Summary
Corbyn Head is a compact rocky headland on Torquay’s seafront between Corbyn Beach and Livermead, offering easy-access rock and mixed-ground fishing right in the heart of Torbay. It’s a versatile mark where you can reach reef, kelp gullies, and adjacent sand without a long hike. Expect classic Torbay species with good summer sport for wrasse, mackerel, garfish and bass, plus night fishing for pout, whiting and conger.
Location and Access
Set alongside the Torbay Road seafront in Torquay, Corbyn Head is one of the most accessible rock marks in the bay. You’re fishing within minutes of leaving the car and can pick from several ledges facing different directions.
- Access via the promenade footpath on Torbay Road; signed paths and steps lead down to the headland viewpoints and rock ledges.
- Parking: pay-and-display bays along the seafront and larger car parks near Torre Abbey/Princess Theatre; arrive early in peak season and evenings to secure a spot.
- The walk-in is short (5–10 minutes) on paved paths, followed by a brief rocky scramble to chosen ledges.
- Terrain: flat rock shelves with weeded sections, shallow kelp gullies, and casts into mixed sand/rock; choose your platform with the tide in mind.
Seasons
Corbyn Head produces a typical Torbay mix with reef and sand options. Seasonality matters, with summer surface action and winter bottom fishing.
- Spring (Mar–May): ballan and corkwing wrasse, pollack, early garfish, chance of plaice on nearby sand, bass in settled water.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): mackerel, garfish, scad at dusk, wrasse in numbers, bass on lures, occasional black bream, dogfish on the sand, odd smoothhound and small spotted/small-eyed ray after dark.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov): bass and pollack on lures, late mackerel/scad shoals, squid possible at dusk, plaice/dab on sand patches, conger and pouting at night.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): whiting, pouting, rockling, conger from the rough ground, dabs and the odd plaice on the cleaner patches.
Methods
You can fish Corbyn Head with floats, lures, or bottom tactics depending on tide and target. Keep tackle robust—there’s kelp and barnacle-covered rock.
- Lures for bass/pollack: 20–40 g metals, small shallow-diving plugs, and 10–20 g weedless soft plastics; best at dawn/dusk on flooding tide.
- Float fishing: set floats 6–12 ft for mackerel/garfish (strips of mackerel, sandeel, or size 6–8 hooks with slivers), and ragworm or prawn for wrasse tight to the rocks.
- Bottom fishing (mixed-to-sand): two-hook flappers with size 2–1 hooks for plaice/dab/whiting; pulley or pulley dropper with 3/0–4/0 for rays/dogfish. Baits: ragworm, lugworm, sandeel, squid, peeler crab.
- Wrasse tactics: strong abrasion-resistant leaders (40–60 lb), size 2–1/0 hooks, rag/crab baits lowered into gullies; avoid long casts—fish under your feet.
- Conger after dark: heavy mono or wire trace, 5/0 hooks, mackerel or squid flank baits lowered into holes and channels.
- LRF finesse: 1–7 g jigheads with isome/shrimps for blennies, gobies, mini-wrasse; micro metals for scad after dusk.
Tides and Conditions
Depth is your friend here—many ledges fish best with a bit of water on them. Torbay’s shelter helps in westerlies but easterlies can make it lively.
- Tide: the last 2 hours of the flood through high water and first hour of the ebb are prime for most species; neaps for wrasse/lures, springs for rays/dogfish on the sand.
- Wind/sea state: generally sheltered in SW–W winds; exposed and potentially dangerous in E–NE winds which push swell onto the rocks and colour the water.
- Water clarity: clear, settled seas favour lures, garfish and wrasse; a little colour suits bass and bottom fishing.
- Time of day: dawn/dusk for bass/pollack; summer evenings for mackerel/garfish/scad; full dark for conger, pout and whiting.
- Seasonality: peak mixed fishing June–October; winter leans to bottom fishing on calmer nights.
Safety
Although close to the road, Corbyn Head is still a rock mark—treat it with the same respect you would any rough ground venue.
- Slippery weeded ledges and barnacles: wear grippy boots/cleats; test footing before committing weight.
- Tide awareness: some lower ledges become awkward or risky at mid-to-high springs; choose higher platforms to avoid cut-off and splash-over.
- Swell: avoid strong E/NE winds or swell forecasts; rogue waves can wash the platforms.
- Night fishing: carry a headtorch, spare light, and consider a personal flotation device; a drop-net or long-handled net helps safe landing.
- Accessibility: short paved approach but final access is uneven rock—unsuitable for wheelchairs and difficult for limited mobility.
- Bathing areas: in summer, expect swimmers on adjacent beaches; never cast across flagged swim zones or near water users.
Facilities
You’re on the Torquay seafront, so facilities are close at hand. Peak-season crowds can be heavy.
- Parking: seafront pay-and-display bays and nearby public car parks by Torre Abbey/Princess Theatre.
- Toilets: public conveniences along Abbey Sands/Princess Gardens (check seasonal opening hours).
- Food/drink: cafés, bars and takeaways on the promenade within a short walk.
- Tackle/bait: multiple tackle shops in Torquay/Paignton are a short drive; frozen bait often available from local convenience stores.
- Mobile signal: generally strong across the headland.
- Bins: seafront litter bins nearby—pack out waste if they’re full or closed.
Tips
Small tweaks make a big difference at Corbyn Head—reading the ground at low water pays off.
- Recce at low tide to mark sand tongues and gullies, then fish them on the flood for plaice, rays and bass.
- For plaice, use long snoods, small size 2 hooks, bright beads/spoons and ragworm or crab cocktails.
- Keep mackerel/gar sessions courteous: single-hook metals or small floats instead of big feather rigs when the promenade is busy.
- For wrasse, fish down the side with minimal lead; move spots every 10–15 minutes until you find them.
- Scad often arrive at dusk: tiny metals or sabikis under a small float work—swap to barbless to unhook quickly.
- After blowy spells, give it 24–48 hours for the water to clear before committing to lure work.
- Bring a drop-net for safe landing; the rock lip can make hand-lining risky on bigger fish.
Regulations
There is no general ban on fishing from Corbyn Head, but you must respect beach users and any seasonal lifeguard instructions. Check current rules before you go.
- Beach/lifeguard zones: do not fish between red/yellow bathing flags on adjacent beaches; heed any Torbay Council or RNLI signage on the promenade.
- Bass regulations (recreational): subject to annual national rules—commonly a closed period in winter and a bag/size limit the rest of the year. Check the latest MMO/DEFRA notice before retaining bass.
- Minimum sizes: observe the UK minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) for species such as bass, plaice, rays and pollack; Devon & Severn IFCA publishes regional information.
- Bait collection: avoid prising limpets or damaging rocky habitats; some areas of Torbay carry environmental designations—only collect bait where it’s permitted and sustainable.
- Night fishing and public order: be considerate with lights and noise near hotels/apartments; take all litter, line and hooks home.
- If unsure about any local byelaws or seasonal restrictions, contact Torbay Council or Devon & Severn IFCA for clarification.
