Saltwater
Difficulty 2/10
How to use the Clubnest Species Guide
The Clubnest Species Guide brings together clear, practical information on the fish your anglers are most likely to encounter – from classic UK coarse fish and game species through to popular saltwater targets. Each profile links to junior–friendly information on where a species lives, how hard it is to catch, the best tactics to use, and any connected fish health advice from your health issues library.
Coaches, bailiffs and club officers can use this guide on the bank, during junior coaching sessions, or embedded into your public Clubnest website and mobile app. For new anglers and parents, it’s a welcoming, visual way to learn “what lives in our waters” and what good fish care looks like.
Tip: Use the search box, species-type filters and A–Z quick jump together to quickly find coarse, game or saltwater species profiles during coaching or club meetings.
Popular species in this guide
A quick snapshot of species that appear frequently in coaching sessions, matches and club content. Use it as a handy “go-to” list when planning sessions for juniors or beginners.
A–Z quick jump
Showing
6
species
· starting with “D”
Freshwater / Coarse
Difficulty 3/10
Dace
Leuciscus leuciscus
Rivers and streams with steady to fast flow, especially glides and shallows.
Saltwater
Difficulty 4/10
Dogfish (Greater-spotted)
Scyliorhinus stellaris
Rough ground, reefs and kelp beds offshore and inshore.
Saltwater
Difficulty 3/10
Dogfish (Lesser-spotted)
Scyliorhinus canicula
Clean to mixed sand and gravel beaches, inshore banks and boat marks.
Saltwater
Difficulty 4/10
Saltwater
Difficulty 1/10
Help juniors catch their first fish
Use the Species Guide alongside your coaching sessions to show juniors what they’re fishing for, where those fish live, and the simple rigs and baits that work best. When young anglers can put a name and picture to the fish they are targeting, their confidence and curiosity grow much faster.
You can also turn species profiles into mini–lessons on habitat, handling and fish welfare, helping children understand why careful unhooking, correct use of landing nets and unhooking mats, and good release practice all matter for the long–term health of your venue.
Put this Species Guide to work in your club
Clubnest gives you a modern platform for running your angling club or fishery – from memberships, permits and ticketing to junior coaching, matches and venue information. The Species Guide plugs straight into that ecosystem, so fish profiles, health advice and coaching content are all in one place.
Many clubs now use Clubnest to replace paper membership books, manual spreadsheets and scattered social media posts. Having a structured, centralised species guide is a big part of that: it keeps information consistent across your website, app and internal coaching materials.
Species Guide FAQ
Many clubs use the Species Guide as a visual aid during junior coaching sessions, open days and
taster events. It helps anglers understand what lives in each venue, what sizes are realistic,
and which methods are appropriate for different species. Committee members and bailiffs can
also use it when answering questions from parents or new members about stocking, fish welfare
and venue potential.
Yes. While Clubnest provides a strong starting library of species, clubs and fisheries can edit
descriptions, add venue–specific tips, upload local photos and link relevant health issues.
Over time this builds a “house style” species guide that reflects your waters, your coaching
methods and the types of anglers you attract.
The difficulty rating is a simple 1–10 indicator of how challenging a species is for a typical
junior or new angler to catch. Coaches can use it to plan realistic targets, mixing “confidence
species” like roach or small carp with occasional harder challenges so young anglers stay
motivated and see clear progress.
Each species can be linked to one or more fish health issues in your Clubnest health library.
When a coach, bailiff or junior looks at a species profile, any relevant health conditions
and Environment Agency–style guidance appear alongside the normal fishing information. This
keeps fish welfare and biosecurity visible without taking away from the fun parts of fishing.