Three Lizard mackerel rigs
40–50 lb feather rigs for dawn mackerel at the Lizard
The Lizard headland on the English Channel turns electric at first light when mackerel push tight to the surface. Three shore rigs form a compact plan: a feather stringer, a sabiki pattern and a light bait trace to fish on the rising tide from safe rock ledges. All work mid-water to near-surface—where mackerel feed—rather than on the seabed.
Rig 1 — standard feather stringer: use a 40–50 lb rig body with a 3 oz lead and a 10–12 ft rod rated for that weight. A 60-size saltwater fixed-spool reel is a good match. Cast long, let the feathers sink a heartbeat, then retrieve briskly in steady turns; quick jerks and fast winding imitate fleeing bait.
Sabiki choices, traces and knots
Rig 2 — sabiki: choose finer feather hooks on a 30 lb main when bites are small. Add a slim 3 oz torpedo for distance and favour silver/blue-silver patterns on clear dawns. Tie connections with a strong uni knot or a double uni for shock resistance. Rig 3 — light bait trace: two-up, one-down flapper with 3 ft snoods, size 2 or 6 wormer hooks and thin mackerel strips; fish at roughly 3–4 ft where depth allows.
Rock casting: pick a ledge with room behind, avoid blind overhead casts and use side-arm casts when the platform is cramped or wind is awkward. Keep the rod tip low on the retrieve to stay in the upper water column. The first pale light often finds the shoals feeding a rod’s length off the rocks, feathers flashing like a silver ribbon across the English Channel.
Recommended: 60-size fixed spool reel