Coarse River Fishing In Cornwall

[barbelbarmy]

As you can probably guess from the topic title I am enquiring what coarse fishing is to be found on the rivers in Cornwall. I may be relocating there but really do not want to hang up my river rods and centre pins for good.

 

I would be most grateful of any information.

[BoldBear]

When I once lived in Helston back in the 70s the only fish that were in the stream running through the lower part of town were some Dace, a few roach, some wild brownies and some eels.

 

We always had a few brownies in the fridge/ freezer for our breakfasts and it was a lovely place to live.

Edited July 4, 2016 by BoldBear

[gozzer]

It's not looking good for river coarse fishing, judging by this guide

 

 

http://www.wheretofish.co.uk/location/england/cornwall/

 

If you like, what look like commercials, trout, or sea fishing, then you can 'fill your boots'.

 

John.

Edited July 4, 2016 by gozzer

[barbelbarmy]

Commercials don't really float my boat. A circle of blokes looking like garden gnomes doesn't do it for me.

[Steve Walker]

There is plenty of good coarse river fishing in the South West, unfortunately Cornwall is a lot further from everywhere else than one imagines it to be!

 

If I moved to Cornwall (I have considered it) I think I'd do a lot more sea and fly fishing.

[Mark Wintle]

The old EA guide to fishing in SW England has very little coarse river fishing; a handful of mentions for grayling but otherwise strictly preserved salmon, seatrout and trout. Cornwall is a LONG way. I live midway along the south coast and it's about equidistant from Land's End and the far tip of Kent, a 4 hour+ drive in either direction and closer to Nottingham in both distance and driving time!

[Steve Walker]

Depends where you draw the borders of the South West - Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire are pretty well supplied. Devon and Cornwall, not a lot!

 

I think the thing with the remoteness of Cornwall is that people don't imagine that Devon is a particularly large place - it's actually the fourth largest county in England, 25% larger than the next largest (Norfolk), about the same size as Lincolnshire and Cumbria with only North Yorkshire substantially larger. If you're used to holidaying in the Exmouth to Torquay area, it's a bit of a shock to get off the M5 and realise you've still got hours to go.

[BoldBear]

If you're used to holidaying in the Exmouth to Torquay area, it's a bit of a shock to get off the M5 and realise you've still got hours to go.

You can imagine how long it used to take me to travel back and forth between Hertfordshire and Culdrose in Cornwall (down near the lizard peninsular) at weekends on a 50cc Vespa scooter that only went just over 30mph (and no motorways); when I was based at RNAS Culdrose (in the RN) back in the 70s LOL.

 

I think it took me up to 12 hours each way sometimes and my face was covered in squashed insects with two clear circles where my goggles went by the time I arrived LOL.

 

Keith

Edited July 6, 2016 by BoldBear

[Steve Walker]

Worse than when I was a kid and we used to drag a caravan down from Manchester to Devon!

 

I once followed them down when I first started driving - I ended up pulling over for a coffee and then catching them up at normal speed, driving at 60mph on the motorway was sending me to sleep.

[Matthew Simmons]

I have spent a lot of time fishing the rivers in Cornwall and I agree that there is precious little 'coarse' fishing available. However if you can see past the compartmentalisation that we all seems to get hung up up there are a whole bunch of species to target with 'coarse' fishing methods. The great thing about Cornish rivers is that they are not ideal for flyfishing and so there is a lot of water that might be classed as any method. And your match rods are perfect for float fishing, as are the barbel gear for worming for salmon (and light legering for the bass)

 

The main species you'll find in the rivers are salmon, sea-trout, with bass and mullet in the estuaries. Small salmon (grilse) come in in the summer and there is a late run of larger fish on the Fowey and the Camel between guys fawkes night and the end of the season Dec 14th. Both can be targeted by spinning (rapalas are good) and touch legered worm - and you'll have your best chance after rains when the rivers are in flood (worm) or just fined down (spinning).

 

Sea-trout come in from may (seriously big ones) and its all over by mid August. They can be caught on rapalas first couple of hours following dawn after a flood when the river is the colour of a pint of bitter. Learn to flyfish for them after dark - best fun you can have without taking your kit off! But they can also be caught in the bigger pools using a pin and float fished maggots - there's a couple of big pools at Dunmere where you could do this. By mid July the pools will be full of fish - smaller pound fish in amongst the early-run big girls which run to double figures - trust me if you think a big barbel pulls back, a big sea trout does all of that and spends a lot of time in the air. I think they have the edge over salmon.

 

Estuary fishing for mullet is the most like coarse fishing - you can bait with bread and trot flake over the top. They come up the estuary on the flood and drop back on the ebb. They can also be caught float fishing flake in the harbours around the jetties and boats. Good luck - I'm lucky I didn't get the mullet bug - and stayed sane.

 

Bass come in to the estuary on the tide and are a very realistic target - you can float fish live prawns around structure or use the spinning rod to target them. UL tactics with small shads can be really deadly.

 

Lastly Sea Trout and Bass are good to eat - the same cannot be said to be true of chub - Just saying!

 

Have fun!