Summary
Gara Rock sits on the rugged headland east of Salcombe, looking out over the mouth of the estuary towards the open Channel. It’s a classic South Devon rock mark: dramatic slate ledges, kelp-filled gullies, and deep water close in. Seasonally rich and wonderfully varied, it rewards lure and bait anglers who respect the sea and pick their conditions.
Location and Access
This mark lies on the South West Coast Path near the Gara Rock Hotel above East Portlemouth. Access is straightforward for fit walkers, but the final descents to fishing ledges and small coves are steep and can be slippery. Use designated paths and never climb fences or cut new tracks.
- Driving: Head for East Portlemouth via the A379/Kingsbridge and follow brown signs for Gara Rock/Gara Rock Hotel (sat‑nav: TQ8 8FA gets you to the general area).
- Parking: Hotel parking is for guests; day visitors should use nearby National Trust car parks such as Rickham Common or Mill Bay and walk in via the coast path (15–30 minutes depending on car park and chosen ledge).
- Approach: The South West Coast Path is undulating with exposed sections; the spurs down to the rock platforms and sandy coves have steps in places but include steep, uneven ground.
- Terrain: Jagged slate/schist ledges, barnacle‑covered rock, kelp beds and boulders. Some platforms are only safe/usable at certain tide states.
Seasons
A mix of rough-ground predators and summer visitors frequent the headland and adjacent coves. Expect variety, with the best overall fishing from late spring to autumn.
- Common (late spring to autumn): bass (May–Oct, with C&R only in some months under regs), pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse, mackerel (Jun–Sep), garfish (May–Sep), scad/horse mackerel at night (Aug–Oct).
- Year‑round regulars: pouting, poor cod; conger eel and bull huss after dark; pollack on lures in clear water.
- Occasional/bonus: small spotted rays from nearby sand tongues at range, gurnard on bait in calmer periods, squid/cuttlefish in clear autumn nights, triggerfish in warm late summers (highly sporadic).
Methods
Gara Rock rewards mobile lure work in clear water and stout bottom tactics after dark. Choose tackle to match rough ground and kelp.
- Lures (daylight/dusk):
- Weedless soft plastics (4–6 in paddletails or eel imitations) on 10–20 g weighted hooks for bass and pollack in the gullies.
- Metal jigs/spinners 20–40 g for mackerel, gar (add a short trace of 12–15 lb fluoro), and schoolie bass when baitfish show.
- LRF/HRF: 3–10 g jigheads with small creature baits for corkwing/wrasse and night scad on size 6–10 hooks.
- Float fishing:
- Ragworm, prawn or hardback crab for wrasse; set 8–15 ft depending on ledge depth and swell.
- Slivers of mackerel or sandeel for garfish in calm, clear water.
- Bottom fishing (evenings/night):
- Pulley or pulley‑dropper with a rotten‑bottom/weak link to the lead; 4–6 oz leads depending on tide run.
- 50–60 lb leader, robust 20–30 lb mainline; 3/0–6/0 strong patterns for huss/conger.
- Baits: mackerel, squid, sandeel cocktails; peeler crab for bass in season; whole squid or flapper for conger after dark.
- Fly (settled conditions):
- Intermediate line with sandeel patterns or deceivers at dawn/dusk, working rips and current seams.
Tides and Conditions
Tide choice and sea state make or break this venue. It fishes best with movement but becomes dangerous in big swell or strong onshore winds.
- Tide: The flood and the first of the ebb are productive; two hours either side of high water often prime on the ledges. Springs create strong lateral flow around the headland.
- Wind/sea: Light W–SW gives a manageable roll and colour for bass; E–SE winds drive swell onto the ledges, add weed and can make it unfishable/unsafe.
- Water clarity: Clear to gin‑clear in settled spells (great for wrasse/pollack lures). After storms, give it 24–48 hours for weed to drop out.
- Time of day/season: Dawn and dusk are standout for bass and pollack; darkness for huss and conger. Peak overall fishing from May to October; winter can still produce pollack, pouting and the odd bass in settled windows.
