At the time of writing, the Smooth-hound (Mustelus mustelus) is rated as "Vulnerable", so anglers need to take this into consideration and, ideally, avoid targeting them until numbers recover. Smooth hounds feed mainly at night and come closer inshore during the summer months when there are a lot of small fish. Also, it toys with bait before properly taking it so consider this before tightening your line. Rigs that are single hooked and clipped down behind a bait clip or impact shield are the most reliable. It is recommended that hooks be 3/0 in a strong pattern. Small smooth-hounds can be hooked with this hook size, but larger smooth-hounds can be handled with a larger hook. A smooth-hound can pull a rod over, or potentially into the sea because they tend to hit the bait hard and run with it. It's common for anglers to either set their reel's drag to give line, or set the reel onto the ratchet (line-out alarm), which provides an audible warning when a smooth-hound bites. The smooth-hound is a very strong fighter, even in their smallest form, and gives anglers a good battle. It is often necessary to give them some line before they can be successfully reeled in, and anglers who reel in fish too quickly can lose big fish. Since smooth-hounds possess such a variety of beneficial qualities, it's easy to understand why so many anglers want to conserve this species by catching and releasing it. When retrieving your catch, it is vital that you do not hold it by the tail. A smooth-hound should be held level, with one hand supporting the tail and the other supporting the belly. When handled in this manner and returned to the water as soon as possible after capture, smooth-hounds have an excellent survival rate.