Garfish species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (3/10)

Garfish junior fishing guide

Belone belone

A clear, plain-English guide to garfish for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Garfish catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (3/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

1–3 lb common.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

Garfish

Beginner baits

Artificial sandeel, Feathers / sabiki, Mackerel strip …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Headlands, piers and harbour mouths in clear
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first garfish with confidence

Catch your first Garfish in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Fish clear water

    Garfish hunt high in the water around piers, headlands and harbour mouths in bright, clear conditions.

  2. Step 2

    Use small float rigs

    Present thin strips of mackerel or sandeel under a small float. Keep the bait near the surface.

  3. Step 3

    Strike gently

    They have bony beaks—strike lightly and play them steadily.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Spinning Rod

Beginner tip: Perfect for mackerel and mullet sessions. Let the lure sink for a few seconds, then retrieve steadily. Always fish with an adult from piers and rocks and never stand too close to the edge.

IDEAL

Rod: 8–9 ft spinning rod rated 10–30 g.

Reel: 3000–4000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 8–12 lb mono or 15–20 lb braid with 10–12 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Small metal lures or spinners"
  • "Feather / sabiki rigs for shoals"
  • "Slim float rig with size 4–8 hook and a small strip of fish or sandeel"]

Extras

  • ["Polarised glasses"
  • "Long-handled landing net"
  • "Barbless or de-barbed hooks"
  • "Fish-safe unhooking mat or wet towel for piers"]

Light spinning or float setup for midwater and surface-feeding sea fish.

About the Garfish

Garfish are long, beak-mouthed surface predators with green bones. They leap and spin when hooked and are great fun on light tackle.

Junior tip

Float-fish strips of mackerel or sandeel near the surface from safe piers and headlands. Be ready for spectacular jumps when a gar is hooked.

Logged a Garfish recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

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