Summary
Harlyn Bay sits between Trevone Head and Cataclews Point on Cornwall’s rugged north coast, a broad crescent of sand flanked by productive rock ledges. It’s a versatile mark offering surf beaches for bass and rays, with wrasse and pollack on the kelpy points in settled spells.
- Ideal for mixed-method sessions: lure, bait, and float fishing all have their day here.
- Good for mobile anglers who like reading sandbars, gutters, and rips.
Location and Access
Harlyn Bay lies a few minutes from St Merryn and Padstow, with easy beach access and rougher paths to the headlands. The bay has a large seasonal car park right behind the sand.
- Parking: main beach car park near Harlyn village (use PL28 8SB for sat nav); charges apply in season.
- Access: easy onto the beach via ramp/steps; coast path leads west toward Trevone Head and east to Cataclews Point.
- Terrain: clean sand across the bay; rocky platforms, gullies, and kelp on both flanks (more committing footing and scrambling).
- Walk difficulty: beach marks are straightforward; headland marks involve uneven ground, exposure, and care with swell.
Seasons
Harlyn produces a classic north-coast mix. Expect surf-fish on the sand and reef species from the points, with seasonality shaped by water temperature and swell.
- Spring: bass (increasing from April), turbot/brill on sandeel, flounder near the stream mouth, early mackerel/garfish in late spring, wrasse waking up on the rocks.
- Summer: bass (dawn/dusk and surf), small-eyed ray on settled nights, turbot/brill, mackerel/garfish, ballan and cuckoo wrasse, pollack, occasional smoothhound, dogfish.
- Autumn: peak bass, steady small-eyed ray, turbot/brill and gurnards, mackerel tails off, wrasse good until first big chills, increasing whiting later.
- Winter: whiting and dogfish on the beach, flounder around the river outflow, strap conger from the rocks; the odd codling in prolonged northerlies but not reliable.
Methods
Match your approach to ground and clarity. The beach rewards simple surf tactics; the points fish like classic north-coast reefs.
- Beach (bass/ray/turbot): pulley pennel (3/0–5/0) with sandeel, mackerel strip or squid for rays/turbot; short snood flappers with rag/lug/cocktail for flatties and gurnard.
- Surf bass: fish the gutters and rips with peeler crab, whole sandeel, or soft plastics; keep baits moving and cast short-to-mid rather than max range.
- Lure fishing: white/ayu soft plastics (7–6 inch), shallow divers and topwaters at first/last light along the edges of the surf and around the rocky corners for bass and pollack.
- Rock wrasse/pollack: float-fish rag/crab for wrasse over kelp; weedless soft plastics, metal jigs or small plugs for pollack on the flood, especially in clear water.
- Night sessions: large fish baits for small-eyed ray on settled seas; whole squid/sandeel cocktails, keep gear tidy and use a headlamp with red mode.
- Leads/line: 3–5 oz on the beach (grips if there’s push); 20–30 lb mono or 30–40 lb braid for rocks, with abrasion-resistant leaders.
Tides and Conditions
Tide and swell dictate everything here. Think ‘lively but manageable’ for bass, ‘settled and clear’ for rays and wrasse.
- Best tide states: beach often fishes from mid-flood into the first of the ebb; rock marks like a flooding tide pushing bait into the points.
- Swell: a dropping W–NW swell with light E–SE offshore winds is prime for surf bass; rays/turbot prefer smaller surf and clearer water at night.
- Water clarity: coloured water favours bait for bass; clear water suits lures and wrasse.
- Times: dawn/dusk are consistently productive; night fishing boosts ray/whiting odds on the beach and conger from the rocks.
- Seasonality: late spring to autumn is most consistent; winter can be scratchy but whiting and flounder keep things ticking over.
Safety
Atlantic swell and cut-off ledges are the main hazards. Treat the headlands with respect and keep a constant eye on the sea.
- Swell and surges: avoid the rocks in long-period swell or when sets are pushing up the ledges; never turn your back on the water.
- Tidal cut-off: some rock platforms become isolated—plan your exit on a rising tide and carry a headlamp if there’s any chance of returning in the dark.
- Slippery/uneven ground: kelp, weed, and wet granite are treacherous; wear cleated boots and consider a personal floatation device.
- Rips: powerful rips form along the gutters and near the stream—keep lines clear of swimmers and beware wading in surf.
- Accessibility: beach access via ramp is relatively gentle; rock marks are unsuitable for limited mobility.
- Lifeguards: RNLI patrols usually operate in peak season; don’t fish into flagged bathing zones and follow any lifeguard requests.
Facilities
Harlyn is well-served in season, with essentials close at hand and more options a short drive away.
- Toilets: seasonal public toilets by the beach/car park.
- Food/drink: seasonal beach kiosks and a pub in Harlyn; wider choices in St Merryn and Padstow.
- Tackle/bait: options in Padstow, St Merryn, and larger nearby towns—check opening hours outside peak season.
- Mobile signal: generally fair on the beach and headlands but can vary in coves.
- Parking: large seasonal car park behind the beach; arrive early in school holidays and on surfy days.
Tips
Reading the sand and using the edges will lift your catch rate. Treat Harlyn as several small marks rather than one big beach.
- Work the ‘edge’: where the sand meets rock on either flank is a prime patrol route for bass—ideal for lures at first light.
- Follow the rips: cast uptide of the darkest rip and let baits swing across the flow; bass often sit on the down-current shoulder.
- Turbot tactics: fresh sandeel on a running rig, gently rolled along the bottom across seams where bar meets gutter.
- Wrasse finesse: small, strong hooks (1–2/0), short snoods, and crab baits; strike firmly and keep pressure to turn fish from kelp.
- Spider crab run (late spring): expect stripped baits—use tougher cocktails (squid/sandeel) or fish crab for bass/smoothhound.
- After a blow: as the sea drops and colours slightly, the first 24–48 hours can be electric for surf bass.
- Seals and weed: both are regular visitors—move marks rather than fighting floating weed or a curious grey seal.
Regulations
Sea angling is generally permitted at Harlyn Bay. Regulations can change, so always check the latest official sources before retaining fish.
- No licence is required for rod-and-line sea angling in England, but local and national bylaws apply.
- Minimum sizes and protected species: observe current Cornwall IFCA and UK national minimum conservation/reference sizes; never retain undersized fish or berried lobsters/crabs.
- Bass: recreational bass retention is seasonally restricted with a minimum size—check the current MMO/DEFRA rules before keeping any bass.
- Beach management: during RNLI patrols, avoid fishing into flagged bathing/surfing zones and follow any requests from lifeguards.
- Access and land: stick to public rights of way/coast path and heed any local signage on cliff safety or restricted areas.
- Waste and wildlife: take all line and litter home; do not disturb nesting birds or seals on the headlands.
