Fishing guide to Hopes Nose, Torquay
By Simon Day
Hopes nose is where a lot of professional fisherman go including Henry Gilbey from the Home & Leisure show "Fishing on the Edge". It is a mix of float fishing and bottom fishing.
Photo Gallery (click images below to enlarge)
General information
This is a very popular place and can be busy most of the time no matter what time of year or the weather conditions. You will often find all night fisherman down here.
Access to Hopes Nose is via a very steep path which is not lit at night. This location has a local description of "Cardiac hill" so an average level of fitness is advisable. If this isn't the case give yourself plenty of time to walk back up. If you have no light, are unfit and are fishing to dusk I'd give yourself 30 to 45 minutes to walk back up. Is it all worth it? YES! Some of the best catches in Torbay have happened from this spot.
It is quite dangerous getting down there as you reach the bottom so you need to go nice and slow as you reach it. Try not to take too much gear with you and if possible leave at least one hand free for the last stage of the climb down.
There are two types of fishing down here. Once at the bottom if you stay to the left hand side of the nose you'll be fishing on sand but if you go further round to the right of the nose you'll be fishing in rocks.
Parking is very good. At the top there are no parking restrictions and it goes back for what must be a quarter of a mile. There will always be a parking space here.
A word of warning: Car break-ins have been known to happen at night here. You may want to consider parking in the roads opposite the entrance.
Since the sewerage outlet has stopped there is a lot of talk about whether the location is still as good as it was. I hear such mixed comments that I can't really say. It's up to you to make up your own mind.
Recent issues at Hopes Nose
There are a few issues worth pointing out as these seem to be ongoing. They are as follows:
Boats fishing / laying pots right on the shoreline
There has been trouble with fishing boats stopping just off of hopes nose and directly in front of others fishing from the shore.
A similar situation arose when another boat owner had a hook through his cheek when he decided to mackerel fish in a boat, just yards off hopes nose and directly in front of the other people fishing from the shore. I do not condone what happened but please be aware that these types of inconsiderate morons in boats are on the rise.
I would perhaps suggest to these boat owners that if they want to fish yards off hopes nose why not do the climb down the hill yourself and get your own spot on the shore line... OR... if you have to fish (or lay pots) in a boat why not fish or lay pots in any of the miles and miles of shoreline which shore fisherman cannot access. Simples!
Large groups taking over all fishing spots
This is another ongoing issue with large groups (10-20+) descending on hopes nose together which means getting a decent fishing spot (or any spot) is impossible. It is also rumoured that some of these groups could be fishing to sell their catches to local businesses.
Protect order in force
There is a public spaces protection order in place to try and combat the ongoing issues. This protection order 'is' being enforced. Please check this order before fishing at Hopes Nose. I fully support and welcome this protection order. I really hope it will remain in place until it is no longer required.
Such a shame Hopes Nose is having so many issues!
Would I recommend fishing there?
If I'm honest with you... no I wouldn't. It is incredibly sad for me to see Hopes nose deteriorating so quickly. Year on year it gets worse and worse. I would personally avoid fishing here for the time being.
Types of fish caught
Also see: Photos of species.
Catches (depending on season) are mainly Mackerel, Garfish, Dogfish, Bass, Whiting, pollock, smoothhound, conger, various flat fish and ballen wrasse.
Rarer catches include cod, black bream and red mullet
Baits to use
Best baits to use are mackerel strips, rag worm, lug worm, sand eels and squid.
Depth for float
6 to 15 foot
Legal issues
None but there is a gate near the top of the path that you must keep closed because of grazing sheep.
Please, please, PLEASE take your rubbish back with you!
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