The Ness Fishing

Last updated: 1 month ago

The Ness Fishing Map

A steep red-sandstone headland at Shaldon with deep water close in, kelp-lined gullies and rough ground. It fishes well on the flood through high water in calm to moderate seas, with summer sport on lures and floats and decent night fishing for minis and pout/scad. Avoid easterly swells and big seas; ledges are uneven and can be slippery with weed. Access is via paths from Shaldon/Ness car park with a short descent and some scrambling to reach stable ledges.

Ratings

⭐ 7.1/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 6/10

Fish You Can Catch at The Ness

🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Crab or ragworm dropped into kelp gullies from the rocks; short casts. Best May-Oct on a flooding tide; daylight with a little swell. Use rotten-bottom rigs.
🐟 Pollack 7/10
🎯 Tip: Work metal jigs or soft plastics along the kelp line at dawn or dusk on the flood. Float-fished sandeel also scores. Keep lures deep with a slow retrieve.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals; spin tins or feathers, or float sandeel at range. Best on a flooding tide, clear water, evening.
🐟 Bass 6/10
🎯 Tip: Plugs or soft plastics around the headland in a swell; dawn or dusk on a rising tide after a blow. Big fish baits in the gully at night can pick a better fish.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small hooks and worm or squid strips on 2-hook flappers into rough ground; evening into dark, especially on the flood.
🐟 Conger Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Heavy gear; big fish baits dropped into rock holes at night on neaps. Fish tight to ledges; use abrasion-resistant trace.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float small strips midwater over cleaner patches; late spring to autumn, bright days, flooding tide.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
🎯 Tip: Dusk into dark in late summer; small metals or sabikis with a slow retrieve. Try the flooding tide, midwater.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 5/10
🎯 Tip: Size 2-4 hooks and ragworm near weed fringes, short lobs. Best Jun-Sep, mid-flood, clear water.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 4/10
🎯 Tip: Small fish or squid baits on the bottom to sand patches from the cove; after dark, any state of tide, more in autumn-winter.

The Ness Fishing

Summary

The Ness is the red-sandstone headland above Ness Cove at Shaldon, on the Teignmouth side of Lyme Bay in South Devon. Steep, kelpy ground and tidal seams create classic rough-ground rock fishing within easy reach of a car park. It’s a compact mark that rewards careful tide timing with wrasse, pollack, bass and summer mackerel.

Location and Access

Set on the Shaldon side of the Teign estuary mouth, The Ness is reached via the village and the cliff-top car park by The Ness House. Access to the water is mainly via the Smugglers Tunnel down to Ness Cove, then a short scramble to the rock fringes at suitable states of tide.

  • Drive through Shaldon (A379 via Shaldon Bridge), follow signs for The Ness/Ness Cove; pay-and-display car park near The Ness House pub (postcode area TQ14 0HP).
  • From the car park, walk a few minutes to the Smugglers Tunnel for Ness Cove beach; the beach is steep shingle/pebble.
  • Rock marks are reached from the beach ends at lower states of tide; expect boulder-hopping and slippery weeded ledges.
  • Terrain is uneven and snaggy; not suitable for prams or wheelchairs. Access is easy to the beach, but committing and exposed on the rocks.
  • Popular area with walkers and beachgoers: expect crowds in summer daytimes and plan sessions for dawn/dusk or after dark.

Seasons

This headland fishes like classic South Devon rough ground. Kelp gullies hold resident fish, with summer pelagics pushing bait tight to the rocks.

  • Spring (Mar–May):
    • Ballan and corkwing wrasse
    • Pollack to lures and float fished sandeel
    • Early bass on plugs/soft plastics in a light swell
  • Summer (Jun–Aug):
    • Mackerel and garfish on lures/float
    • Bass at dawn/dusk, especially on the flood
    • Wrasse (best months) and occasional black bream in settled, clear water
    • Scad (horse mackerel) at night
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Bass in rougher weather, pollack on darker evenings
    • Mackerel/scad tailing off; chance of squid/cuttle after dark in clear water
    • Conger and bull huss from the rough ground after dark
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Whiting, pouting, dogfish on baits
    • Conger eels from the deeper holes at night
    • Occasional codling in onshore blows (rare in this area)
  • Year-round:
    • Thick- and thin-lipped mullet mooching the margins on calm days (match-the-hatch baits and stealth needed)

Methods

Rough ground close in means you rarely need to cast far. Keep it simple, use abrasion-resistant gear, and tailor tactics to the tide height and water clarity.

