Devon and Cornwall

We look at venues in the Devon and Cornwall region, included in our study is a list of contact information and brief venue information.

Bake Lakes, Trerulefoot nr Liskeard
Treasure Island Lake is fishing brilliantly, try half a worm over a kinder cupped trickle of 4mm pellets under the grasses of the island on peg 21, 23 or 27. On Flamingo, Rodney Stokes has been banging out carp on floating bread from peg 13 on the pole. Fish to 8lb in nets to well over 100lb are possible if there is a light breeze blowing into that corner. Floating bread is also picking up some of the real lumps on Luxor Lake. On Dunes, try the feeder cast towards the middle from peg 9 with worm or corn on the hook and fishmeal in the feeder. Tench and skimmers in nets to 30lb will be the result. Also good for tench on paste at 4m. Don’t forget Lesser and Greater Emperor pools as well, they can be great fun with little carp down the edge.
Ring Tony on: 07798 585836.

Gwinear Pools, Newquay
Pellets on the long pole are the most successful bait at present, although corn starts to play a big part as we move towards winter. Swims in the 30s are proving most consistent for nets to over 80lb. Carp form the majority of the weights, but skimmers can also play a part. Expect fish to move in shoals of a similar size; the carp are in distinctive size groups, either 1-2lb pasties or proper lumps. Like many fisheries in this tricky time of year, it will fish much better with fewer anglers on the bank. Expect ton-up weights of bigger fish from the margins, especially from swims on the banjo, during quieter periods. When fishing the long pole, it is important to plumb up accurately to find the underwater bars. Fish on top of the bars still. Call: 01637 830165.

Mawgan Porth, Newquay
Massive weights can be caught from almost every peg on this prolific Newquay water. Double maggot hook bait is very popular over a sprinkling of pellets right under the pallets for fish to 2lb. bagging session if there are only a dozen or so fishing. If there are a lot of people there, it can pay to scale down a bit. Just keep the feed going in, but gently and prepare for the bag up of a lifetime. Contact: 01637 860770.

Porth Reservoir, Newquay
Plenty of skimmer action with a short chuck on the feeder. Hooks should be baited with a dead red maggot, a grain of corn, or half a dendrobaena worm. Some of the fish are pushing 2lb in nets to 20lb from the meadow, bigger beam in the trees and opposite. Swims in the mid 70s and early 80s are good for 20lb of waggler or pole caught roach. Feed a few balls of crumb and fish casters over the top under a bulked rig. Try on the drop if they move up to intercept loose feed. The pike fishing can be good here as well, fish from 4lb or so can be caught from the same areas as the best silver fish sport. Travel light with a spinning rod and enjoy some rare Cornish predator action. Speak to the Ranger on: 01209 860301.

St Tinney, Camelford
This pretty little place is unusual in only offering weekly tickets, but at just £12, you could have some fantastic fishing for less than £2 a day! Four lakes on site offer the usual mix of species, but two of them; Kingfisher and Moorhen, are devoted exclusively to carp and tench. Most of the carp are in the 3-6lb size range, with an odd one nudging double figures. Tench are 2-4lb. Fish tight into the margins, or out to an island margin with corn or luncheon meat hookbaits. No need to feed heavily, just trickle a few freebies in and await the action in the glorious surroundings. Call: 01840 261274 for more details.

White Acres, Newquay
The short pole is working well when fished at the bottom of the shelf, along the margins where appropriate, or tight across to islands or the far bank. Many are using spicy chilli hemp for feed along with cubes on the pole, or riddled meat in the feeder. Feeder fishing accounts for big bags on Jenny’s from pegs with an island chuck; expect plenty of carp and F1s. Similar on Twin Oaks, Trelawney and Acorn, pole shallow on Pollawyn especially on the High Bank.
Caster shallow for nets of roach, rudd and skimmers in nets to 30lb from Python and Pollawyn, also tench and skimmers on chopped worm at 7m from the same lakes and Jenny’s. Also still worth trying pellet shallow as Manchester’s Paul Blinkhorn found when putting 250lb together from peg 25 on Pollawyn. Ring the tackle lodge on 01726 862 19.

DEVON
Bussells Farm, Huxham, near Exeter
Fishing maggots with the whip has seen skimmers and roach in nets to over 10lb from car park end. Pellets on the feeder from the far end bringing some of the better skimmers up to 2lb plus common carp between 3lb and 5lb, expect up to five carp plus half a dozen skimmers in a day. In the cottage part of the lake, fish the feeder tight to the island with pellets or corn for carp action. Also, talk of some pike on spinners, especially under the branches around the island or alongside the reed beds in between the necks between the various parts of the lake. Call 01392 841238.

Coombe Fishery, Yelverton
Bottom Lake is giving bigger fish at present. Fish alongside the stumps with sensible gear for carp to 12lb on corn or pellets. Also tench and crucians on float fished corn over a few pellets from the far end.
Still a few big tench from the Top Lake on corn or paste. Also loads of pasties, fish the pole in the edge close to features for most success. Loads of silver fish on maggots, some of the roach pushing 1lb, but for a real biggie, try worm with loose fed casters on Top Lake next to the car park. Jeff Dinsdale from Oxford had an afternoon here while on holiday, putting a tidy 20lb net of silvers together from the platform swim. Talk to Stephen on 01822 855585.

