Several species of wrasse are found along British shores, including corkwing, cuckoo, goldsinney, rockcook and, of course, the mighty ballan. Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) are by far the biggest, and are found across the eastern Atlantic. They are one of the most beautiful and tropical-looking species in our waters and come in a range of colour morphs, from natural brown and greens to vivid yellows and reds. In the south-west wrasse can be caught all year round, but they are often more finicky in winter, and your tactics will have to be refined in order to catch. However, ballan wrasse are a fantastic species to target, as they are extremely hard fighting and have been caught to over 9lb from the UK shore. Their varied omnivorous diet means that they can be targeted using a wide variety of baits and methods. However, my personal favourite is with lures, and more specifically, soft plastics and Cheburashka weights.
LOCATION AND BIOLOGY
Ballan wrasse are most commonly found around rough ground, in and among kelp and rocks. Typically, ballan wrasse inhabit the sublittoral zone of the shoreline, which is the area never exposed even on the lowest spring tide. This area is often home to a much larger variety of plant life, and this extra cover makes it an ideal habitat for
