Greater Spotted Dogfish/Scyliorhinus stellaris 

Average size-4-8lbs

British shore record-19lb 14oz

Commonly known as the bull huss, this fish is a member of shark family. It is identifiable by a series of small and large black spots, and unlike its smaller relation the lesser spotted dogfish, its nasal flaps are seperate and are not continuous with the upper lip, it also has bigger teeth! 

Bull huss tend to live in a good depth of water where the ground becomes rough, usually with some weed covering! Finding and fishing the deeper rockier venues will put you in with a chance with this species. With the nature of the ground they live in and the larger teeth they have, this means stronger fishing tackle will be needed. Rods that are capable of casting bigger baits and reels that are designed for rough ground, loaded with lines from 25lb - 40lb are the best choice! The end tackle needs carefull consideration as well, not just because of their sharp teeth, bull huss tend to live where conger are too, so traces ranging from 100lb-150lb are a good start...Hook size depends on baits used...strong patterns between 4/0-7/0 will work. Rigs to use....pulley and running ledgers will do the trick! Bull huss will take a wide range of baits, the most popular are.... squid, cuttle, launce, mackerel heads and various large cocktails! Night fishing for bull huss is more productive, and there is also a realistic chance of catching a double figure fish with this species, so well worth targeting! 

When handling bull huss beware of their teeth and sandpaper textured skin, its always a good idea to where long sleeves as they have a tendency to curl upwards when captured!