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🌊 Cod / codling
A classic UK shore and boat sea fishing target, with 'codling' referring to smaller, immature fish, historically the backbone of UK winter sea angling though stocks have declined significantly from their peak.
Identification
Mottled brown-green to grey back with a pale lateral line running the length of the body, a distinctive barbel under the chin, and a slightly undershot lower jaw. Colouring can vary considerably depending on the ground it's living over.
UK habitat
Found around most of the UK coast, most reliably targeted from autumn through winter on both shore marks and boat trips, especially over rough or broken ground. Winter storms and coloured water are traditionally associated with better cod fishing from the shore.