Turbot

A big, almost round flatfish with both eyes on the left side. The eyed side is sandy brown with darker and lighter speckles and has no scales but small bony knobs (tubercles) scattered over it. The blind side is white.

3–10 lb.

About 3 ft and over 50 lb.

Sand eels, sprats, whiting and other small fish, plus squid and crustaceans.

Buries in sand and gravel and ambushes passing fish; holds on banks, in sand waves and at the edges of reefs where the current sweeps food past.

Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries), Northern & Central Europe, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Black Sea & Caspian, Italy & Malta, Greece & the Adriatic and Turkey, Cyprus & the Eastern Mediterranean. Sand, gravel and shell banks from Norway and Iceland's south coast to Morocco, the Mediterranean (rare) and the Black Sea, where a big population lives.

Sand, gravel and shell banks from Norway and Iceland's south coast to Morocco, the Mediterranean (rare) and the Black Sea, where a big population lives.

20–250 ft.

On the bottom.

Summer and early fall on the UK and Irish offshore banks; spring in the Black Sea (closed in some countries during spawning).

Daylight on moving tide.

The run of the tide across the banks; slack water slows the bite.

Calm days so you can drift banks offshore safely.

A long, fresh strip of mackerel, whole sand eel or a launce.

Soft sand eel imitations and spoons bounced on the bottom.

Light 12–20 lb class boat rod with a small multiplier reel.

2/0–4/0 fine wire hooks on a long flowing trace.

20–30 lb braid.

6–10 ft of 25–30 lb mono.

Drift sandbanks with a long trace and a strip of mackerel bumping the bottom; when you feel a bite, give the fish a few seconds before you lift.

Turbot like the down-tide slope of a sandbank, where the current drops food. Work that slope again and again.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

One of the finest fish in Europe: thick, firm, white fillets. Roast it whole, poach it or grill steaks with butter.

Not dangerous; the bony knobs can scrape. Lift big ones with a net.

Minimum sizes apply in most countries (around 30 cm in many EU waters, higher in some UK areas). In the Black Sea, turbot are under quotas and spawning closures. Every country sets its own rules: sea fishing licenses or registration in some countries, a national or regional license plus a local permit for fresh water, and minimum sizes everywhere. Check before you fish.

Keep only what you need; wild turbot grow slowly.