Bucks Mills Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Bucks Mills Fishing Map

Bucks Mills is a small, rugged rocky cove on the North Devon coast with boulder/cobble ground and low-tide rock platforms intersected by kelpy gullies and small sand patches. It fishes best on the flooding tide into dusk and the first of the ebb, when fish move tight to the ledges and gullies. Expect heavy ground and snags—use strong tackle and rotten-bottom links if casting to cleaner patches. Summer brings wrasse, pollack, mackerel and gar; nights produce pouting, dogfish and the odd huss or conger. Winter can see whiting on calmer days. Access is via a steep lane and cobbled slip, and swell can be significant—check conditions and avoid in big seas.

Ratings

⭐ 6/10 Overall
Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 4/10

Fish You Can Catch at Bucks Mills

🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Summer-autumn. Fish crab, limpet or rag tight to kelp gullies and rocks on the flood; short casts, strong gear and rotten-bottom. Slight swell and coloured water help.
🐟 Bass 7/10
🎯 Tip: After a blow when water colours. Rising tide over boulders and gullies; shallow divers, surface lures or crab/peeler/sandeel baits. Focus on first push of the flood and dusk.
🐟 Pollack 7/10
🎯 Tip: Dawn/dusk on a flooding tide. Work soft plastics or metal jigs along kelp edges and drop-offs, or float a sandeel. Keep lures tight to structure.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Night on the flood over mixed patches. Small fish baits on simple pulley or ledger rigs; keep baits just off the kelp to reduce snags.
🐟 Bull Huss 6/10
🎯 Tip: Night over rough, kelpy ground. Big mackerel or squid baits on strong traces and rotten-bottom. Best from low water into the flood; expect powerful runs.
🐟 Mackerel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Late spring to autumn in calm spells. Feathers/sabikis or small metals from ledges on a running tide; keep mobile and watch for bird activity.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Summer in clear water. Small rag or crab close to weed and rock seams on the flood; size 4-6 hooks, keep baits hard on the bottom.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: LRF tactics with size 14-20 hooks and tiny rag or squid slivers. Fish tight to boulder holes and ledges at any state; very reliable on the flood.
🐟 Pouting 5/10
🎯 Tip: Dusk into dark around deeper holes. Small fish baits or worm on size 2-4 hooks; short casts to mixed ground on the flood, best autumn-winter.
🐟 Rock Goby 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny hooks and rag or tipped sabikis worked under ledges and among boulders on the flood; ideal for LRF close in.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark into kelp holes and undercuts. Whole mackerel or big squid on heavy mono/trace; fish slack to first of the flood and keep tackle locked up.
🐟 Garfish 4/10
🎯 Tip: Late summer-autumn in clear, calm water. Float-fish sandeel or mackerel strip 2-4 ft deep and wind steadily over the top of the flood.

Bucks Mills Fishing

Summary

Bucks Mills is a quiet, boulder-strewn cove on North Devon’s Atlantic coast between Clovelly and Westward Ho!. It’s a classic rough-ground rock mark with kelp, gullies and ledges that hold wrasse, pollack and bass, plus conger and huss after dark. The setting is dramatic, the fishing can be excellent, and you’ll often have it largely to yourself.

Location and Access

Reaching Bucks Mills is straightforward, but the final approach is steep and narrow and the foreshore is rugged. Plan to park at the top and walk in with sensible footwear and a manageable amount of tackle.

Seasons

This is primarily a rough-ground mark with seasonal visiting pelagics. Expect wrasse and pollack through the warmer months, bass in suitable seas, and nocturnal predators over high water.

Methods

Rough-ground tactics rule here, with rotten-bottom links and strong abrasion resistance. Lure fishing can be superb in the right light and sea state.

Tides and Conditions

Big Bristol Channel tides and Atlantic swell shape this mark; fish it when movement meets manageability.

Safety

This is a serious rock mark with slippery boulders, surge and the risk of cut-off. Treat it like a small adventure and gear up accordingly.

Facilities

Bucks Mills itself has very limited facilities, so arrive self-sufficient and plan your session length around the car park and daylight.

Tips

A few small choices make a big difference at Bucks Mills—both to your catch rate and your safety.

Regulations

There is no blanket ban on angling here, but you must follow national and regional rules and respect on-site National Trust signage. Always check for updates before you go.