Mid winter is considered to be the peak of the year by many sea anglers. The open coast should give anglers the chance of a big cod. Conger, spurdog and bull huss should also fall to large fish baits. Dogfish, whiting, pouting and rockling will all rattle the rod tips. Watermouth, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth and Saunton Rocks all well worth a try.

The estuary will still give a good chance of fat flounder and its lower reaches will give codling, whiting and dab.

With sea temperatures failing to fall particularly low a few bass will continue to be caught an angler with the inclination may well be rewarded with a pristine bar of silver if bait was cast from Saunton, Woolacombe or Westward Ho Beaches.

October 2007

 Autumn often brings rich rewards for anglers. Flounder provide good sport in the estuaries and also make good bait for tope that now hunt the coast. Long waits are the name of the game if you want tope. Deep water rock marks or steep beaches like Scillery sands worth a try.

Grey mullet will be feeding hard as autumn progresses and can be tempted using either paternostered or float fished bread flake. Try Harbour’s and rock marks, Ilfracombe, Combe Martin, Watermouth and Lynmouth all worth a try.  

Big conger can be tempted from many deep water rock marks and are particularly susceptible to fresh pouting baits.

Beaches will yield the occasional big bass or ray. Capstone Point often produces well during October and November, big blondes from flat rock on squid or sand eel baits. 

Putsborough beach can turn up the occasional big conger at this time of year.  

The first whiting should be caught from Clovelly along with the occasional dab.
Codling and the occasional bass from Crow point if crabs don’t strip bait first.  

As you can see plenty to try for over the next couple of months, lets hope the winter seasons brings a few cod this year. Minehead and Blue Anchor should be producing soon and will give some idea of winter prospects.

To: Anglers Associations in North Devon and North Devon Fishing Tackle Suppliers

27 September 05

Since we bought Widmouth Farm Cottages in February 2000, we have enjoyed a very good relationship with local Anglers who wished to park on our land and fish from our coastal rocks. This has always been on a very informal, friendly basis.

However, several things have happened which mean that whilst we hope to continue to enjoy a good relationship with local Anglers, we need to be a little more formal and actually give permission each time someone wishes to park & fish here. Our reasons are these:

Our holiday cottages are now much busier and even in the autumn, winter and spring we

may get bookings which take up all our parking spaces.

2 Some Anglers who have fished here have been very inconsiderate of others and of

‘nature’ and have left a lot of rubbish on the rocks. Anglers must take their rubbish away.

3 This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated by English Nature.

If the usage of this area for fishing becomes too frequent/intense, English Nature have the

power to stop it altogether, which we do not want to happen.

a Individuals MUST telephone each time they wish to come and ask permission. If we are out

then the Angler must call again and actually speak to us. It is NOT acceptable to leave a

message on our answerphone saying ‘we are coming to fish tonight unless you telephone us

back’ or words to that effect. It is the Anglers responsibility to keep phoning until they get

us and actually get specific permission.

b. We do not allow Anglers to park nor fish here during the following periods:

1 May to 30 September

Any school holidays i.e. October half-term, Christmas, February half-term, Easter.

When our cottages are full – which could be any time, so Anglers MUST ASK!

Thank you for your understanding, as after all, this is our own home and private land, as well as being our business!

The harbour at Watermouth dries out completely at low water. When the tide is in however there is the opportunity for anglers to target the grey mullet that browse between the anchored boats during the summer months.

There are several other marks that can be accessed on the Widmouth head peninsula. These are however for the experienced angler only and demand great care in approach.

The North Devon coastline has an abundance of further venues to explore with superb bass fishing from surf beaches at Westward Ho, Saunton and Woolacombe. There is also access to many productive rock marks all along this coastline.

Charter boats are available at nearby Ilfracombe and run regular trips for both mackerel and deep sea angling.

There are two tackle shops in nearby Ilfracombe that can supply fresh bait and all the tackle you may need.

There is also much to tempt the freshwater angler in North Devon with an abundance of still waters. Slade Reservoirs at Ilfracombe give good general coarse fishing with roach, perch, bream with carp and pike in excess of twenty pounds. There are also day ticket fisheries at Mill Pond, Berrynarbour and Newberry farm, Combe Martin.  

The game fisher will find excellent fly-fishing for trout at Blakewell fishery near Barnstaple. Wistlandpound reservoir provides fly-fishing of a more challenging nature in beautiful surroundings.

Salmon and sea trout fishing can be excellent on the beautiful river East Lyn near Lynmouth. The river also boasts a healthy population of hard fighting wild brown trout. Day tickets are readily available from local outlets.

For further information I recommend the “Get Hooked” Guide to Angling in the South West. This informative booklet is available from local bookshops, newsagents and tackle shops.