The garfish is a long, slim silver fish with a bluish-green back and a beak full of sharp teeth. Kestrel Warrior lists garfish among the fish caught on its mackerel trips, and they were back in good numbers at Worthing and Shoreham in late September 2025. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the garfish
The garfish is a long, slim silver fish with a bluish-green back and a beak full of sharp teeth. It grows to about 50 to 75 cm, so it can look more like a slender needle than a fish. It swims near the surface in coastal and open water, and when hooked it leaps clear of the water. It moves inshore in April and May, spawns in May and June over eelgrass, and leaves in autumn. In southern waters it is plentiful through summer. Then there is the oddity everyone mentions: the bones are green. That is harmless. On a mackerel trip with Kestrel Warrior, garfish are among the fish that can be caught, and they were reported from Worthing Pier and Shoreham in autumn 2025. Anglers fishing from harbour walls, jetties and rocky marks use floatfished mackerel strips, small fish, worms or prawns on light tackle. Take care with the beak, which is long and full of sharp teeth. For a light-tackle fish that jumps when hooked, it earns its place in the guide.
On the boat
Kestrel Warrior lists garfish among the fish caught on its mackerel trips. Garfish move inshore April to May and are plentiful in southern waters through summer. Angling Times describes floatfished mackerel strips, small fish, worms or prawns on light tackle, from harbour walls, jetties and rocky marks. Boat-specific methods are not given in the record.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 3 lb 9 oz 8 dr (1.630 kg)
- Where
- Mount Bay, Cornwall
- When
- 1994
- Angler
- A Saunders
Confirmed British boat-caught record: A Saunders, 3 lb 9 oz 8 dr (1.630 kg), Mount Bay, Cornwall, 1994. This is a historical weight record. The British Record Fish Committee now accepts boat length claims only, with a qualifying length of 90 cm.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
The garfish is not listed on the Gov.uk minimum conservation reference sizes page (checked 2026), so no landing size is given there. The International Union for Conservation of Nature status is Least Concern. The green bones are harmless. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Garfish have green bones, which is harmless. It is the oddity most often mentioned about the fish.
Questions about the garfish
What is the British boat-caught record for garfish?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: A Saunders, 3 lb 9 oz 8 dr (1.630 kg), Mount Bay, Cornwall, 1994. This is a historical weight record. The British Record Fish Committee now accepts boat length claims only, with a qualifying length of 90 cm.
Is garfish caught off the Sussex coast?
Yes. Kestrel Warrior lists garfish among the fish caught on its mackerel trips, and they were back in good numbers at Worthing and Shoreham in late September 2025.
When is the best time to catch garfish?
Off Sussex: Reported from Worthing Pier and Shoreham in autumn 2025 (Prime Angling). Around Britain: Moves inshore April to May, spawns May to June over eelgrass, leaves in autumn (Wikipedia). Plentiful in southern waters through summer (Angling Times).
How big does a garfish get?
About 50 to 75 cm (Wikipedia). The BRFC boat record weighed 3 lb 9 oz 8 dr.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Garfish: en.wikipedia.org
- Angling Times UK sea fish species: anglingtimes.co.uk
- Kestrel Warrior mackerel trip: kestrelwarrior6.co.uk
- Prime Angling West Sussex report 28 Sep 2025: primeangling.co.uk
- BRFC sea fish listings June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Zeynel Cebeci, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
