A tope fishing trip from Brighton: what happens on the day

By the Kestrel Warrior team · 10 November 2026 · Big fish

What is a tope?

Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) is a small to medium shark, also called the school shark. It has teeth and a slim body built for speed, and fish up to about 6 feet from nose to tail are possible. Sussex has some very good tope grounds, and summer is the time for them. Our skipper, Captain Ant, has a special interest in catching tope and, more importantly, returning them in good health.

Tope are not the only shark you may meet. Smoothhound are caught on the same trips, and both are returned after a quick photograph. For the wider picture of which sharks really live off this coast, read our guide to the sharks found off Brighton.

How does a 10-hour shark trip start?

With bait. A tope day on Kestrel Warrior has two stops. First we go out and catch fresh live baits: mackerel, herring and scad. Tope feed almost entirely on live prey and can sense a fish in distress from a long way off, so fresh, lively bait matters more than anything else on the day.

Once there are enough baits on board we head for the tope grounds, offshore where the water is deeper and clearer. If the summer mackerel are in, this first stop can be the busiest part of the morning: see when the mackerel shoals arrive for how that part works.

Where do tope feed off Sussex?

Tope like cooler, cleaner water, generally in depths of over 100 feet, and they patrol routes close to structure such as wrecks, deep gullies and holes. Off Newhaven there are deep-water gully marks that act like highways for these sharks. We have even caught them over reefs.

Finding them from month to month is where the electronics earn their keep. The boat carries detailed mapping and sonar, and the skipper picks the marks on the day to suit the tide and the weather.

What rig and bait are used for tope?

The skipper's favourite set-up is a running ledger rig with a big lead to hold the bait in one spot. Above the hook is a 4 ft rubbing leader spliced to a 3 ft wire hook length, finished with a size 9/0 barbless circle hook. The bait is a live joey mackerel hooked behind the head.

There is a reason for that. Tope tend to hit a fish from the side, and a circle hook with the bait mounted this way gives a much better chance of hooking the shark in the scissors, the corner of the jaw, instead of deep in the throat. That makes unhooking quicker and release safer. Fishing tackle is included on the shark trip, so you do not need to bring any.

Are tope released, and what does the law say?

Every tope we catch goes back. You will be shown how to handle the fish for its care and your safety, and the photograph is taken quickly so the shark spends as little time out of the water as possible.

It is also the law. Under the Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008, fishing for tope by any method other than rod and line is prohibited, and no person may land in England tope caught by rod and line. Regulations change, so check the current position before you fish, but on our boat the answer is simple: tope are returned.

What should you expect on the day?

A long day and, with luck, a big fight. The trip is 10 hours and, at the skipper's discretion, you can stay longer at no extra cost. It takes up to 6 anglers, which leaves room for everyone to play a fish without crossing lines. Captain Ant's own June tope report from Newhaven describes a day that included a 50 lb school shark.

Offshore trips need settled weather, so the skipper makes the call and offers another date if it is unsafe. Wear layers, bring food and drink, and if you are new to boats read our step-by-step guide for first-time anglers. You can book or ask questions on the Brighton shark fishing trip page, or compare it with the 10-hour wreck trip at anchor.

Fish in this article

• Tope Galeorhinus galeus

= caught off the Sussex coast. More species in our UK sea fish guide.

Sources and further reading

• The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008 (SI 2008/691): fishing for tope other than by rod and line prohibited; no person may land in England tope caught by rod and line: legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/691/made

Fancy a day on the water? See the Prices 2027, or get in touch and we will find the right trip for you.