Leerfish

Leerfish (Lichia amia)
Called Garrick in South Africa, Leerfish in northern Europe, and largely unknown everywhere else — which is precisely why catching one here carries weight. A sleek, silver predator with a distinctly curved lateral line and leathery, scaleless skin, the Leerfish is the apex inshore hunter of the western Mediterranean. They are highly intelligent — well documented for following a lure to the boat, inspecting it at close range, and refusing to strike. This is not accidental caution; it is the behaviour of a predator that has learned to assess risk. In Cambrils and Hospitalet de l´Infant, the best fish are caught by trolling live mackerel or mullet along the shoreline structure, or by casting large topwater lures at first and last light when Leerfish move into the shallows to feed. They run hard on the strike and use their weight rather than speed — the fight is a sustained, bulldogging pressure rather than the explosive sprint of a tuna. The season extends from March through December, with peak activity in spring and autumn as baitfish migrations concentrate along the coast.