Summary
Challaborough (South Hams, Devon) is a small, surf-facing cove tucked between rocky headlands just west of Bigbury-on-Sea. It offers a neat mix of clean sand and wrassey rock ledges, making it a reliable all-round shore mark. Bass in a rolling surf, summer mackerel and gar, and wrasse from the rocks are the headline draws.
Location and Access
This is an easily reached South Devon beach with short walks to the sand and slightly more effort for the rock ledges on either side. Access is via the A379 and B3392 through St Ann’s Chapel, dropping down the steep lane into the bay.
- Parking: Small pay-and-display by the beach and limited roadside spaces; arrive early in summer. Holiday park parking is for guests. Postcode: TQ7 4HU.
- Terrain: Clean sand in the centre; boulder and ledge ground on both flanks. The rock platforms are uneven, kelpy and can be steep in places.
- Approach: The beach is an easy stroll; the rock marks require careful footing and short scrambles. Use the South West Coast Path to reach safer, flatter ledges.
- Notes: The causeway to Burgh Island is nearby but not part of this mark. Do not rely on crossing sand at low water to shortcut access—tides flood quickly.
Seasons
Challaborough produces a classic South Devon mix, with bass and wrasse as staples and seasonal pelagics in summer. Winter brings the usual channels species on night tides.
- Spring (Mar–May): School and occasional better bass, ballan and corkwing wrasse, pollack from the headlands; early smoothhound possible in settled spells.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): Mackerel, garfish, scad, pollack, ballan/corkwing wrasse, school bass, dogfish; plaice/dabs/sole on the cleaner patches; occasional gurnard, triggers in warm late summers.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov): Peak bass, mackerel/scad late evenings, wrasse still strong until the first big blows; increasing whiting and pouting after dark; chance of small-eyed or blonde ray on the sand in calm seas.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, pouting, dogfish, dabs, the odd codling on a cold northerly; conger from the rocks on big baits after dark.
Methods
Both bait and lure tactics work here; fish the sand for bass/flatfish and the rocks for wrasse, pollack and summer pelagics. Scale rigs to the ground—lighter over clean patches, stronger over kelp and ledge.
- Beach (cleaner sand): 2-hook flapper with size 2–1 hooks for whiting/dabs; long pulley/dropper with size 1/0–3/0 for bass/ray. Rolling leads and short traces help find surf-lane bass.
- Rock marks: Float-fish rag/crab/mackerel strip for wrasse, gar and mackerel; simple running ledger with rotten-bottom for wrasse/conger; LRF metals and isome for mini species.
- Lures: Surface and sub-surface hard baits or 12–20 g soft plastics for bass in clear, gentle surf; 20–40 g metals/needle jigs for mackerel/scad; weedless paddletails on the headlands for pollack at dusk.
- Baits: Peeler or soft crab, ragworm, lug, sandeel, squid and mackerel strip cover most bases. Crab is king for wrasse and smoothhound; lug/sandeel for bass; squid/mackerel cocktail for dogs/whiting/rays.
- Times: Dawn and dusk are prime, especially for bass and pollack. Night fishing improves whiting, dogfish and the chance of a ray.
Tides and Conditions
Tide and surf shape this venue. A modest, milky surf and a flooding tide often bring fish right into the first gutter.
- Best tide: Mid-flood to the first of the ebb on the beach; flood to high around the rocks for wrasse. Big springs open up extra gullies at low water but increase lateral flow near the points.
- Sea state: Light to moderate SW/W swell is excellent for bass; too big and the kelp/weeds make it unfishable. Clear, gentle seas favour lures and float-fishing.
- Wind: Easterlies flatten and clear the bay—great for lures. Strong onshore SW winds produce surf but can be dangerous on the rocks.
- Light: First and last light for bass/pollack; full dark for whiting/dogs and the chance of a ray or conger.
- Water clarity: After heavy seas the bay colours for 24–48 hours; headlands may clear quicker than the central surf line.
Safety
Treat Challaborough as a surf beach with rocky bookends: shifting rips, surges and weeded ledges are the main hazards. Rock marks can be committing—pick stable platforms and watch the swell set for a full 10 minutes.
- Slippery weeded rocks, undercut ledges and sudden surges—wear studs or boots with good grip and a personal flotation device when fishing the rocks.
- Tidal cut-off risk on the flanks at mid-to-high water; plan an escape route and avoid low ledges in building swell.
- RNLI lifeguarded in season: do not fish within or across the red/yellow bathing flags or in crowded water. Dawn, dusk or after lifeguard hours are best in summer.
- Strong rips can form at either end of the bay on bigger tides—keep clear, especially when wading.
- Headtorch, spare light and a charged phone are essential after dark; mobile signal can dip close under the cliffs.
Facilities
This is a holiday-bay setup with seasonal amenities right by the sand; expect it to be busy in peak summer.
- Toilets: Public facilities near the beach (seasonal opening hours).
- Food/drink: Café and takeaway in season; small shop within the holiday park.
- Parking: Small beach car park; spaces fill early on fair-weather days.
- Lifeguards: Typically present late spring to early autumn—observe flagged zones.
- Tackle/bait: Nearest shops are in Kingsbridge, Ivybridge and Plymouth; pick up bait en route.
- Phone signal: Generally fair on higher ground; can be patchy beside the cliffs.
Tips
Think small windows and moving water: short, well-timed sessions around tide push often out-fish long soaks. The rock fringes hide productive gullies that many overlook.
- Work a surface lure across the first gutter on an early flood for cruising bass, especially after a small, dying swell.
- Float-fish rag or small crab tight to kelp fringes for wrasse; release big ballans—these are slow-growing, resident fish.
- On summer evenings, metals in the 20–30 g range cast from the points often find mackerel/scad beyond the surf line.
- Use a weak link/rotten-bottom over mixed ground to save leads.
- If weed is sweeping the beach, try the headlands or step up to heavier grip leads and shorter snoods.
- After storms, look for newly formed gutters—bass patrol these seams on the next set of calmer tides.
Regulations
Challaborough sits within the Devon & Severn IFCA district, and general MMO and national sea angling rules apply. Regulations change—always check the current official guidance before your trip.
- Bass: Recreational bass rules (bag limits, minimum size and potential closed months) change periodically in ICES area 7—check the latest MMO/DEFRA notice before retaining any fish.
- Size/bag limits: Observe national minimum conservation reference sizes for species like bass, rays, wrasse (where applicable), pollack, etc. When in doubt, return the fish.
- Lifeguarded beach rules: In season, do not fish within or across RNLI flagged bathing/surf zones or where local signage prohibits it.
- Bait collection: Follow local byelaws for hand gathering; avoid SSSI-dune/estuary areas and take only small, personal quantities below the high-water mark.
- Protected/berried crustaceans: Do not retain berried or v-notched lobsters; adhere to size limits for edible crab/lobster.
- Nets and pots: Shore anglers should not set unpermitted nets/pots—IFCA permit byelaws apply.
- Litter and fish welfare: No discarding of line/hooks; dispatch and store any retained catch humanely.
