Brean Down Point

Brean Down Point is the rugged tip of the National Trust headland south of Weston-super-Mare, jutting into the Bristol Channel’s powerful tides. It’s a classic Somerset rock mark offering serious mixed fishing for rays, bass, smoothhounds and conger with spectacular views. The reward is real, but so are the tides and terrain—this is a venue for prepared anglers.

Set at the end of Brean’s coast road, access is via the National Trust car park and the well-made path to the Down and Fort, then goat tracks to the fishing ledges. Expect a fair hike and some steep, uneven ground—travel light and wear proper boots.

• Parking: National Trust car park at the end of Warren Road, Brean; follow brown tourist signs for Brean Down. Paid parking; NT members usually park free. Check seasonal opening times on the NT website.
• Walk-in: 20–40 minutes to the Fort and Point depending on fitness; several flights of steps and steep gradients. Additional scrambles down to north or south side ledges.
• Terrain: Limestone cliffs and ledges, barnacle-covered rock, pockets of very rough ground with sand patches offshore. Not suitable for trolleys; backpack your gear.
• Approach: Most anglers set up on elevated rock platforms on either flank of the Point; the south side offers a little shelter in northerlies, the north side in southerlies.

Brean Down Point fishes as a mixed rough-ground venue with strong seasonal swings. Expect hard-fighting Bristol Channel residents with a few summer visitors on clearer neaps.

• Spring: Thornback rays, bass, bull huss; early smoothhounds on peeler crab if the weather warms; dogfish.
• Summer: Smoothhounds (peak late May–Aug), thornback rays, bass, conger eel, bull huss, pollack and garfish on clearer neaps; odd mackerel shoal around slack water; wrasse tight to rough ground.
• Autumn: Bass, thornbacks, conger, huss, dogfish; late smoothhounds in mild years; pouting.
• Winter: Whiting, pouting, conger; codling in cold snaps after blows (hit-and-miss but possible); dogfish.
• Year-round: Dogfish, occasional strap conger, resident wrasse in settled spells.

Strong tide and rough ground call for robust shore tackle. Fish big baits for quality fish, scale down only when small stuff is the target.

• Rods and leads: 12–13 ft beachcasters or heavy rock rods; 6–8 oz wired grip leads to hold bottom in run. Use a tough 60–80 lb shock/rubbing leader.
• Rigs: Pulley pennel (4/0–5/0) for rays/bass/codling; up-and-over for distance with rays; single-hook pulley for hounds; simple 2-hook flapper with short snoods for whiting/pout when the tide eases.
• Lures/float: Soft plastics or metal jigs for pollack/gar on neaps and clearer water; 20–60 g heads/metals depending on run. Float-fish ragworm or sandeel tight to ledges when the colour drops.
• Baits: Peeler crab (hounds/bass), squid or squid-sandeel cocktails (rays), lug/black lug and squid (bass/codling), whole sandeel (rays/bass), mackerel or bluey (huss/conger/whiting).
• Timing: Bigger fish often show around slack and the top of the tide; fish after dusk for rays, conger and bass. Keep baits big to deter dogfish when needed.
• Tackle protection: Use rotten-bottom links for snaggy patches; heavy mono rubbing leader and bait clips to keep hooks streamlined in headwinds.

This is extreme-tide country; success comes from working the windows when the tide eases and the sea is manageable. Plan around springs versus neaps and wind direction.

• Tidal range: Among the highest in the world; flow is fierce mid-tide. Best results often 1–2 hours either side of high water, especially neaps. On big springs, focus on the last hour of the flood, high, and first of the ebb.
• Neaps vs springs: Neaps are kinder to presentation and suit lure/float work; springs suit big static baits for rays, hounds and bass but demand heavier leads and disciplined timing.
• Wind and swell: Westerly/SW winds pile in swell and colour—good for bass, awkward for ledges. Easterlies flatten it and can clear the water for pollack/gar. Avoid strong onshore blows on big springs for safety.
• Light and season: Dusk into dark is prime for rays, conger and bass; daytime neaps can pick off hounds and rays. Late spring to early autumn is most consistent; winter needs a weather window.
• Water clarity: Typically coloured; brief clearer spells follow settled high pressure—watch for those for lure chances.

