Blackchurch Rock Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Blackchurch Rock Fishing Map

An iconic sea arch on the remote Mouthmill boulder beach near Brownsham/Clovelly. This is a rough-ground, kelp-filled rock mark with deep gutters close in on mid-to-high tides and powerful tidal movement. It fishes best on a flooding tide into dusk with light swell. Expect prolific wrasse and pollack in summer, mackerel and garfish in clear conditions, and conger, huss, and whiting after dark later in the year. Access is a steep, long walk through the valley and footing is on uneven boulders; heavy swell and rockfall risk mean it is only for experienced, well-prepared anglers.

Ratings

⭐ 6.6/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 3/10
Accessibility 3/10

Fish You Can Catch at Blackchurch Rock

🐟 Bass 8/10
🎯 Tip: Work shallow divers or sandeel SPs through surfy gullies at first/last light on a rising tide. Peeler or crab baits also score after a swell.
🐟 Pollack 8/10
🎯 Tip: Float fish or spin metals/soft shads along kelp gullies at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide. Keep lures tight to the weed; 20–30 g works well.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Daylight on the flood; fish hard crab, rag or prawn tight to rock/kelp. Strong gear, short traces; expect snags. Summer–autumn best.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 7/10
🎯 Tip: Evenings/nights; small fish or squid on simple paternoster cast to clear patches beyond kelp. Year-round, more in warmer months.
🐟 Bull Huss 7/10
🎯 Tip: Night into rough gullies with big mackerel/squid on pulley rigs. Use rotten-bottoms; neap floods fish well. Spring–autumn.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Dusk/night; two-hook flappers with fish/squid strips into gullies. Short casts over rough ground. Year-round.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small hooks with ragworm/crab under a float or light ledger tight to kelp edges on a flooding tide. Summer reliable.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: Micro hooks with tiny rag/squid lowered into cracks and pools at mid–low tide on calm days. Year-round fun close in.
🐟 Conger Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: After dark, drop big oily baits into deep holes under the rod tip. Heavy abrasion-resistant leaders. Best on neap floods, summer–autumn.
🐟 Three-bearded Rockling 5/10
🎯 Tip: Winter nights; small worm baits fished static in kelpy gullies at low to mid-flood. Keep baits hard on the bottom.
🐟 Mackerel 5/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals; spin small metals or single feathers when tide pushes past the rock. Best in clear water on evening floods.
🐟 Garfish 5/10
🎯 Tip: Late spring–autumn; float small fish strips or sandeel on long traces. Clear, calm days on the flood around the point.

Blackchurch Rock Fishing

Summary

Blackchurch Rock sits on the wild Mouthmill beach between Clovelly and Hartland on North Devon’s Atlantic coast. It’s a dramatic sea arch flanked by steep cliffs, boulder fields and kelp-lined gullies that scream rough-ground fishing. For adventurous shore anglers, it offers bass, wrasse, pollack and powerful nighttime predators when the sea and tide align.

Location and Access

This mark is reached via woodland paths to Mouthmill beach, on National Trust land, with no direct road access to the shore. Expect a proper walk and very rough ground underfoot when you arrive.

Seasons

This is classic rough-ground fishing with seasonal variety. Expect close-in action when the sea has life, with a few surprises in autumn and at night.

Methods

Rough-ground tactics rule: fish strong, accept some tackle loss, and present baits or lures tight to structure and white water.

Tides and Conditions

The Bristol Channel’s extreme tidal range and Atlantic swells shape this mark. Plan around the tide, swell height and wind direction for both safety and success.

Safety

This is a serious rough-ground venue beneath unstable cliffs with rapid tidal flooding. Only experienced, well-equipped anglers should attempt it in fair conditions.

Facilities

You’re far from amenities once you drop to the beach—plan to be self-sufficient. Nearby villages offer limited services.

Tips

Local knowledge minimises losses and maximises bites on this snaggy, mobile ground.

Regulations

Shore angling is permitted here; there are no site-specific bans known at the time of writing. Standard national and local rules apply—always check the latest before you go.