Sand Smelt species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (2/10)

Sand Smelt junior fishing guide

Atherina presbyter

A clear, plain-English guide to sand smelt 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 Sand Smelt catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (2/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

10–15 cm; small shoal fish.

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

🐟

Beginner baits

Artificial sandeel, Feathers / sabiki, Mackerel strip …

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

Typical venues: Harbours, piers and estuary mouths
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first sand smelt with confidence

Catch your first Sand Smelt in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Fish calm harbours and estuary walls

    Sand Smelt shoal just under the surface around piers and harbour walls. Choose railings and low walls where juniors can see the fish clearly.

  2. Step 2

    Tiny hooks and slivers of bait

    Use very small hooks on light rigs with tiny bits of ragworm or fish strip. Cast or drop just a few metres out and watch for fast bites.

  3. Step 3

    Short, action-packed sessions

    Smelt fishing is ideal for brief, busy sessions. Keep handling minimal and return fish gently with a drop net or by swinging them back on light gear.

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: Fish right by the rocks, keep tackle light and focus on handling fish carefully with wet hands.

IDEAL

Rod: 5–8 ft ultra-light lure rod (0.5–7 g or 1–10 g).

Reel: 1000–2000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 4–6 lb braid with 4–6 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Size 8–14 hooks"
  • "Split-shot or tiny jigheads"
  • "Simple float rig for close-in fishing"]

Extras

  • ["Polaroids"
  • "Small rockpool net and bucket"
  • "Unhooking mat / kneeling pad"]

Very light LRF / mini-species setup for rockpools, harbours and close-in marks.

Ultra-Light Lure Rod

Beginner tip: Fish right by the rocks, keep tackle light and focus on handling fish carefully with wet hands.

IDEAL

Rod: 5–8 ft ultra-light lure rod (0.5–7 g or 1–10 g).

Reel: 1000–2000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 4–6 lb braid with 4–6 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Size 8–14 hooks"
  • "Split-shot or tiny jigheads"
  • "Simple float rig for close-in fishing"]

Extras

  • ["Polaroids"
  • "Small rockpool net and bucket"
  • "Unhooking mat / kneeling pad"]

Very light LRF / mini-species setup for rockpools, harbours and close-in marks.

About the Sand Smelt

Sand Smelt are slim, silvery fish that shoal just under the surface in harbours and estuaries. They often gather around structure and are great fun on very light tackle.

Junior tip

Use tiny hooks and small pieces of ragworm or fish. They are perfect for short taster sessions where the aim is simply to get the float going under and build confidence.

Logged a Sand Smelt 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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