Summary
The Island is the granite headland between Porthmeor and Porthgwidden in St Ives, Cornwall, crowned by St Nicholas Chapel and owned by the National Trust. It offers accessible rock-ledges, clean-to-rough ground, and a choice of leeward or windward sides, making it a reliable, year-round shore mark. Expect summer sport with mackerel, garfish and wrasse, plus autumn bass and dusk pollack along the kelpy drop-offs.
Location and Access
Set between two popular beaches and a short stroll from the harbour, The Island is one of the easiest true rock marks to reach on Cornwall’s north coast. Approach is straightforward on paved paths, with short scrambles needed to reach the better ledges.
- Drive and park at the signed "The Island" pay-and-display car park above Porthgwidden; it fills quickly in summer, so arrive early or fish evenings/dawn.
- Additional long-stay options in town (e.g. Barnoon/Trenwith) with a 10–20 minute walk through the harbour or along Porthmeor.
- The coastal path loops around the headland; spur paths drop to ledges on the Porthmeor (NW) and Porthgwidden (E) sides. Expect uneven, sometimes polished granite.
- Public transport is viable: St Ives station to the harbour, then 10–15 minutes on foot to The Island.
- Terrain is mixed: flat granite slabs, kelpy gullies, and boulder pockets. Good trainers/boots suffice in the dry; grippy soles are strongly recommended when damp.
Seasons
This headland fishes differently on each face, with clean sand close on the beach sides and kelp/rough ground on the points. Species vary by season and water clarity.
- Spring (Apr–May): pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse, early garfish; school bass on calmer days.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): mackerel, garfish, scad (horse mackerel) after dark, wrasse, pollack; occasional triggerfish in late summer; mullet mooching near the beaches.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov): bass around surf lines and points, better-sized pollack at dusk, scad at night, wrasse until the first big chills, pouting and dogfish on baits.
- Winter (Dec–Mar): pollack on calmer windows, whiting and pouting after dark, rockling; very occasional codling in heavy northerly blows.
- Year-round visitors: conger eels from rough ground after dark; mini-species (blennies, gobies, scorpion fish) for LRF anglers in the nooks.
Methods
Carry a light, adaptable setup and choose faces according to wind, swell and water colour. Lure, float and bottom tactics all score here.
- Lures (spinning/soft plastics): 20–40 g metals and slim spoons for mackerel/gar/scad; weedless soft plastics (10–20 g) and slim minnows for pollack and bass along the kelp edges at dawn/dusk.
- Float fishing: set 8–15 ft with ragworm, prawn or sandeel/mackerel strip for wrasse, garfish and pollack; adjust depth to just above the weed.
- Bottom fishing: 1–2 hook pulley or pulley-dropshot with a short trace and a rotten-bottom (weak link) to sacrifice leads in snags; 3–5 oz leads usually suffice. Baits: squid strip, mackerel, sandeel; peeler/hard crab for wrasse and bass.
- After dark: larger fish baits (mackerel flapper, whole squid) for conger and bigger pollack; size up abrasion-resistant leaders.
- LRF: size 6–12 hooks, isome/gulp worms and tiny metals tease out blennies, scorpion fish and small wrasse; fish harbour-side corners if holiday crowds are heavy.
- Practical notes: keep fish high in the water to avoid kelp; a long-handled net helps on higher ledges; sabikis work for scad/mackerel but tangle easily in weed—use a single lure when the kelp is up.
Tides and Conditions
The Island benefits from choice: one side is nearly always more comfortable. Time sessions for calmer windows and moving water.
- Tide: mid-to-flood and the last two hours of the ebb are productive; springs pull fish tight to the ledges but increase wash and snags.
- Light: first and last light are prime for pollack and bass; scad and whiting arrive after dark.
- Water clarity: clear to green water suits mackerel, gar and pollack; coloured, lively water on the Porthmeor side can switch on bass.
- Wind and swell: W–NW swells make the Porthmeor face dangerous—seek shelter on the Porthgwidden (eastern) side. In easterlies, flip that logic and try the Porthmeor/north face.
- Seasonality: May–October offers the most variety; winter fishing is weather-dependent with short, opportunistic sessions between blows.
Safety
This is an exposed Atlantic headland; conditions can change quickly with sets and rebound swell. Treat wet granite and kelp with respect.
- Wear grippy footwear and a modern inflatable lifejacket; take a headlamp if there’s any chance you’ll finish in the dark.
- Check tide times and swell forecasts; several lower platforms become cut off or sketchy around mid-to-high water in a swell.
- Keep well back from edges in W–NW seas; never turn your back on the water and avoid fishing alone at night on the outer points.
- Use rotten-bottom links to free snags safely; carry a first-aid kit and a fully charged phone.
- Accessibility: paved paths to the chapel and around the headland are easy; the productive ledges require short, uneven scrambles and are not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
- Summer beach rules: do not cast anywhere near swimmers or within RNLI red-and-yellow flagged bathing zones on Porthmeor/Porthgwidden when lifeguards are on duty.
- Wildlife and heritage: respect nesting birds on cliff faces and the historic chapel; keep dogs on leads where requested by National Trust signage.
Facilities
St Ives is fully serviced, and The Island sits amid two popular beaches, so facilities are close at hand. Expect crowds in peak season.
- Parking: "The Island" pay-and-display on top of the headland; alternative long-stay options in town with a walk.
- Toilets: public conveniences near the beaches/harbour (seasonal opening hours may apply).
- Food and drink: cafés at Porthgwidden and Porthmeor, plus numerous pubs and takeaways in the harbour area.
- Tackle and bait: small shops in town often stock basic bait and end-tackle; wider selections available in larger nearby towns if you need specialist items.
- Mobile signal: generally good 4G around the headland.
- Lighting: minimal after dark—bring a headtorch; some spill from the town, but ledges remain very dark.
Tips
Local knowledge goes a long way here; small tweaks make the difference between snags and steady action.
- When the kelp is thick, swap feathers for a single lure or a two-hook sabiki trimmed short to reduce tangles.
- Garfish love a long-shank size 4–6 on a float with a thin mackerel strip; let it drift just above the weed.
- Keep wrasse high in the water and bully them early to avoid kelp—use abrasion-resistant leaders and consider circle hooks for easy unhooking.
- At last light, work soft plastics down-tide along the drop-offs for better pollack; give it a full five-count before starting the retrieve.
- After a blow, try shallow-running plugs or weightless soft plastics along the Porthmeor surf edges for bass as the sea eases.
- Night scad often sit under patches of artificial light bleed—tiny metals or a small white soft plastic on a jighead does the trick.
- Big ballan wrasse are slow-growing; many locals release them—snap a quick photo and put them back.
Regulations
There is no general ban on shore angling from The Island, but you must follow national and local rules and any on-site signage. The headland is National Trust land—treat it respectfully and leave no trace.
- Check the current Cornwall IFCA bylaws and MMO guidance before you go; size limits and closed areas can change.
- Bass: recreational bass rules (minimum size 42 cm and seasonal bag limits/closed periods) are subject to annual MMO notices—confirm the current year’s restrictions before retaining any fish.
- Do not fish within lifeguarded bathing zones on the beaches when flags are up; local beach byelaws prioritise swimmer safety.
- Some intertidal foraging and shellfish collection is restricted or requires permissions in parts of Cornwall—observe any local signs and protected-area notices.
- You do not need permission to fish the foreshore below the mean high water mark, but respect private property, the chapel, and fenced or signed areas above it.
- Dispose of line and hooks responsibly; never leave fish waste where it could attract gulls to public areas.