Creedy Lakes, Crediton
Plenty of twenties is the story here, with a few still falling to floating baits as the typical autumn feeding spree gets underway. Mike Izzard landed a personal best of 27lb 8oz and unlike many, he was fishing for carp he could see. A short stalking rod and plenty of freebies saw the big mirror get its head down to reward one of the venue’s regular visitors. Top areas include The Pads on the Top Lake and the Boathouse deeps on the Main Lake, but why not follow Mike Izzard and get mobile? A tight bed of pellets sprinkled with a few chopped boilies at various points should see fish to 30lb upending and waving their tails at you. Squid and octopus is often the top flavour for the numerous pretty commons and lumpy mirrors. Call 01363 772684.

Goodiford Mill, Cullompton
The Carp Lake is fishing well now with fish to 25lb, mostly on boilies. Maple 8 is a popular flavour and it should come into its own as the temperatures start to drop. Fishy flavours are also worth a try, as is corn. Also a good chance of a big eel on here; they have been taken to 8lb in the past. On the Match Lake, bream to 5lb in nets to 80lb from peg 46 on soft pellets on the long pole. Still huge weights possible to pellets on the shallow waggler. Keep plenty of feed going in and 300lb is on the cards. Fish to 8lb from pegs around 8-12 or 21-35. Its also worth setting up a method feeder with scalded pellets and a single hair-rigged 10mm hooker. Ring: 01884 266233.

Home Farm Fishery, Mamhead, nr Exeter
Waggler or pole to the island bringing up to 30 carp to corn or pellets. Reg Phillips had plenty to smile about with fish to 5lb in an estimated 75lb net from the top end of the island. His nephew, Paul, fished by the hut for a 15lb ghostie on luncheon meat from the margins along with another four decent fish. Plenty of rudd to maggots, plus a few carp short, but better to get tight across for most carp action. The stick ups on the back of the island are always good for plenty of bites, but make sure you clip up to save Fred having to keep pulling floats out of the branches! Pick a gap and work on the accuracy, it will pay off in numbers of fish. Call: Fred on 01626 866259.

Luccombe Coarse Fishery, Exminster
Expect an excellent day fishing the pole in the margins of Ash Pond expect carp from 3lb to 8lb on corn over pellets. Similar action from most of the lakes, especially those with some reeds or pads to fish alongside. Lots of skimmers on the feeder and worm, or pole at 14.5-16m if the weather allows. Look out for the blows that let you know where the fish are. Small tench on the pole and corn on Larch from the far end, fishing under the overhanging trees. A few small carp here as well. Try maggots for consistent action from roach and rudd with a few skimmers amongst them, or give them a proper mouthful like a grain of corn for better quality. Speak to Julian on 01392 832858.

New Barn Angling Centre, Paignton
Richard Parks suggests tutti-frutti or pineapple boilies are the top baits on Mirror Lake. Fish them in the margins for carp from high singles to low doubles, up to five fish in a short session should be the aim. Plenty of them moving by the dam wall, so try there, or in the trees. Willow Lake is giving a few carp, some of them ghosties alongside plenty of tench, roach and skimmers. Boilies over hemp bring the carp, maggots or casters for the silver fish. Try the pathway corner for the carp. Lily Lake for tench and skimmers on chopped worm on the pole in nets to 25lb. Island for little carp to 2lb and roach to 1lb on maggots fished to the island. Call 01803 553602.

Salmonhutch, Crediton
Good carp action at this pretty three lake site with fish nudging 20lb on boilies. The bigger ones are in Island Pond, with a best of 29lb, also 20s in Western and Rosemary Ponds. Rosemary is more of a mixed water, with plenty of silver fish and tench amongst the carp. Sweetcorn is a better bait to use here; get some bites first and look for quality later is the ploy used by regular rod Stu Branscombe. He also suggests trickling a regular but limited quantity of loose offerings, as the carp in particular shy away from big beds of bait. There are plenty of features to fish to so check out the reed beds and the island, and don’t forget the biggest feature of all; the margins. Ring: 01363 772749 for more info.

South West Lakes Trust
With one of the most exciting portfolios of waters in the entire South West peninsular, the SW Lakes Trust can supply quality fishing for a number of disciplines. Just looking at the Devon waters this time, most are found in the north of the county, around Great Torrington, although there are another couple of coarse fisheries close to Exeter, as well. Squabmoor is set in a delightful location on Woodbury Common, between Sidmouth and Exeter. Like most of the Trust’s Reservoirs, it holds some large carp, along with a good head of silver fish. Old Mill, near Dartmouth is on a season ticket, but is very popular with serious carp hunters. Also down south is Trenchford, on Dartmoor, a pike angler’s heaven. Back to north Devon and those venues around Torrington are: Darracott, Melbury and Jennetts Reservoirs. Just a little further north is Lower Slade, and to the west, Upper Tamar has a bank in Devon and a bank in Cornwall. Apart from Old Mill, they can all be fished on a day ticket, priced £5.00, or a season permit gives access to all those fisheries mentioned except Jennetts and Old Mill, for £100. Jennetts is not available on a yearly permit, Old Mill costs £180 for a whole year’s quality carp fishing.
Contact Summerlands Tackle on 01237 471291 for more details of season permits.

Stafford Moor, Winkleigh
Silver fish are the talk of Devon, with nets of skimmers topping the ton for venue boss, Andy Seery, plus roach on maggot in nets to 80lb. Pines pegs 10 to 12 and peg 28 are hot at the moment for skimmers to 1lb 8oz on corn over plenty of pellets at 5m. The same method accounts for skimmers in 80lb nets from Tanners and Woodpecker, pegs 5 to 16 on Tanners, middle of the island on Woodpecker. Carp to 8lb still coming to 10mm pellets on the bomb from Tanners 5, 9, 25 and 36, also Woodpecker pegs 26, 32 and 36. A few on shallow waggler from the same areas. Taunton’s James Cooper winning a recent match with close to 90lb. Talk to Andy on: 01805 804360.