Average Size – 4oz – 1lb

British Record – 2lb 9oz 8dr

Dabs are the smallest of the flatfish the angler is likely to encounter. As with most flatfish, dabs have a sandy brown colouration with the odd spot. Colour tends to vary with the type of ground a dab is living over. Dabs are most easily identified by running your finger along its flank from tail to head, the skin will be rough to the touch. Other flatfish such as flounder and plaice will feel smooth.

Dab are most often targeted during the winter months with November through to February considered to be the best times hunt down this tasty flatfish. They move offshore to spawn during February and March returning in the spring, from then on they can be caught but not in the same numbers as in the winter. As with most flatfish dabs favour clean ground where they can bury themselves whilst waiting to ambush a passing meal. They have a particular liking for areas with some run of tide where food is being washed along the tide run. The dab will lie in wait, out of the tide, for a meal to pass it’s way. In recent years in South Devon the dab has become a bit of a rarity and locating them can be difficult. The beaches of the South Hams are well known flatfish venues, especially Beesands Beach and are worth putting some hours in. Hope’s Nose in Torquay is also a famous dab fishing location, especially the ‘High Ground’ casting off the front towards Exmouth. Dabs will feed both day and night, daylight gives you the best chance of getting a result as the whiting, often prevalent in the winter, are less numerous during the daylight hours giving the dab a chance to find your bait. Dabs are one of the few fish where a bait which is less than fresh will out fish fresher offerings. Lugworms and particularly sticky black lugworms which have been left to go a bit off are great baits, as are Ragworm and it is always worth trying tipping your bait with a strip of squid or small cube of mackerel. Hooks should be kept small, between size 2 and 6, as dabs have small mouths. Multi hooks rigs, ideally clipped down/up to help get that bit of extra distance sometimes needed to reach the feeding dabs, are the best way to target them. If possible a plain lead should also be used to allow your rig to drift with the tide, covering ground and hopefully bringing your bait in range of a hungry flatfish. Dabs are a very tasty fish and should you be lucky enough to catch a fish that is sizeable you will have a good meal.