5 Flatfish Rigs for Shore Fishing

The advantage is that two baits can be presented within a relatively small feeding area. You could fish ragworm on one hook and lugworm, crab or a strip of fish on the other, allowing the fish to show you what they prefer. Adding a few coloured beads above each hook provides extra attraction, particularly for plaice. Small floating beads can also be useful where crabs are troublesome, although you don't want to lift the bait too far away from the seabed.

Because the lead is running, a fish can move the hooklength without immediately pulling against the full resistance of the weight. This makes the rig particularly useful when fishing relatively close to shore in estuaries, sheltered beaches and areas with a moderate tide. The downside is that two hooklengths can tangle during a powerful cast, so keeping the wishbone section relatively short and tidy helps considerably.

Its biggest strength is natural presentation. Once the lead has settled, the hooklength is free to move with the current, allowing a worm or crab bait to behave naturally along the seabed. A long hooklength can be particularly effective in relatively gentle conditions because the bait has plenty of movement. In stronger tides, shortening the trace can make the rig easier to control.

Running ledgers are particularly good for fishing estuaries and surf beaches where extreme casting distance isn't necessary. You can also slowly retrieve the rig a few metres at a time. This moves the bait across fresh ground and creates small clouds of disturbed sand, potentially attracting inquisitive flatfish. Adding a handful of beads near the hook can give the rig additional visual appeal without making it unnecessarily complicated.

The simplicity of a single hook also makes this a good rig for beginners. There are fewer components to tangle, bait presentation is easy to check and unhooking fish is straightforward.

Where this rig becomes particularly interesting for flatfish is the addition of coloured beads and micro spoons. Plaice especially are well known for responding to visual attraction. Red, yellow, orange, black and luminous beads are all commonly used, while a tiny spoon adds flash and movement as the tide moves the hooklength.

Don't overload the rig. A few carefully chosen attractors immediately above the hook are normally sufficient. Too many beads can make the trace cumbersome and potentially affect casting and bait presentation. Small spoons should also be light enough to flutter rather than overpower the hooklength.

A two-hook rig allows you to experiment. One hook might carry ragworm tipped with squid while the second has lugworm, for example. You can also use different bead combinations on each trace. Over a session, this can reveal whether the fish are showing a preference for a particular bait or colour. It is a particularly useful general-purpose flatfish rig for clean beaches where flounder, dabs and plaice may all be present.

For flatfish fishing, use a relatively long hooklength and add a small selection of beads close to the hook. A small spoon or sequin can also be incorporated if you want additional movement. The bait can then be clipped down for casting using a suitable bait clip, which dramatically improves aerodynamics compared with leaving a long hooklength flapping behind the lead.

This makes the pulley rig useful when the flatfish are feeding beyond normal running-ledger range or when you're fishing around mixed ground where weed, stones or occasional snags make a completely free-running rig less practical. It is also a good choice when using a larger worm bait that needs to survive a powerful cast.

The single-hook design means you sacrifice the ability to experiment with two baits simultaneously, but you gain casting efficiency and a strong, tidy rig. For targeting better plaice at distance, that can be a worthwhile compromise.

This creates two noticeably different presentations. The upper bait has more movement in the tide, while the longer lower trace behaves more like a traditional flowing flatfish rig. It therefore allows you to cover slightly different feeding zones without needing two separate rods.

For flatfish, the lower hooklength can be dressed with coloured beads, sequins or a micro spoon and baited with worm, while the upper hook can carry a different bait or a simpler presentation. Although flatfish are primarily bottom feeders, movement from the upper trace can still attract fish towards the rig.

The Wessex is particularly useful on clean or lightly mixed ground where several species may be present. A flounder or plaice may take the long bottom trace while whiting, pouting or another species finds the upper bait first. This makes it a useful rig when you're not certain exactly what's feeding.

All five rigs will catch flatfish, and there's no need to carry dozens of complicated alternatives. For close-range estuary fishing I'd favour the running ledger or wishbone, while the two-hook attractor rig is a strong general choice for clean beaches. When distance or more difficult ground becomes important, the pulley rig comes into its own, while the Wessex provides an adaptable option when you want two different presentations. More important than the exact rig is keeping the bait close to the seabed, using fresh bait and putting it where the fish are feeding.