SANDEEL TYPES

• There are five varieties of sandeel in British waters....
• Ammodytes tobianus - The most common inshore variety. Rarely exceeds 8ins in length.
• Ammodytes marinus (Raitt's sandeel) - An offshore species preferring depths down to 175 metres, though can occur very close inshore around estuaries occasionally. Attains 10ins.
• Gymnammodytes semisquamatus (Smooth sandeel) - Offshore species in depths up to 600ft. Maximum length 10ins.
• Hyperoplus lanceolatus (Greater sandeel) - Common from low tide level to 200ft. Often referred to as "launce". Can reach a length of 15ins.
• Hyperoplus immaculatus (Corbin's sandeel) - Another offshore variety living in depths between 100ft and 750ft. Grows to 12ins.

DISTRIBUTION
The first four varieties are all common right around the British Isles and Northern Europe.

HABITAT
The inshore sandeels can be seen in tight dense shoals inside all the major, and minor, estuaries, in rock pools. They can also be seen swimming close to weed beds and the edges of breakwaters and jetties. Sandeels also frequent the low water tide line of shallow surf beaches and the numerous banks and gullies associated with the bar and outer mouth areas of estuaries. Bass are a chief predator of sandeels over such ground and are frequently used as a bait for predatory fish.

The larger sandeels favour the habitat provided by sunken wrecks, though they are generally in the mid water to upper reaches by day, dropping back to the seabed by night to bury into the sand. Offshore sandbanks are also sure to have a population of sandeels, and it's not uncommon to find a whole plethora feeding on them during the high summer period.

SEASON
Sandeels are mainly associated with summer fishing disappearing in Autumn not returning until late April or early May. They can ocassionally be found however buried in the sand on surf beaches throughout the year.

COLLECTION
In some parts of the country the sand is raked for eels, but more commonly in Torbay and especially Teignmouth estuary, eels are netted and sold by the cup full. They are then kept alive in areated containers. Keep the water fresh and do not overcrowd the bucket and make frequent changes of water.

Frozen sandeels are excellent bait and often prove better than fresh dead ones. These need to be kept fully frozen during transit. Use a cool box with plenty of ice packs, or at worse wrap them frozen in multiple sheets of newspaper for insulation.