Nare Point

Nare Point is the rocky headland on the south side of the Helford estuary mouth, looking across to Rosemullion Head and out into Falmouth Bay. It’s a classic Cornish rock mark with quick access to deep, kelpy water, fast tide seams and roaming baitfish. Lure and float anglers do especially well here for bass, pollack and summer migrants, while rough-ground bait fishing produces after dark.

Getting there is straightforward, but the last stretch is on foot along the South West Coast Path. Aim for St Anthony-in-Meneage or Gillan and follow the signed coast path to the NCI lookout at the Point.

• Drive to St Anthony-in-Meneage or Gillan (TR12 area). Limited parking by St Anthony church (honesty box in season) and a few informal spaces near Gillan Cove; arrive early in summer weekends.
• From St Anthony church: approx. 20–25 minutes on the coast path with short climbs, narrow sections and stiles. From Gillan: around 15–20 minutes undulating path above the coves.
• The access track to the National Coastwatch (NCI) station is private; do not drive beyond the public parking or block gates.
• Terrain at the mark is sloping, weed-covered rock ledges with patches of boulder and kelp; sturdy boots and careful footwork required.

This headland fishes like two marks in one: an estuary mouth on the inside and open-bay rock ground on the outside. Expect seasonal variety.

• Spring (Mar–May): schoolie to mid-size bass on lures; pollack from the edges at dusk; wrasse activity picks up from May; occasional flounder inside the mouth early spring.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): mackerel and garfish in the tide lines; scad after dark; ballan and corkwing wrasse; pollack; bass (dawn/dusk and on a building sea); thick-lipped mullet mooching inside on calm days.
• Autumn (Sep–Nov): peak bass time on rougher, coloured seas; solid pollack at first and last light; scad and late mackerel; conger and bull huss after dark on the rough ground.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): fewer lure opportunities but dusk pollack possible; conger and huss on big baits; whiting on calmer nights can show on the cleaner patches.

Lure and float fishing shine in the fast water, while sensible rough-ground tactics unlock the bigger nocturnal fish. Travel light and fish mobile.

• Lures: 15–40 g metals and slim minnow plugs along the tide seams for mackerel, gar and bass; 3–5 inch weedless soft plastics (Texas/weighted hooks) for wrasse and pollack tight to kelp fringes; surface or sub-surface walkers for bass at first/last light.
• Float: set 8–15 ft with sandeel, mackerel strip or ragworm for gar and pollack; adjust depth to work the drop-offs.
• Bottom fishing: 4–5 oz leads are ample; use strong mono or fluorocarbon leaders, short pulley or pulley–dropper rigs with a rotten-bottom link to sacrifice the lead in snags; big mackerel/squid cocktails for huss and conger after dark.
• Baits: sandeel (fresh/frozen), peeler crab or softies for bass; rag/lug for general species; mackerel strip for gar/scad; whole squid or flappered mackerel for conger/huss.
• Times: dawn and dusk are prime for bass and pollack; night sessions produce conger, huss and scad; move along the headland to intersect active tide lanes.

The Point is all about flow. The ebb rips out of the Helford and creates defined seams; springs magnify everything, including snags.

• Tide state: first half of the flood and first of the ebb are consistent for bass and pollack; slack water can be quiet.
• Springs vs neaps: springs build stronger rips and bring bait to the seams; neaps offer better wrasse sport in clearer water and easier presentation.
• Sea conditions: a light to moderate onshore push with some colour fires up the bass; big southerly swells can wrap and make it unfishable from the low ledges.
• Time of day: dawn/dusk for lures; full dark for conger/huss and scad; bright, clear middays suit wrasse with weedless soft plastics.
• Water clarity: if gin-clear, scale down lures/braid and fish lower light; after a blow, try larger, noisy or high-contrast lures in the colour.

This is an exposed rock mark with current, swell and slippery kelp—treat it with respect. It is not suitable for those with limited mobility.

• Footing: sloping, weeded rock; use grippy boots or rock spikes and consider a wading belt for security.
• Waves and wash: swell wraps around the headland and surges up ledges at higher stages; keep well back in a sea and never turn your back on the water.
• Current: powerful ebb streams off the Point; if you enter the water, you can be swept quickly into open bay—wear a personal flotation device.
• Edges and height: some ledges are undercut; use a long-handled landing net rather than hand-lining fish.
• Night access: path and rocks are tricky after dark; carry two head torches and mark your exit route in daylight.
• Courtesy: do not obstruct the NCI access or compound; keep dogs on leads around livestock; take litter and line home.
• If unsure about local restrictions or temporary notices, check onsite signage or ask the NCI station when staffed.

There are no facilities at the Point itself—plan as a self-sufficient rock session. Nearby villages have basics.

• Parking: small church car park at St Anthony-in-Meneage (seasonal honesty box); limited informal spaces near Gillan Cove.
• Toilets: none at the mark; nearest public conveniences typically at Helford/Helford Passage (seasonal) or in Helston/Falmouth.
• Food and drink: pubs and cafés around Helford, Helford Passage and Manaccan (seasonal hours); carry water on warm days.
• Tackle/bait: tackle shops in Helston and Falmouth/Penryn; limited or no bait retail in the immediate creeks—buy before you drive in.
• Mobile signal: generally decent on the headland for most networks; can dip in the coves and wooded sections of the path.

A little watercraft goes a long way at Nare Point. Read the seams and you’ll often find the fish before they find you.

• Watch for gannets and terns diving on the ebb seam—get a metal or surface lure into that line quickly for bass or mackerel.
• Work lures down-tide at 45 degrees and let them swing; many takes happen as the lure accelerates off the kelp edge.
• Carry a spare rod: a light LRF/HRF outfit for wrasse/scad and a medium lure rod for bass/pollack covers most bases.
• Use rotten-bottom links and slightly shorter snoods on bait rigs to reduce losses in the kelp.
• In clear, calm conditions, switch to natural-colour soft plastics and longer fluorocarbon leaders; in colour, go darker or high-contrast.
• Wrasse are long-lived—treat them carefully and consider catch-and-release; they’re a superb sport fish here.
• If the Point is busy, fish 100–200 m either side along the path; the same tide features continue and often fish better with less pressure.

There is no blanket ban on recreational shore fishing at Nare Point, but several important rules apply in this area. Always check the most current notices before you go.

• Bass rules: recreational bass retention limits and seasons are set annually and can change; the current minimum size is 42 cm. Check the latest MMO/DEFRA guidance for dates and daily bag limits before retaining any bass.
• Helford Bass Nursery Area: the Helford estuary is a designated Bass Nursery Area landward of a line between Rosemullion Head and Nare Point. Within the BNA, fishing for bass from a vessel is prohibited during the period specified in the Bass (Specified Areas) legislation; shore angling from the coast is not part of the vessel prohibition, but national bass rules still apply. Verify dates with Cornwall IFCA or gov.uk.
• Cornwall IFCA bylaws: adhere to local minimum conservation reference sizes (e.g., for mackerel, pollack, wrasse used as livebait, crabs/lobsters) and prohibitions on taking berried or v-notched lobsters. Netting and potting restrictions apply in parts of the Fal–Helford complex—consult Cornwall IFCA maps if deploying any gear.
• Protected sites: the wider Fal and Helford area forms part of designated conservation sites; bait digging and shellfish collection may be restricted in places—follow posted guidance and local codes.
• Access and land: respect private land and the NCI compound; no vehicular access to the headland beyond public parking; follow the Countryside Code.
• Catch care: consider voluntary catch-and-release for large wrasse and breeding-size bass; use barbless or crushed-barb hooks where practical.