Smelt
Osmerus eperlanus · Mackerel, garfish and shoal fish
Also called sparling
A slim, silvery fish of estuaries and shallow coastal water, found in isolated spots around the UK. Anglers mostly meet it by accident on mackerel feathers.[1]
How to recognise it
- Slim silver body with a triangular dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail.[1]
- Green to dark grey back with silvery flanks, sometimes with a pinkish tinge; fins can look see-through.[1]
- A fresh fish smells of cucumber.[1]
- The dorsal fin starts behind the base of the pelvic fins, and the lower jaw sticks out slightly.[2]
When and where
Sources
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.