What's swimming just off the beach?

This summer (2026) has seen all kinds of weather records broken in the UK and July saw us sweating out a third heatwave with temperatures regularly exceeding 30C. Needless to say, the land is scorched, the rivers are low and clear, and coarse fishing has been difficult or even impossible for many. Indeed, with some river and lake fisheries closing their doors to anglers, I'd begun to climb the wall. It was therefore exciting to receive an offer I couldn't refuse - a first taste of beach fishing, with the chance of catching bass, smooth-hounds, rays or anything else that might take a liking to our crab, squid and mackerel baits. This was an angling adventure unlike anything I'd done before on The Magic of Fishing, so it was brilliant to have the expertise and experience of my mate, Rory, a fantastic all-round angler with plenty of beach fishing hours and exceptional catches under his belt, as my guide. We headed to a beautiful Sussex beach on the south coast of England and started shore fishing during a stunning sunset, before continuing into the dark. It was an unforgettable experience and I couldn't believe what's swimming along our shores, just off the beach. It's another chilled release from The Magic of Fishing so please sit back, relax and enjoy... The Magic of Fishing book - https://tinyurl.com/3knrtuf6 Apollo Angling Centre - https://apolloanglingcentre.co.uk/ #beachfishing #seafishing #fishing #seafishinguk #seafish #shorefishinguk #shorefishing #summerfishing #summer #sussex