SEA ANGLER
UK &IRELAND SPECIALIST SPECIES HUNTING
With its frilled tentacles the tompot is distinctive and an easy member of the blenny family to identify and tick off your 2024 species tally
Among the plethora of similar mini species the tompot blenny is an easy species to identify with a punk-like quiff of a man bun sitting proudly atop its head. It is also one of the easiest to target. Tompot blenny, Parablennius gattorugine, is a species of what are known as ‘combtooth’ blenny from the north eastern Atlantic Ocean.
They are usually found in shallow, coastal waters off western Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Tompot blenny are widespread around the British Isles, where the current record was caught at Torbay, Devon weighing 162g (5.7oz).
Tompots are invariably found over rough or broken, or heavily weeded ground, including deeper rock pools within the intertidal zone. Many of the tompots I have caught and witnessed have been hooked when fishing over inshore wrecks, often structures consisting of little more than a few rusted plates and ribs. They are frequently encountered when fishing piers and harbour breakwaters.
TACTICS
Tompot blenny are a relatively easy species to target. Fish appropriate tackle and baits over suitable ground and your chances of success will be high. As is always the case when targeting mini-species, you have to scale down and fish rigs with appropriate sized hooks, which in this case means size 8 and smaller. Two or three hook paternoster rigs are ideal, many anglers use Sabiki style rigs they have baited. Considering the rough nature of the ground you will be fishing over, short hook snoods are preferable as they are far less likely to get snagged amidst structure or weed.
Another useful tip is to fish rigs which have the weight at the bottom. These can be slowly lowered down until you feel the lead tap bottom, then held in place to avoid getting snagged between rocks or structure. Some of the more se
