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Fish guide

Scad

Trachurus trachurus · Mackerel, garfish and shoal fish

Also called horse mackerel

Scad
Photo: tracks73, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What fish is this?Identify a fish from a photo

Also called horse mackerel, a silvery shoaling fish of open water that UK anglers catch on small baits and feathers, often among mackerel.[1]

How to recognise it

  • Row of large bony scales (scutes) along the lateral line, which mackerel lack.[1]
  • A distinct black spot on the gill cover.[2]
  • Blue-grey to greenish back, silver sides and white belly; two dorsal fins close together, the front one spiny.[1]

When and where

Found over
open water, sand[2]
Baits
small fish baits, ragworm, squid strip, feathers, small lures[1]

Sources

  1. Planet Sea Fishing: Scad
  2. FishBase: Trachurus trachurus

These notes are a draft: we gathered them from the sources above and are still checking them. We don't work out best times for this fish yet. The size rules come from the same checked byelaws as every other fish.

Size and bag limit

Minimum size
Sizes vary along the coast. Pick your spot to see the rule there.
Bag limit
None set for the whole UK.
Minimum sizes around the UK
AreaMinimum size
Kent & Essex IFCA15 cm
Sussex IFCA15 cm
Southern IFCA15 cm
Devon & Severn IFCANone
Cornwall IFCANone
Isles of Scilly IFCANot checked yet
North Western IFCA15 cm
North Eastern IFCANot checked yet
Northumberland IFCANot checked yet
Eastern IFCA15 cm
Welsh GovernmentNot checked yet
Scottish GovernmentNot checked yet
DAERA (Northern Ireland)Not checked yet