The Atlantic saury, often called the skipper, is a slender surface fish with a beak-like snout and tiny teeth. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: none listed.
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About the Atlantic saury
The Atlantic saury, often called the skipper, is a slender surface fish with a beak-like snout and tiny teeth. Behind the dorsal and anal fins it has a row of small finlets. At a glance it looks like a garfish, which is the usual mix-up. A typical skipper is about 35 cm long, and the largest reach around 50 cm. It lives near the surface, down to about 30 m, and it often jumps clear of the water. In summer it comes inshore. Around Britain it is only occasionally recorded, so it is not a fish you can plan a day around. If a long, thin, beaked fish turns up on the line, the finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins are among the features that mark the saury. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. We found no fishing methods, no months and no Sussex notes for it, and we would rather say so than guess. It is a quiet corner of the species list, but a real one. The only skipper on the official mini-species table is a beach-caught fish from County Durham in 1994.
On the boat
The species record gives no method, bait, month or Sussex note for saury, so we will not guess. What is known is that it stays near the surface, down to about 30 m, often jumping clear of the water. It comes inshore in summer and is only occasionally recorded in British waters.
British boat-caught record
None listed
No British boat-caught record is listed for this species. The official mini-species table does list a skipper of 148 g, caught by A Woods at Seaham Chemical Beach, Co Durham, in 1994. That is a beach location, so it is not a boat record.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
Atlantic saury is not listed on the Gov.uk minimum conservation reference size page (checked 2026). The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. The record notes give no other protection or release rules for anglers. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
The saury often jumps clear of the water. In Britain it is only occasionally recorded, and the official list's skipper entry is a 148 g fish from a Durham beach in 1994.
Questions about the Atlantic saury
What is the British boat-caught record for Atlantic saury?
No British boat-caught record is listed for this species. The official mini-species table does list a skipper of 148 g, caught by A Woods at Seaham Chemical Beach, Co Durham, in 1994. That is a beach location, so it is not a boat record.
Is Atlantic saury caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch Atlantic saury?
Our sources do not give months for the Atlantic saury, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does an Atlantic saury get?
Typically about 35 cm, up to 50 cm (Wikipedia).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Atlantic saury: en.wikipedia.org
- BRFC sea fish listings June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Foundling, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
