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With the
right tackle and knowledge, you too can catch this gold-headed Prize!
In Brittany, while others around you are
going crazy trying to locate and catch the ever popular sea bass,
there is a lesser-known treasure lurking in the same waters which is
prized, not only for its quality on the table, but for it blistering
runs and 'Hell Boy' fighting ability. This beast is known locally as
the Dorade Royale (Royal Sea bream). To English speakers it is
known as the Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).
So how do you know if you have indeed
caught the 'golden one'? As shown by the specimen bream above, look
for a thick irregular ribbon of gold which is located between and
behind the eyes near the top of the gill cover (operculum). Normally,
these fish will also have a splash of black on the top of the gill
cover along with some bright orange on the fringes of the gill plate
below. If you look inside its formidable jaws you will also see loads
of irregularly-sized 'cobbles' (pavement-like teeth) which informs
the angler that it can handle most if not all hard-bodied naturals
you can throw at this stunner of a sea bream species.
Move aside black
and red sea bream and make
way for Royalty!
Sam's friend,Vincent, with
one of many
giltheads to his name
Surfcasting equipment with long rods
and suitable (spinning or multiplier) reels packed with good abrasion
resistant monofilament are by far the best way to tackle up for these
fish. Vincent (pictured above) normally digs his bait on sandy
beaches near his fishing marks an hour or so before low tide. He then
starts fishing at low tide for around three hours (depending on tidal
flow) to allow for a safe return to the higher ground. He also
recommends fishing the large spring tide to ensure that the
gilthead angler has access to places where these fish are not
normally pursued.
Leave and fish again another day!
When fishing rocky points or sand bars far from the main shore,
please make sure that you plan a good route back to safe higher
ground before arriving at your mark because the water may fill the
swim quite quickly. Arrive at your mark before low tide and map out
how far the water has receded, then determine via landmarks how much
was can return before you must leave. If you are a weak swimmer or
cannot swim, I recommend that you wear a tubular life vest (as worn
by loch-style trout anglers) which can inflate automatically or
manually via a lanyard located on the vest. With strong Breton tides
it is always best to be safe to fish again another day.
Vincent sporting a great
brace of Breton
bream!
Good Gilthead
sea bream baits are best
dug up or caught fresh on the day. Vincent's favourite offerings
include: large lug and rag worms, razor and soft-shell
clams. Don't forget to try crabs and prawns too as
the mouth of the gilthead is constructed to take on any armoured
prey. Place your baits on sharp robust hooks as the mouth of a
gilthead will snap through thinner hooks like tooth picks with its
gob full of pavement, not unlike the cobbles in the above picture.
Once you cast out to a promising site do remember to put some slack
back into the line by gently pulling it off of the reel as these fish
are sensitive feeders. Any real resistance will send them barrelling
for deeper water. Vincent goes a bit further by loosening the drag so
when the fish hits the bait, it will not feel any resistance, thereby
allowing him to stealthily tighten his drag before the hook-set--a
very exciting way to deal with this rock-crushing finned-missile. Watch
this space for more details coming soon.
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