Summary
Great Perhaver Beach is a tucked-away sandy cove near Gorran Haven on Cornwall’s south coast, facing into the relative shelter of St Austell Bay. It’s a lovely, low-key mark with clean sand flanked by rocky ground and kelp, giving a mix of surf and reef-style fishing. When conditions line up, it produces bass, wrasse, pollack, mackerel and flats, with a real feeling of escape.
Location and Access
Set between Gorran Haven and Portmellon/Mevagissey, Great Perhaver is reached via the South West Coast Path and a steep final path down to the sand. Expect a scenic walk, some gradients, and a last section that can be slippery in the wet.
- Parking: Best at Gorran Haven (pay-and-display near the beach; postcode approx. PL26 6JG), then follow the coast path west for 15–25 minutes to the descent for Great Perhaver.
- Alternative approach: From Portmellon/Mevagissey side there’s limited parking at Portmellon and more in Mevagissey; walk east on the coast path 30–45 minutes to the same descent.
- Path/terrain: Final access is a steep, sometimes muddy track. Not pram-friendly; carry light. The beach is clean sand in the middle with rocky/kelpy corners.
- Footwear: Sturdy boots recommended, especially if you intend to fish the rock flanks.
Seasons
The mark offers a sandy bay with reefy shoulders, so species vary by season and where you position yourself. Expect surf species on the sand and wrasse/pollack around the rocks.
- Spring: Early bass on building water; plaice/dab from the sand; gurnard; dogfish. Thick-lipped mullet nosing along the edges in calm, clear spells.
- Summer: Bass at dawn/dusk and in lively seas; mackerel and garfish on calm days; pollack and ballan wrasse off the rocky flanks; golden grey mullet in the surf line; scad at dusk; occasional smoothhound on a crab run; sole after dark in settled weather.
- Autumn: Peak bass Sept–Oct with a rolling swell; mackerel/scad linger into late autumn; wrasse and pollack good until the first real storms.
- Winter: Whiting, pouting and dogfish on the sand at night; the odd conger from rockier spots; flounder in calmer conditions.
Methods
Treat Great Perhaver as two marks in one: a light-surf beach in the middle and reef-fishing on the edges. Travel light and match gear to where you stand.
- Bass (sand): 1–2 oz lead with a running ledger or simple clipped-down rig; baits like lugworm, rag, razor, peeler crab or sandeel. Lures (surface walkers, shallow divers, 10–20 g soft plastics) excel in clear water at dawn/dusk.
- Flats/sole: 2-hook flapper or up-and-over with size 2–4 hooks, beads/spoons optional. Baits: lug, rag, small strips of squid, maddies/harbour rag after dark.
- Rays/hounds (occasional): Pulley/pulley dropper with 3/0–4/0 hooks, sandeel/squid or peeler; aim for sand tongues between rock.
- Wrasse/pollack (rock flanks): Weedless soft plastics (paddle/creature) and light jig heads; or float fish crab, prawn or rag tight to weed lines. Use abrasion-resistant leaders (20–30 lb).
- Mackerel/gar/scad: Metals 20–40 g, float rigs with mackerel strip or worm, and small sub-surface lures in the evening light.
- Night notes: Fish get tight in; scale down leads and cast quietly. A headtorch with red mode helps keep the fish on the feed.
Tides and Conditions
Tide and sea state dictate your plan here: a small, lively sea can bring bass onto the sand, while calm clarity favours lure work and wrasse.
- Best tide windows: Mid-flood through the last of the flood and the first of the ebb for bass; wrasse often best 2–3 hours either side of low when ground is defined.
- Sea state: A modest, clean swell with a touch of colour is prime for bass; flat, clear water is great for wrasse/pollack and finesse lures.
- Wind: Onshore southerlies create surf and push bait in; prolonged strong southerlies can dump weed. Offshore/northly winds give clarity but can make fish wary—fish low light.
- Time of day: Dawn and dusk are the money slots for bass and pelagics; after dark for sole/whiting and better bass in summer/autumn.
- Seasonality: Late spring through autumn is the main window; winter can still give bites on the sand during mild spells.
Safety
This is a wild-feeling, unlifeguarded cove with a steep access path and tidal pinch points on the rocks. Plan your exit in daylight and pack for a climb back out.
- Steep descent/ascent: Take it slow, especially after rain. Not suitable for wheelchairs/buggies; keep kit minimal and secure.
- Slips/cut-offs: Kelp, weed and wet rock are slick. The rocky corners can become cut off on bigger tides—know the tide times and escape routes.
- Cliffs/rockfall: Do not sit or set up directly under the cliffs; occasional falls occur.
- Swell/surge: Ground swells can surge without warning; keep back from the edge, particularly on the rock flanks.
- PPE: If fishing the rocks, a well-fitted PFD, grippy footwear and a buddy are strongly advised. Carry a charged phone and headtorch.
- Restrictions: No specific angling bans known on the beach; heed any seasonal notices or local signage on the coast path.
Facilities
There are no facilities on the beach itself—plan to be self-sufficient. Nearby villages cover essentials before and after your session.
- Nearest toilets/refreshments: Gorran Haven has seasonal toilets, a café and takeaway; Portmellon and Mevagissey have pubs, cafés and shops.
- Tackle/bait: Mevagissey has tackle/bait outlets; stock up before the walk in. Limited or no bait sales in Gorran Haven out of season.
- Parking: Pay-and-display at Gorran Haven; limited spaces around Portmellon; larger car parks in Mevagissey.
- Mobile signal: Patchy in the cove; generally better up on the coast path.
- Lifeguards: None at Great Perhaver.
Tips
It’s a quiet, read-the-water kind of venue. A bit of stealth and timing can turn a blank into a red-letter hour.
- Read the sand: Look for subtle bars and gutters on a dropping tide; fish the seams where white water meets clearer lanes.
- Clear-water finesse: Long fluorocarbon leaders (12–20 lb) and natural lures earn more follows; keep metal lures small and fast for gar/scad.
- Crab runs: After early-summer peeler moults, try a crab bait at dusk for a chance of a smoothhound.
- Weed watch: After strong southerlies, expect ribbon weed on the line—short casts to the inner gutter can outfish blasting long into the weed.
- Mullet moments: Thick-lips patrol the edges; a discreet bread mash and tiny size 8–12 hooks can save a slow afternoon.
- Plan the climb: Leave energy and daylight for the exit; pack water and a light layer—sea breezes can chill even in summer.
Regulations
Always comply with national and local byelaws. There is no rod licence required for sea angling in England, but size/bag limits and protected species rules apply.
- Bass (recreational, 2024 guidance): Generally a 2-fish daily bag limit at 42 cm minimum during the open season (typically Mar–Nov), with catch-and-release outside of that—check current MMO/DEFRA notices before you go.
- Minimum sizes: Observe national/Cornwall IFCA minimum conservation reference sizes (return undersized fish promptly). Keep a current size chart to hand.
- Conservation areas: Parts of Cornwall’s south coast include designated conservation sites; shore angling is usually permitted, but check Cornwall IFCA for any seasonal or gear restrictions.
- Bait collection: Only collect bait where lawful and sustainable; avoid disturbing eelgrass/rockpools and respect private/SSSI foreshore notices.
- Harbours/private land: If you wander towards harbour limits or private structures elsewhere on your trip, local byelaws or permissions may apply.
- Good practice: Handle wrasse and other reef fish carefully—many local anglers practice catch-and-release for larger specimens.
