Summary
Hooken Cliffs lies between Beer Head and Branscombe on Devon’s Jurassic Coast, backed by dramatic chalk and undercliff. It’s a remote, rough-ground mark that rewards mobile, knowledgeable anglers with bass, pollack and chunky wrasse in clear summer seas, plus conger and winter species after dark.
Location and Access
This is a wild, landslip coast with steep paths and boulder beaches; plan your approach and travel light. Most anglers access either from Branscombe or Beer along the South West Coast Path.
- From Branscombe: Park at the beach/National Trust car park and follow the Coast Path east towards Beer Head; look for signed descents into the Hooken Undercliff, then a steep, uneven path to the beach.
- From Beer: Park in the village long-stay car parks and walk west on the Coast Path towards Beer Head, then descend via the undercliff path to the shore.
- Walking time: 20–45 minutes depending on route, fitness and conditions; the final descent is steep, with steps, roots and loose ground.
- Terrain: Shingle, chalk and flint boulders, kelp and rough ground; not suitable for trolleys/barrows. Good boots with grip are essential.
- Public transport: Occasional buses serve Beer and Branscombe; allow extra time for the coastal approach.
- Access notes: Paths through the undercliff can be diverted or closed after landslips; heed on-site signage and any temporary closures.
Seasons
The undercliff and boulder fields hold classic rough-ground species in summer, with winter bringing the usual channel of pout and whiting. Expect the following through the year:
- Spring (Mar–May): Bass, pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse (building), garfish late spring; early mackerel runs in May in settled weather.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): Mackerel, garfish, scad, bass, pollack, ballan/corkwing wrasse, thick-lipped mullet tight in the rocks on calm days; conger after dark; occasional smoothhound on crab baits.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov): Peak bass (especially Sept–Oct), mackerel/scad at dusk, pollack, wrasse until the first big blows; pout and rockling increasing; chance of an occasional codling in onshore blows.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, pouting, conger, rockling; dogfish on smaller tides; odd codling after prolonged rough seas.
- Bycatch possibilities: Poor cod, tompot blenny, small gurnard where patches of cleaner ground meet the rough.
Methods
Rough-ground tactics dominate: travel light, use abrasion-resistant gear and incorporate weak links for leads. Lures and floats excel in clear water; big baits shine at dusk or in a bit of colour.
- Lure fishing: 12–35 g weedless soft plastics (paddle/sandeel profiles) for pollack and bass worked alongside kelp lines; 14–28 g metals and casting jigs for mackerel/scad; small stickbaits or surface walkers at dawn/dusk for bass in calm seas.
- Float fishing: Ragworm, live prawn or hardback/peeler crab for wrasse along rock walls and gullies; mackerel strip for garfish; set the float to run 6–15 ft, adjusting to depth and tide.
- Bottom tactics: Pulley or pulley-dropper with a 60–80 cm hooklength for bass/conger; use a rotten-bottom/weak link (10–15 lb mono) to sacrifice the lead in snags.
- Rigs and line: 40–60 lb leader for abrasion; mainline 20–30 lb braid or 15–18 lb mono; strong hooks (size 1/0–4/0 for bass/conger, size 2–1 for wrasse). Grip leads 4–5 oz to hold on the flood where feasible.
- Baits: Peeler or soft crab (top bait for bass/wrasse/smoothhound), ragworm, fresh mackerel or squid strips, sandeel; whole squid or big mackerel fillet for conger after dark.
- Timing: Dawn and dusk for bass/pollack; daytime for wrasse in clear water; night sessions for conger, pout and whiting.
Tides and Conditions
Hooken likes movement but can be dangerous in big swell; choose your windows. Lures thrive in clear, calm to moderate seas; bait works best with some colour and a rolling sea.
- Tide state: Productive on the flood and first of the ebb; wrasse often feed well from mid-ebb to mid-flood as water floods the kelp lines. Avoid the very top of big springs if there’s swell due to fierce backwash.
- Sea state: A gentle to moderate onshore ripple (W–SW) puts bass on the feed; prolonged easterlies clear the water for lure and float work but can make it lifeless.
