Summary
Hope’s Nose is a famous rocky headland on Torquay’s eastern side, jutting into Lyme Bay and offering deep water close in. It’s a classic South Devon rock mark that produces mackerel in summer, wrasse and pollack in clear water, and hard-fighting conger and huss after dark. Sheltered from prevailing westerlies, it’s a reliable year‑round option with varied ground and mobile tide lines.
Location and Access
Sitting at the end of Ilsham/Meadfoot, Hope’s Nose is reached from roadside parking on Ilsham Marine Drive and a well-used path down to the ledges. The descent is steep and rough underfoot, with short scrambles near the bottom, so travel light and wear proper footwear.
- Approach via Ilsham Marine Drive, Torquay (TQ1 area). Limited lay‑by/roadside parking; arrive early in summer weekends.
- Main footpath leaves the roadside gate and descends the spine of the headland; expect 10–20 minutes down, longer up.
- Final sections are rocky/uneven; not suitable for trolleys, prams, or limited mobility.
- Terrain is limestone shelves, gullies and boulder fields; some lower platforms can be cut off at higher states—reconnoitre on a dropping tide first.
Seasons
Hope’s Nose offers mixed rough-to-clean ground, kelp gullies and tide seams, so the species list is broad. Seasonality matters, as does water clarity.
- Spring: Wrasse (ball/cuckoo), pollack, early garfish; bass in onshore blows; odd black bream late spring in settled spells.
- Summer: Mackerel (often in big shoals), garfish, scad (horse mackerel) at dusk/night, wrasse, pollack; black bream in calm clear water; bass at dawn/dusk.
- Autumn: Mackerel (tail end), scad, pollack, bass after blows, squid on calm clear nights, increasing conger and bull huss interest.
- Winter: Conger, bull huss, pouting, whiting on some nights; occasional pollack on lures in clear spells; dogfish year‑round.
- Occasional/bonus: Red mullet over cleaner patches at night, gurnard, triggerfish (some summers), and the odd ray from cleaner sand tongues off the edges.
Methods
Because you have depth and variation close in, multiple styles work. Pack for one or two approaches rather than everything—snags are common.
- Spinning/lures: Metals (20–40 g) for mackerel/scad; slim minnows/soft plastics for pollack and bass at dawn/dusk; weedless paddletails to fish tight to kelp.
- Float fishing: Set 8–15 ft for garfish/pollack with mackerel strip, sandeel or prawn; ragworm/peeler for wrasse; small hooks (size 6–10) and a fine wire trace for gar avoids bite‑offs.
- Bottom fishing: Running ledger or pulley/dropper with a rotten‑bottom link; fish big mackerel/squid cocktails for conger/huss, peeler or crab cart for bass/wrasse. Use 40–60 lb leaders; 4–6 oz leads typically hold.
- Feathering/Sabiki: Effective for mackerel/scad—prefer single-hook or barbless patterns to reduce tangles/casualties in crowds.
- LRF/ultralight: Tiny metals and isome/gulp worms around the weedlines for wrasse, pollack, scad and mini species.
- Times: Dawn/dusk for pelagics and bass; full dark for conger/huss/scad; bright calm days suit wrasse and bream under the floats along the reef edges.
Tides and Conditions
The headland faces east into Lyme Bay and tucks away from prevailing SW–W winds, often giving clear water when the south coast is coloured. Tide pull around the point can be lively on springs.
- Tide: Productive from mid‑flood through high and first of the ebb; neaps make presentation easier, springs increase tide-run and weed.
- Wind/sea: Best in light northerly–westerly winds with clear water; avoid strong easterlies/NE swell which wrap in and make the ledges dangerous.
- Water clarity: Clear to lightly tinted water is ideal for mackerel, gar, pollack and bream; a bit of colour plus a dying swell can switch on bass.
- Time of day: Dawn/dusk change‑overs are prime; after dark for conger/huss/scad and autumn squid on calm nights.
