THE MACKEREL - Scomber scombrus
The mackerel is very easy to recognise, with its iridescent turquoise back and rippled black lines, its rainbow silver sides and white belly, give this fish its stunning looks and help it to camouflage itself as it is the food sauce of many spices.
The mackerel is a shoaling fish and winter in huge shoals in deeper water, moving into shallower water in spring to spawn. They feed on any thing that is small enough to fit in there mouths.
There feeding and shoaling habits makes them an easy fish to catch and are loved by anglers young and old, and are hauled up six at a time on mackerel feathers. Though to catch them on a single hook and light line is fantastic sport, as there bodies are strong and very streamlined giving any angler a good fight.
Mackerel move into shallower water in spring to spawn were the female will lay around five hundred thousand eggs. These then float in the current until hatching, the young then feed on there yolk sack moving onto plankton before feeding in the same food as the adult fish.
The mackerel is a very slow growing fish and takes about seven years to reach a pound in weight so to give this species a chance only take what you need.