  • Lure fishing:
    • Weedless soft plastics (7–14 g heads/weightless) for wrasse and bass worked through gullies; 20–40 g metals for mackerel/scad.
    • Small sinking hard lures and paddletails for pollack at dusk; surface or sub-surface plugs for bass in a light swell.
  • Float fishing:
    • Ragworm, prawn or crab under a float for wrasse; mackerel strip/sandeel for garfish and pollack.
    • Set depths 8–15 ft; adjust to just clear the kelp tops.
  • Bottom fishing (use a rotten-bottom/weak link for the lead):
    • 2-hook flapper with size 2–1 hooks for whiting/pouting at range from the beach end in winter.
    • Pulley or pulley-pennel (3/0–5/0) for conger/huss with whole mackerel/squid or big cocktail baits after dark.
  • Tackle notes:
    • 20–30 lb mono or 30–40 lb braid leaders; long rubbing leaders over rough ground.
    • Feathers/sabikis for mackerel work, but only when it’s quiet and safe behind you.
  • Timing:
    • Dawn and dusk are standout for bass, pollack and garfish; after-dark ledgering produces eels and huss.
    • LRF-style micro lures pick up corkwings, small pollack and scad when it’s calm and clear.

Tides and Conditions

Tide height dictates access to the rock fringes, and wind direction controls water clarity here in Lyme Bay. Plan for workable ledges, not just peak tidal movement.

  • Tide states:
    • 2 hours either side of low water to reach and work the ledges safely; fish the flooding tide pushing bait tight to the rocks.
    • High water after dark for conger/huss; mid-flood to high for bass along the edges.
  • Conditions:
    • Light to moderate westerlies often leave the mark more sheltered; easterlies push onshore chop and weed.
    • Clear to lightly tinted water for wrasse, pollack and garfish; a bit more colour and a lumpy sea can switch on bass.
  • Seasonality:
    • Best overall from May–October; winter sport is slower but consistent for eels, pouting and whiting.
  • Time of day:
    • Dawn/dusk are prime; avoid busy beach hours in summer. Night sessions excel for conger and huss.

Safety

This is committing rough-ground rock fishing with tidal cut-off potential. Treat it like a small rock platform venue: plan, kit up, and give the sea respect.

  • Check tide times and your exit route; parts of the rock fringe are cut off by a rising tide.
  • Wear studded boots or rock shoes; carry a headtorch and spare light for any dawn/dusk or night session.
  • A personal flotation device is strongly recommended on the rocks, especially in swell.
  • Swell rebounds off the sandstone—watch for surges and slippery weeded patches.
  • Do not fish below unstable cliffs; avoid climbing or crossing safety fences from the cliff-top paths.
  • The Smugglers Tunnel/steps can be wet and slippery; the tunnel may occasionally be closed for maintenance or storm damage—check local notices.
  • Mobility: beach is accessible via tunnel and steps; rock marks are not suitable for limited mobility.

Facilities

Shaldon and Teignmouth have all the basics within a short drive, and the cliff-top area is well-frequented in season.

  • Pay-and-display parking near The Ness House (TQ14 0HP area); short walk to the tunnel.
  • Public toilets near the beach access (often daytime/seasonal opening—check council info).
  • Pubs/cafés in Shaldon village; more options across the bridge in Teignmouth.
  • Tackle and bait are available in nearby towns (Teignmouth, Torquay/Newton Abbot—check opening hours).
  • Generally good mobile phone signal on the headland; spottier down at water level.

Tips

Small details make a big difference on this compact mark. Travel light, fish efficiently, and read the water on the day.

  • Bring a drop-net if you plan to release larger wrasse or handle eels safely near boulders.
  • Soft crab or prawn outfishes worm for wrasse in clear water; add a small stinger hook to reduce missed bites.
  • Work lures tight to the edge: many bass hits happen within the last 5 m of the retrieve.
  • Watch for bird activity and bait dimpling in the flood—fast metals or small spoons under the activity pick up mackerel/gar.
  • Use fluorocarbon hooklengths (15–20 lb) for wary summer fish in clear water; up-gun to abrasion-proof mono when ledgering.
  • Night congering: use a short, heavy mono trace (80–100 lb) and keep the fish moving upward immediately to avoid snags.
  • Summer beach crowds: if a flagged bathing area is present, keep well away and fish dawn/dusk or after dark.

Regulations

Rod-and-line sea angling is generally permitted here; observe national and local rules and any beach management signage. Always check for the latest updates before you go.

  • Bass (recreational, ICES 7e–h including Lyme Bay): as of 2025, catch-and-release only in January–February and December; from March 1 to November 30 a maximum of 2 fish per angler per day, minimum size 42 cm. Confirm current rules with MMO/DEFRA before retaining any bass.
  • Minimum sizes/bag limits: Devon & Severn IFCA enforces local MLS and other byelaws—check D&S IFCA guidance for species you intend to keep.
  • No-take/MCZ: The immediate shoreline at The Ness is not within a no-take zone for rod anglers, but general MCZ protections apply in parts of the wider area—avoid damage to habitats and release undersize fish.
  • Beach use: obey any seasonal beach byelaws; never fish within designated/flagged bathing areas or where local signage prohibits angling.
  • General: no retaining shad, allis/twaite; adhere to national bluefin tuna rules (hook-and-release only under licensed schemes). Respect closed areas to netting—rod anglers should still avoid obstructing commercial activity.