Let me just first point out that these fishing spots in Torquay are based on my own personal experience. I'm not a member of a fishing club but would like to join one at some point.

Fishing from Hopes Nose , Torquay.
A guide by Simon Day.

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NAVSAT LOCATION
Street Number: 1
Thatcher Avenue
Torquay
Devon
TQ1 2

(Location is the corner of Thatcher Ave and Ilsham Marine Drive)
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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.

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. If you look at the right hand photo the double yellow lines end only a hundred yards away. From behind there you have no parking restrictions and it goes back for what must be a quarter of a mile. There will always be a parking space here. Where I'm stood to take the photo is the entrance to the walk down. [update: Please see user comments below about parking here]

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.

Types of fish caught
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 take your rubbish back with you!

My rating for Hopes Nose: 8/10

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USER COMMENTS

Anyone fishing hopes nose i would recomend not to park on the road by the entrance, if you come from Torquay there is a left into a road with posh houses. Park there because if thieves come along they think you are visiting a house. i have learnt the hard way and have had my car broken into. Tyson 8/2/05