If you’re a keen angler, you’ll know that fishing can be a tremendously enjoyable pastime whilst on holiday. The West Country boasts many rivers, streams, watercourses and water impoundments, ideal for fishing for salmon, sea trout, brown trout, grayling and coarse fish.
The West Country Angling Passport provides two easy ways to go fishing – a token scheme which provides flexible access to many miles of wild, uncharted waters, or a booking office where you can reserve fishing on more established main river beats.
The Passport is not-for-profit and this means the money anglers pay to go fishing goes straight back to the fishery owners and then the Trust in turn helps the owners invest their revenue back into the fishery. In effect, simply by going fishing on the Passport waters, anglers are helping to protect and improve the West Country’s fisheries.
There are some fantastic areas to choose from – for example the Duchy of Cornwall fishing on Dartmoor. The East and West Dart rivers and their tributaries provide some of the best salmon and trout fishing in the UK – there are over 25kms of river to be explored.
Hiring a guide (or ghillie) can really make all the difference between catching fish and drawing a blank, especially if you’re a novice. Depending on where you’re staying or want to go fishing, give one of the guides listed here a call and have a chat about what you want to get out of your day’s fishing.
Near to the pretty village of Lustleigh, nestling into the eastern edge of Dartmoor you’ll find Stable Corner, a much praised and appreciated cottage (one of four we let on this 35 acre farm). You’re just one mile from attractive trout and pike fishing reservoirs – also ideal for walks and birdwatching. Further afield, anglers can try their luck at catching salmon, trout, perch, roach and bream on the Exeter Ship Canal and River Exe.
Just ½ mile from the old village of Millbrook and the big sandy beach at Whitsand Bay is Tregonhawke Farmhouse, a smashing home from home. Just 300 yards away there is a coarse fishing lake (carp, tench, roach, rudd, bream and perch – some as large as 25lbs!) with fishing free for residents. You’re also not far from coarse fishing lakes covered by Plymouth & District Coarse Angling Club with fish available including specimen carp, bream, chub, tench, perch, roach, rudd, gudgeon, orfe, dace and crucian carp.