Fishing in East Down

3.7 miles from East Down

A sheltered, sand-and-shingle cove flanked by kelpy rock ledges, Combe Martin Beach offers mixed-ground fishing with a very large Bristol Channel tidal range. Access is straightforward via the village car park and slipway. Wrasse and pollack dominate around the rocky margins on the flood in clear water; summer also brings...

3.7 miles from East Down

Newberry Beach sits on the eastern side of Combe Martin Bay, a small shingle-and-sand cove fringed by kelp-covered rock ledges and boulder patches. It’s a mixed-ground mark with clear patches of sand in the centre and snaggy reefs towards Newberry Point, giving options for both beach casting and close-quarters rock...

5.3 miles from East Down

Widmouth Head is a rugged, north-facing rocky headland between Hele Bay and Watermouth Cove near Ilfracombe. Steep ledges and kelp-filled gullies give quick access to deep water and a strong tidal run; it fishes best on neap to mid tides, around the flood and into dusk, with a gentle swell...

5.3 miles from East Down

A secluded, north-facing rocky cove on the coast path east of Ilfracombe, with kelp-filled gullies, ledges and mixed rough ground giving moderate-to-deep water close in. Best on a flooding tide in calm to slight swell: summer brings wrasse, pollack and mackerel; after dark the mark produces pouting, conger and huss....

5.5 miles from East Down

Compact north-coast bay just east of Ilfracombe with easy parking and short access paths. The best fishing is from the rock platforms on either side of the bay, giving mixed rough ground with kelp, boulders and gullies, and a sandy patch in the centre of the beach. Classic summer rock...

5.6 miles from East Down

Exposed rocky headland east of Ilfracombe/Hele Bay with deep water close in over kelp, ledges and mixed rough ground. Strong tidal run around the point; best on neaps or the last couple of hours of the flood and first of the ebb. Summer–autumn suit lures and float fishing for pelagics...