Treat Brean Down Point as a serious rock mark. The mix of cliffs, surge and tidal race means caution is non-negotiable.

• Slips and falls: Ledges are high, uneven and barnacle-slick; wear studded boots/fell shoes and keep low, balanced stances.
• Tidal danger: Mid-tide run is brutal; lines can kite and snag. Fish slack windows and don’t over-gun casts that swing into snags.
• Swell and backwash: Reflective cliffs create rebound; rogue sets can surge higher than expected—keep well back from edges.
• Access: Steep steps and goat tracks; not suitable for wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. Travel light; headtorch with spare batteries for night exits.
• Personal safety: Strongly consider a rock-inflatable lifejacket and carry a means of calling for help in a waterproof pouch. Fish with a partner where possible.
• Environment: Occasional rockfall; keep away from cliff bases. Feral goats graze the Down—keep dogs on leads and don’t disturb wildlife. Respect any temporary path closures or NT notices.
• Cut-offs: Most platforms are elevated, but some lower gullies can be cut off on big highs—reconnoitre in daylight and mark safe escape routes.

Facilities are concentrated at the National Trust car park; there is nothing on the Point itself. Stock up before the walk and allow time for the return.

• Toilets and café: Seasonal café and toilets by the car park (check opening times; may be closed early or off-season).
• Parking: Pay-and-display; NT members typically free. Check for seasonal hours or any gate closure times.
• Shops and bait: Convenience stores along Brean seafront; tackle and bait in Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea—ring ahead for fresh lug/peeler.
• Mobile signal: Generally present on the Down but can be patchy in places; don’t rely on data for tide checks—pre-download info.
• Lighting: No lighting on the headland; bring robust headtorches and spare batteries.

Brean Down rewards planning and tidy fishing. Small adjustments can be the difference between a blank and a banner session.

• Use rotten-bottoms: A short weak link below the lead saves rigs in the rough; carry spare wired leads.
• Big, streamlined baits: Squid-and-sandeel cocktails or crab wraps clipped down fly straighter into a headwind and fish better in run.
• Rubbing leader: Add 2–3 m of 80 lb mono above the swivel to resist barnacles when a fish dives under the ledge.
• Shelter strategy: In a northerly, try the south flank; in a southerly, the north flank often fishes more comfortably.
• Timing windows: On big springs, concentrate effort on last hour of flood, high water, and first ebb—use the mid-tide to rest and re-rig.
• Dogfish management: Step up bait size or switch to crab to bypass packs of dogs and find hounds, rays or bass.
• Night edge: An hour after dark can transform the mark—stay an extra tide window if safe conditions allow.
• Leave no trace: Retrieve all line and weights; the Down is a sensitive site and highly visible to walkers.

Know the rules before you go; this coastline sits within Devon & Severn IFCA jurisdiction and several protected designations. Shore angling is generally permitted, but specific species and methods have rules.

• Rod licence: No rod licence is required for sea angling in England from the shore.
• Bass rules: Recreational bass regulations change periodically (bag limits, seasons, 42 cm minimum size). Check the latest MMO/DEFRA notice before your trip and release undersized fish.
• IFCAs: Devon & Severn IFCA byelaws apply locally; these include protected species measures and netting restrictions (mostly for commercial gear). Rod-and-line anglers should still comply with any size/bag limits.
• Protected areas: The wider Severn Estuary/Bridgwater Bay has SSSI/SPA/SAC designations; do not disturb wildlife, birds or haul out seals. Some bait collection areas may be restricted—observe local signage.
• National Trust: Respect NT guidance—keep to paths, no fires or camping on the Down, and follow any temporary closures.
• Conservation: Consider voluntary catch-and-release for large breeding rays and all conger. Return eel species if encountered due to conservation concern.
• Always verify: Regulations can change; consult the MMO, Devon & Severn IFCA, and National Trust Brean Down pages for current rules before fishing.