Port Mulgrave

Port Mulgrave is a rugged, atmospheric North Yorkshire rock-and-boulder mark beneath the old ironstone harbour workings, best known for proper rough-ground fishing rather than easy promenade angling. It can produce excellent fish in the right sea state, but the steep approach, snaggy bottom and exposure mean it suits mobile, self-reliant anglers.

• The mark fishes along the foreshore, rock scars and gullies around the old harbour rather than from a formal pier or maintained platform.
• It is particularly valued as an autumn and winter codling venue when coloured water and a fishable sea push fish close in.
• Summer offers more varied sport, with pollack, mackerel, wrasse and occasional bass around cleaner-water rock features.
• The ground is unforgiving: expect lost tackle, uneven footing and rapidly changing conditions.

Port Mulgrave lies on the coast between Runswick Bay and Staithes, approached from the small village and the clifftop above the old harbour. Access to the shore is normally via a steep, rough descent; it is not a quick or easy carry with heavy fishing gear.

• Use the established route from the village/clifftop and respect gates, signs, private property and any temporary closures.
• The descent can be muddy, slippery and badly affected by rain, frost or erosion, especially when carrying a rod holdall, tripod and bait.
• The lower foreshore is most accessible around lower water, but the exact usable ledges and gullies vary with tide, swell and beach level.
• Do not rely on being able to walk out around the coast: cliff falls, high water, rockfalls and impassable scars can cut off routes.
• Travel light, keep both hands free where possible, and allow enough daylight for the climb back.

The headline quarry is codling, with the chance of better cod in a proper autumn or winter sea. Port Mulgrave also supports the usual North Yorkshire rock-shore mix when conditions are clearer and warmer.

• Codling and cod are the principal targets in coloured water, especially from late summer into winter and after a manageable northerly or north-easterly sea.
• Whiting, rockling and occasional pouting can show after dark or in colder months.
• Pollack are a realistic summer target around kelp edges, broken rock and deeper gullies in clear water.
• Mackerel may pass close enough for spinners, feathers or float-fished baits during settled summer periods.
• Ballan wrasse and smaller mixed species inhabit the kelp and rough rock, while bass are possible in warmer water and mobile surf around the shore.
• Flatfish can occur on any small patches of sand or mixed ground, but this is primarily a rough-ground mark rather than a dedicated flatfish beach.

Tackle and tactics should be chosen for rough, snag-prone ground and the prevailing sea rather than for maximum casting distance. A short cast placed into a productive gully or along the edge of rough ground can be far more effective than launching straight into the kelp.

• For codling, use a sturdy beachcaster or rough-ground rod, a reliable reel and a line/leader setup capable of handling a heavy lead and a hard retrieve over rock.
• Pulley-style or other lifting rigs are useful where they help raise a hooked fish above kelp and boulders; sacrifice-style weak links can reduce the loss of whole rigs on fixed snags.
• Fresh or well-presented crab, mussel, lugworm, ragworm, squid and fish baits can all take codling, with crab and worm combinations often worth carrying when available.
• Fish close to structure, but avoid dropping baits blindly into the heaviest kelp if there is a cleaner channel or gully nearby.
• In settled, clear summer water, a small metal lure, soft plastic or float-fished strip bait can find pollack and mackerel; use robust hooks and be prepared to steer fish immediately away from snags.
• A high rod position and a positive retrieve help reduce snagging, though tackle losses are part of fishing this type of Yorkshire ground.

The mark is strongly condition-dependent. A modest coloured sea can transform its codling prospects, whereas a large swell can make the shore dangerous or wholly unfishable.