- Seasonality: May–October for surface/pelagic action; winter focuses on conger/huss and opportunist pollack windows.
Safety
This is a serious rock mark: steep paths, uneven ledges, and swell that can surge without warning. Plan conservatively and treat lower platforms with caution.
- Steep, rough descent with scrambles; carry a small kit and wear grippy boots—no flip‑flops.
- Some ledges are cut off on bigger tides; identify exits in daylight and avoid dropping down with a rising sea.
- Swell wraps around the headland—rogue sets happen even in light winds; keep well back from the edge and never turn your back on the sea.
- Expect snags and sharp limestone; finger protection and eye protection recommended when feathering in crowds.
- Strongly consider a well‑fitted personal flotation device; headtorch/spare batteries mandatory if staying for dusk/night.
- Mobile signal is generally fair on the top, can dip in gullies; in emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- Local restrictions: Torbay Council has Public Space Protection rules at Hope’s Nose (no fires/barbecues/camping and other conduct controls; some night‑time use rules have applied in past seasons). Check the latest on-site signage and council notices before fishing.
Facilities
You’re close to town but the mark itself is undeveloped. Plan to be self‑sufficient and take all litter home.
- Parking: Roadside/lay‑bys along Ilsham Marine Drive; busy in peak season and may have time limits—check signs.
- Toilets/food: Seasonal facilities at Meadfoot Beach; broader options in Torquay seafront a short drive away.
- Tackle/bait: Several tackle shops in Torquay/Paignton/Brixham within 10–25 minutes’ drive—ring ahead for fresh bait in summer.
- Bins: Limited—carry out everything you carry in.
- Phone signal: Usually good on the upper path, less reliable down in gullies/behind spurs.
Tips
Hope’s Nose rewards tidy tactics and timing. Treat it like two venues: pelagics and wrasse by day, conger/huss/scad after dark.
- A drop net is invaluable for safely landing better fish from higher ledges without risking the edge.
- Use a rotten‑bottom link on any bottom rig—10–15 lb weak link to the lead saves gear in the kelp/rocks.
- For garfish, fish a very small strip of mackerel on a size 8–10, long trace, and let the float trot across the tide seam.
- For pollack, count down soft plastics along the drop‑offs at dusk; strikes often come on the first lift.
- Avoid peak feathering crowds by fishing first light or late evening—your catch rate and sanity both improve.
- In settled late summer, try small baits and light gear for black bream tight to the reef edges.
- After an onshore blow that’s just easing, clip on a metal or a shallow diver for a roving bass session around the wash lines.
- Respect the SSSI status: no rock hammering or collecting; leave the ledges cleaner than you found them.
Regulations
Rules here are a mix of local site controls and wider inshore fisheries regulations. Always check current signage and the relevant authorities before you go.
- Local site controls: Torbay Council operates Public Space Protection measures at Hope’s Nose—typically no fires, barbecues or camping, and additional seasonal/overnight restrictions may apply. Read and follow all on‑site notices; compliance is enforced.
- Protected site: Parts of the headland are designated for geology and wildlife (SSSI/Local Nature Reserve). Do not damage or remove rock, fossils, or living organisms from the shore.
- Bass measures: Recreational bass have size and seasonal bag limits in England (minimum size 42 cm; bag/season dates can change year to year). Check the latest MMO/IFCA guidance before retaining any bass.
- Shellfish/crustacea: Minimum sizes apply; it is illegal to take berried (egg‑bearing) lobsters or crawfish. Setting pots from the shore requires appropriate authorization—check Devon & Severn IFCA byelaws.
- Marine protected areas: Torbay waters include designated MCZ features; method or harvest restrictions may apply to certain activities—verify current byelaws with Devon & Severn IFCA.
- General: Observe national MLS for finfish, use fish-friendly handling, and release undersize/unwanted species promptly. When in doubt, release and seek official clarification.
