100 Miles per Fish, South Devon

We had been looking forward to going sea fishing in South Devon since we booked the cottage this time last year. Alas - things we not to go as we'd hoped.

We managed to find the local tackle shop which I'd found on the internet and initially they seemed very helpful, with all sorts of information on where to fish but in our eagerness to catch we were blinded by our own enthusiasm.

The first place we tried was Beesands, a very steep slopping beach, we didn't know what state of tide to fish it or really what bait to use so we took everything... and caught 2 spider crabs in 4 hours!

We tried all sorts of places but most of the rock marks we were pointed towards needed climbing gear or a helicopter to reach the water.

One of the nicest places we fished was Prawl point but after being told the water was deep we were a gain disappointed to find casting out only landed your bait in very shallow water. Wendy did manage to catch a couple of small Wrasse but again, I had nothing.

Another problem we encountered was the lack of bait in the area. The quality of the frozen bait was not up to the standard we are used to and with the weather being so bad there were no Sandeels available.

It became apparent after fishing at another very beautiful area in the Kinsbridge Estuary called Mill Bay but not getting any fish that the information we were getting was also not of the standard we were used to in Anglesey - we were not getting any details on tides to fish, conditions or tactics and we were getting a bit frustrated by this point.

Eventually after nearly two weeks of no fish and watching a few people trying for Mackeral off the beach at Torcross, where we had a very good sea food diner, I resorted to trying for Mackeral. Finally I caught some fish!!!

You could actually see the Mackeral about 10 feet from the edge of the sea so it wasn't skillful fishing by any means but I was desperate to catch.

We tried a few other areas but eventually just decided to enjoy the rest of our break without doing any more fishing.

So what went wrong?

I think we are so used to getting valuable local advice from the tackle shops in Anglesey, North Wales and the North of England that we assumed we'd get the same standard of information from the ones in Devon. We were wrong and a valuable lesson was learned.

So - what now! Well next year we're hoping to go to South West Ireland but we're staying at a place that specifically caters for the needs of the sea angler, with local guides, a boat, bait and tackle and as much information as you could ever need - I hope.

Tags: mackerel, prawl point, south devon, wrasse

14 Damp Days in Devon

Who'd take a holiday in Britain in this weather? We would that's who. We've just returned from a very relaxing, if not a little damp, 2 weeks in South Devon where we stayed at a working farm near a small village called Loddiswell.

Our intention was to do some sea fishing and walking around the area but to say the weather was against us would be to understate the amount of rain drastically. I'll go into the fishing in a later entry but thought I'd give my impressions of the area and show a few photographs fist.

South Devon, around the Kingsbridge Estuary area is a beautiful area and at the time we went was very quiet due to the schools not being closed for summer until just recently. But, it is almost impossible to enjoy the countryside in the same manner that I am used to in North Wales or the North West of the UK due to the massive hedgerows on either side of the many single track roads. When I say massive I mean at least 10 feet tall and with only a few passing places on the roads meeting another vehicle coming the other way was a bit daunting.

Another problem from the fishing point of very was access to the sea from the cliffs. I think the locals must be part mountain goat!

One of the better days out we had was a simple drive to Start Point, sandwiches and drinks packed we parked the car up and walked down to the lighthouse - looking back we could see the whole of Start Bay which in the blazing sun (yes, we did have a couple of days of it) was fantastic.

You can't really see it in the photograph but about halfway along the bottom of the cliff is the remains of the village of Hallsands which 'fell' into the sea during January 1917 after a heavy storm, due to the removal of gravel off shore which used to protect it from the worst of the weather. Hopefully people will learn from this mistake and not take our natural resources for granted although I doubt it.

While we were looking for a way down the cliffs in our never ending quest to find places to fish Wendy spotted this little chap sun bathing in a gap in the bracken. The last time I saw an Adder (Vipera berus) was at Abersoch in North Wales about 14 years ago so to see one and to be able to get a photograph was brilliant.

As for fell walking and bird watching - the weather just put us off and I'm sorry to say our impression of South Devon was probably tarnished by this as well as the other things I've mentioned. And I haven't even talked about the cost of the car parks!

So would I go back?

No - I don't think so. I think we've been spoilt by the fantastic countryside of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, North Wales and Anglesey and we were expecting something similar with good access to all places which South Devon just didn't provide. Don't get me wrong - it's a beautiful place but just not suited to our style of holiday - especially as it's about a 5 hour drive!

Tags: adder, kingsbridge, loddiswell, prawl point, south devon, start point