Safety
This is an exposed rock mark with steep approaches and real wave hazard. It is not suitable for those with limited mobility, young children, or anyone unfamiliar with rock fishing in swell.
- Slips and swell: Wear studded/cleated boots and a modern fishing lifejacket; keep well back from edges and avoid low ledges in any swell.
- Cut‑offs: Some platforms and adjacent coves can be cut off by the flooding tide—plan exits and avoid committing to low areas near high water.
- Ground conditions: Barnacles, algae and kelp make surfaces treacherous when damp; test every step and keep packs low.
- Weather: Easterly or southerly blow can wrap swell around the headland; if in doubt, don’t fish.
- Night sessions: Recce in daylight; use a helmet lamp and spare light; fish with a partner and tell someone your plan.
- Boundaries: Respect hotel/private land signage and stay on the South West Coast Path and marked access spurs. Seasonal seabird nesting means avoid disturbing cliff faces.
- Emergency: Mobile signal is often good on the headland but patchy in coves; carry a whistle and means of calling for help.
Facilities
You’re close to amenities yet still in a wild setting. Plan to be self‑sufficient once you leave the path.
- Food/drink: Gara Rock Hotel has a bar/restaurant for patrons; book in advance in peak season. Salcombe and Kingsbridge offer plentiful pubs and shops.
- Toilets: Public toilets are available seasonally at East Portlemouth/Mill Bay and in Salcombe; none on the headland itself.
- Tackle/bait: Options in Kingsbridge and around Start Bay/Torcross; limited bits in Salcombe—check opening hours and stock in advance.
- Communications: Generally decent phone signal on the tops; patchy or absent down in the coves and under cliffs.
- Other: No lighting on paths; bring headtorch even for late finishes. No water points—carry what you need.
Tips
Little choices make a big difference here. Travel light, move between features, and match tactics to the water in front of you.
- Read the ground: Work lures across kelp gullies and along current seams; bass often sit tight to the white water line.
- Leaders: Use 20–30 lb fluorocarbon for abrasion resistance around rock and barnacles; go lighter for gar and mackerel in clear water.
- Weedless is king: Texas‑rigged soft plastics save gear and reach fish holding in rough ground. Add a short wire bite trace only if cuttlefish are about at night.
- Weak links: Always attach leads via a lighter mono weak link on bottom rigs to recover fish when snagged.
- Prawn power: Live or fresh prawns from local weed pockets (where permitted) can transform wrasse sport—take only what you need and return unused.
- Night signs: Scad shoals show under light on calm late‑summer nights; tiny metals or sabikis (barbless) score well.
- Wildlife: Grey seals patrol the headland; if one starts shadowing you, move rather than feed it your fish.
- Ferries: Don’t rely on the Salcombe–East Portlemouth foot ferry for late finishes—service is daytime/early evening only seasonally.
Regulations
Rules here fall under the Devon & Severn IFCA and national sea angling measures. They change, so check official sources before you go.
- Bass (Area 7): Minimum size 42 cm. Recent years’ rules have been catch‑and‑release only in Jan–Feb and Dec, with a 2‑fish daily bag limit Mar–Nov—confirm the current year’s dates and limits with the UK government/DEFRA.
- Tope and sharks: Recreational retention of tope is prohibited in England—release alive. Porbeagle and other large sharks should also be released unharmed.
- Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes (MCRS): Apply to many species (e.g., mackerel, pollack, wrasse have no legal MLS but practice restraint). Consult Devon & Severn IFCA for the current list.
- Bait collection: Intertidal gathering is regulated in places; some protected features/SSSIs and voluntary codes apply. Only take small amounts for immediate use and avoid damaging eelgrass or reef fauna.
- Protected sites: The coast here lies within wider marine protected areas; angling is allowed from shore, but do not disturb nesting seabirds or damage fragile reef.
- General: No fires or camping on the headland; take all litter and line home. Respect private land around the hotel and stick to public rights of way.
