone, which is within 2-6ft off the bottom.
At the first indication of a bite, start to raise the rod tip very slowly, and at this point the fish will invariably grab the bait before immediately turning and diving for cover.
As soon as you set the hook, start lifting the rod, simultaneously recovering as much line as you can in an attempt at turning the fish away from the bottom, forcing it into open water. ■