- Water clarity: Clear to lightly tinged for lures/float; use larger, scented baits in colour.
- Time of day: First light and last light for bass and pollack; bright days suit wrasse tight to structure; night for conger/pout/whiting.
- Seasonality: May–October for variety on lures/floats; winter is a bait game with fewer but often bigger fish after blows.
Safety
This is a serious landslip coast with steep approaches, loose ground and frequent rockfall. It is not suitable for those with limited mobility.
- Rockfall/landslip: Do not loiter beneath vertical faces; keep gear and people well back from the cliff base. Avoid visiting during or just after heavy rain/frost-thaw when falls are more likely.
- Steep paths: The undercliff descents are uneven, muddy when wet and slippery with leaf litter; use sturdy footwear and carry a headtorch if there’s any chance of finishing in the dark.
- Sea hazards: Strong backwash at higher states on steep shingle; hidden boulders and kelp snags; avoid wading in swell.
- Cut-off risk: While the beach is generally continuous, swell against the cliff can reduce safe passing points—plan your exit with tide and daylight in mind.
- Personal safety: A waist-belt or auto-inflate lifejacket is sensible on boulders; carry a charged phone (signal is patchy) and tell someone your plan. Fish with a partner if possible.
- Closures: Paths are occasionally diverted/closed after slips—follow on-site notices and do not bypass barriers.
Facilities
There are no facilities on the beach itself—treat this as a self-sufficient, wilderness session. Nearby villages have basic amenities.
- Parking: Pay-and-display options in Branscombe (beach/National Trust) and Beer (village long-stay). Arrive early in summer.
- Toilets: Seasonal toilets at Branscombe beach; public toilets in Beer near the car parks (check opening hours).
- Food/drink: Cafés and pubs in Beer village and at Branscombe beach during the season.
- Tackle/bait: Tackle and fresh/frozen bait available in Seaton and Lyme Regis; some seasonal bait from beach boats at Beer.
- Phone signal: Intermittent/weak under the cliffs; usually good on the cliff-top paths.
- Bins: None on the beach—pack out all litter and line.
Tips
A little local knowledge goes a long way here—move, read the water and fish tight to the rough stuff.
- Lure line choice: Braid with a long fluorocarbon leader improves abrasion resistance and lure control in cross-tides.
- Weedless is king: Texas/Chinu-style weedless hooks let you work soft plastics through kelp without constant snagging.
- Float finesse: Live prawn or peeler under a float draws out big wrasse; keep the bait moving slowly along the rock line.
- Bass windows: After a south-westerly blow, try 24–48 hours into the settling period with crab or big worm baits; in calm, fish topwaters at first light around fizzing bait.
- Night conger: Fish big, tough baits and lock up—use a rotten-bottom and expect to lose leads, not fish.
- Mackerel etiquette: Single or small sabikis reduce bird entanglement; stop when you have enough.
- Respect the undercliff: Keep noise down in the nesting season, stick to paths, and don’t remove rocks or weed for bait.
Regulations
Shore angling is generally permitted along this stretch, but the cliffs and undercliff form protected SSSI/heritage landscapes—follow on-site notices and the Countryside Code. Always check current rules before you go.
- Bass (area 7d–h): At time of writing (late 2024), recreational limit was two bass per angler per day, minimum size 42 cm, from 1 March to 30 November, with catch-and-release only in December–February. Regulations are reviewed regularly—verify the current byelaw before retaining bass.
- No rod licence is required for sea fishing in England (rod licences apply to salmon/sea trout and freshwater fisheries only).
- Marine Protected Areas: Lyme Bay has restrictions on commercial mobile gear; these do not limit shore angling, but do not disturb features or remove boulders/kelp from protected foreshore.
- Local byelaws: Observe any seasonal dog, BBQ or fire restrictions on beaches managed by local authorities/National Trust; no camping or fires on the undercliff.
- Minimum sizes/bag limits: Follow IFCA and national minimum conservation reference sizes; release undersized fish carefully and consider voluntary catch-and-release for larger wrasse which are key to the reef ecology.
- Foraging/bait: Some forms of bait collection may be restricted in protected areas—only forage where permitted and within sustainable limits.