• Many anglers favour the flooding tide, high water and the first part of the ebb for rock marks of this kind, but safe standing room must always take priority over a preferred tide.
• Lower stages of the tide can reveal access routes, gullies and casting positions; inspect these only if the sea is calm enough and leave before the rising water compromises your exit.
• A fishable north-easterly swell that has put colour into the water is often productive for codling, provided it has not made the ledges awash or the surge uncontrollable.
• Clear, settled seas generally improve the prospects for pollack, wrasse and mackerel, though they can make daytime cod fishing slower.
• Avoid fishing beneath cliffs in heavy rain, following prolonged wet weather, during strong onshore winds, or when the sea is washing across the intended ledge.
• Night fishing can be productive but materially increases the risk here; only do it if you already know the route and mark well in daylight.

Port Mulgrave is not an accessible sea-fishing venue and should not be treated as a casual family beach mark. The combination of a steep descent, loose ground, rockfall potential, tide cut-off and surge demands conservative decision-making.

• Wear grippy footwear with ankle support, warm waterproof layers and a buoyancy aid when fishing close to the water; a headtorch is essential if there is any chance of returning in low light.
• Check tide times, wind direction, swell and daylight before setting off, and tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Never fish from a ledge that can be swept by surge, and keep an immediate retreat route clear of tackle, bags and rod rests.
• Stay well away from the cliff base where possible: the coastline is prone to falling rock and unstable material, even in apparently calm weather.
• Do not attempt the descent or shore traverse if mobility, balance or fitness is limited; there is no level, step-free route to a conventional fishing platform.
• Fish with a companion where possible, carry a charged phone in a waterproof case, and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard in a coastal emergency.

Facilities at the shoreline are extremely limited, so treat Port Mulgrave as a remote working mark rather than a serviced angling venue. Most supplies, toilets and refreshment options are found in nearby villages or larger coastal towns rather than beside the fishing area.

• Parking arrangements can be limited, privately managed or subject to change; use designated parking only and check any displayed conditions before leaving a vehicle.
• There are no dependable toilets, tackle shops, sheltered fishing stations or safe water points on the foreshore.
• Bring bait, drinking water, food, spare rigs, a first-aid kit and a means of taking all litter home.
• Mobile reception can be variable around the cliffs and lower shore, so do not assume a signal will be available at the water's edge.
• Avoid blocking narrow lanes, field entrances, passing places or access needed by residents and emergency vehicles.

The most successful approach at Port Mulgrave is to arrive early, study the sea before committing to the descent, and fish the ground in front of you rather than chasing a fashionable casting distance. It rewards anglers who adapt to the specific gully, tide height and amount of colour on the day.

• Visit first in daylight and at a safe low-to-mid tide to understand the layout, likely fishing ledges and your exit line.
• Carry fewer but stronger rigs than you would for clean sand: this is a venue where rough-ground presentation and tackle management matter.
• If the water is heavily coloured but the swell is manageable, concentrate on scent-rich baits and short-to-medium casts into likely channels.
• If the water is clear, travel lighter and explore with lures or float gear around kelp fringes, always keeping clear of exposed surge zones.
• Keep noise and light to a minimum near homes and other visitors, close gates where appropriate, and leave the old harbour landscape exactly as you found it.
• If conditions look marginal from the top, choose an easier nearby venue; Port Mulgrave is not a mark to 'give a go' in a big sea.

Fishing is not clearly prohibited across Port Mulgrave as a whole, but access passes through a sensitive coastal landscape with private land, public routes and potentially changing local restrictions. Anglers should treat permission, parking and conservation requirements as matters to verify on arrival rather than assume.

• Observe all signs, gates, notices and landowner instructions, including any restrictions affecting paths, parking areas, harbour structures or cliff access.
• Do not trespass to create a shortcut, climb on unsafe historic harbour remains, or obstruct local access.
• Check current national and local rules on minimum conservation sizes, catch limits where applicable, protected species, bait collection and shellfish gathering through official fisheries sources before fishing.
• Return undersized, protected or unwanted fish carefully, and avoid removing crab, shellfish or other shore life unless you have confirmed that collection is lawful and permitted at that location.
• If a temporary closure, safety warning, erosion notice or conservation restriction is displayed, use another mark rather than attempting to bypass it.