Rays and sharks · Beach and boat
Thornback ray
Silloth, Rossall and North Wales on the flood in spring. Rare on the north-east coast.
- Know it
- Kite-shaped and brown with pale spots. Thorny 'buckler' spines on the back and tail.
- Bait
- Sandeel, mackerel, herring and bluey, squid, crab
- Table
- Excellent eating Eat the wings. Skin them, and cook within a day or two; a smell of ammonia means it's past it. Many anglers return big females, which carry eggs.
Season
Typical months on the North West and North East coasts, with this month ringed. Seasons shift a few weeks with water temperature and run differently around the coast: see each region's headline fish below.
Legal minimum size
Thornback ray
Last checked 18 October 2026Measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail (rays: wing tip to wing tip). Each region links to its regulator.
| Area | Minimum |
|---|---|
| North West England | 45cm wingspan |
| North Wales | No legal minimum |
| Yorkshire to the Tyne | No legal minimum |
| Northumberland | No legal minimum |
| Pembrokeshire, Gower and South Wales | 45cm |
| Kent, the Thames and Essex | Check locally |
In NW England, rays are measured wing tip to wing tip.
No size for this fish is listed in the regional rules we checked for Cardigan Bay and the Llyn, Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. That may mean none is set, or that the national rules apply: check locally.
and 9 other regionsRules change, usually each spring. Check the regulator for the area before you keep a fish.
A headline fish in
April to October
Cardigan Bay and the Llyn
Llanrhystud and Tywyn after dark. Sandeel or squid wraps on a pennel pulley rig, best in coloured water with an onshore breeze.
April to October
Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon
Common on the English side in August and September. Squid tipped with black lug, cast short of the next reef.
March to October
Dorset, Hampshire and the Solent
Solent marks and Seatown after a blow. Sandeel or mackerel on a long trace behind the lead.
April to October
Suffolk, Norfolk and the Wash
Shingle Street, Felixstowe and Landguard. Sandeel, sardine or mackerel on a pennel, fished long over high.
April to October
Ayrshire, Galloway and the Scottish Solway
Balcary and Luce Bay on a building flood. Bluey or squid bound tight on a short pulley with a rotten bottom.
Where to catch it
Regions with marks where thornback ray is one of the main fish, and how many marks.
How to cook it
Eat the wings. Skin them, and cook within a day or two; a smell of ammonia means it's past it. Many anglers return big females, which carry eggs. Simple ways to cook it at home. More on bleeding, gutting, filleting and freezing in From sea to plate.
Method 1
Pan-fried wing
Skin the wings, dust in seasoned flour and fry in butter for 3 to 5 minutes a side, depending on thickness, until the flesh comes away from the cartilage in strands.
Method 2
Wing with capers
Poach skinned wings gently in salted water with a splash of vinegar for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with butter browned in a pan with capers and lemon.