Chris Kennedy explains why he believes smoothhounds have now become the UK sea anglers’ premiere saltwater sportfish
What is it about chasing smoothhounds that has captivated the imagination of so many anglers around the UK? It’s almost like a fever takes hold of British sea anglers as the first fish start to land in mid spring, which lasts well into summer and sometimes beyond. Sea anglers are willing to travel many a mile and spend fortunes on fuel and bait for the chance of landing these streamlined sharks into double figures. Have smoothhounds become the UK’s number one sportfish?
In the past, cod and bass, depending on where you lived, were the prize fish for the table. But sea angling has changed quite a bit: more and more of you have turned to catch and release and not nearly taking as many fish for the table to eat. The focus has also largely switched to seeking exhilaration, the sensation of hard-fighting fish pulling line from your reel’s drag mechanism, and rod bending action. Many of you know about bass lure fishing and the way that feels on a 10-35g lure rod, as well as the experience of bream fishing on spinning rods; fishing like that really gets the blood pumping.
My question is, does any of that surpass hound fishing from the boat on a 6lb class rod, or fishing from the shore on a light beach caster or even a carp rod? I am not so sure. Smoothie fishing can be some of the most exciting that the UK has to offer, and this is one of the main reasons, in my opinion, that people get so addicted to it each year. You might argue that tope tops this, but it isn’t nearly so accessible for most anglers in terms of venues and the time expended for a take. When smoothhounds push through, you simply can’t keep two rods in the water; it is pure chaos, adrenaline-pumping, frantic activity in a way that you just don’t get with most other species, at least not in this day and age. Please do not underestimate them; they are a very hard fighting fish, you’ll be living every moment as they dart off on runs, as you play them safely into shore or up to the side of the boat.
RISE IN POPULARITY
There are many reasons why smoothie fishing has seen such a meteoric rise in popularity. The internet connects us all at the touch of a button, showing us venues we’ve never explored, near and far alike, furnishing us with intricate knowledge, such as tides, GPS locations of marks, up-to-date catch reports, information on tackling up, accessing the best baits to target species, and even video tutorials. The list goes on. We have been able to see the enormous joy smoothhound fishing has been bringing other anglers, and it’s inspired more and more of you every year to have a go for them. We can now drive a hundred miles and have great intel on the chances of catching our des
