Dab
Limanda limanda
A small, obliging flatfish of clean sandy ground, providing reliable autumn and winter sport on worm baits at many Cork beach marks.
How to identify it
Right-eyed flatfish (eyes on right side). Sandy-brown upper side with pale spots. Lateral line has a pronounced curve above the pectoral fin — the key feature distinguishing it from plaice and flounder. Rough texture when rubbed from tail to head.
How to catch it
Where to find it in Cork
Rules
No rod licence for sea angling
The dab is a small right-eyed flatfish found over clean, sandy ground, and it is one of the more reliably obliging species available to Cork shore anglers during the autumn and winter months. It is often confused with plaice and flounder, but the dab has a distinctive feature that separates it from both: a pronounced, sharp curve in the lateral line above the pectoral fin, which is clearly visible once you know to look for it. The skin also has a noticeably rough texture when rubbed from tail to head — a useful confirmation when handling the fish. Colouration is a sandy or light brown on the upper side, typically with some pale speckling, and the underside is white. A straightforward paternoster rig with two small hooks, size 2 to 4, baited with lugworm or ragworm accounts for the majority of dab caught from Cork beaches. They are regularly taken alongside flounder on the same tackle and baits, and both species often share the same ground. Note that distribution and seasonal abundance data for dab in Cork come in part from IFI sea-angling surveys conducted in the 1980s, so local conditions may have shifted and current intelligence from tackle shops is always valuable.