Fishing Trips in Cornwall

Have you ever caught your own fish supper? There’s nothing quite like it.

The sparkling waters of the Cornish coast provide some of the most thriving fishing grounds in Europe. Every year, thousands of anglers board Cornish charter boats hoping to hook ‘the Big One’. From whopping blue sharks to darting mackerels, you never know what lies around the sunken wreaks, sandbanks and skerries ready to take the bait.

Here’s a selection of some of Cornwall’s hardy skippers, along with their trusty boats, helping to chart the course for this popular holiday activity.

Fishing trips in North Cornwall

The bustling wharfs of Newquay Harbour on Cornwall’s north coast provide the setting for Paddlefish Adventure. Newquay born and bred, skipper John has been fishing these waters since he was a boy. Now proud owner of ‘The Adventuress’, a sturdy twin engine Lochin 33 insured for seafaring up to 20 miles, he regularly skippers deep sea fishing trips and mackerel excursions over wrecks and reefs, anchored or drifting. Full days, half days, or two-hour trips are available, and all fishing equipment is supplied.

Also operating out of Newquay Harbour, the Atlantis is a 32 foot offshore charter vessel helmed by Matt Robins, a Newquay lad through-and-through who also volunteers as coxswain for the Newquay lifeboat. With a 370hp Iveco turbo engine, Atlantis can reach top speeds of 19 knots and is licensed to carry up to 12 passengers making her ideal for group bookings. Trips include full and half-day wreck and reef fishing or a two-hour mackerel “bash”. Whether you land a monster conger from the deep or a thumb-sized, darting pilchard, skipper Matt guarantees you a day to remember.

Recent recipients of a gold Cornwall Tourist Award, Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing run trips out of Newquay Harbour where you’ll find its Shark’s Head booking kiosk. Trips are aboard the Atlantic Diver, an impressive ten-metre long Blyth Catamaran, one of the biggest vessels in the bay. The warmer shores of the Cornish coast are amongst the UK’s most vibrant fishing grounds, attracting a vast array of fish to its gin-clear waters and the many wrecks that haunt the seabed. The boat runs half and full day expeditions, plus two-hour mackerel fishing trips and conger fishing evenings. Skipper and angling expert, Chris Lowe, holds a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate and has clocked up thousands of nautical miles making him one of the most experienced ‘skips’ in the Duchy.

The historic and picturesque port of Padstow is the anchorage for our next charter fishing boat. The Emma Kate is a Lochin 38 designed for the rigours of the Celtic Sea. Excursions include two-hour mackerel trips, four-hour wreck and reef fishing, evening trips, and eight-hour general fishing days. You will find yourselves in the capable hands of skippers Lee and John, both former junior and senior boat angling champions with a combined fishing experience of forty years. One look at the Emma Kate’s catch-of-the-day gallery and you will see why anglers return to her decks year-on-year.

Fishing Trips in South Cornwall

The stunning south coast is our next stop. Borlewen Fishing Trips take seafaring anglers from Looe and Fowey far out into the English Channel in search of blue sharks, and sometimes mako and thresher. It’s the closest thing to “Big Game” fishing in UK waters, and you can expect some “screaming reel” moments after the chum trail is cast. Trips can run for eight to twelve hours, so be prepared for a proper fisherman’s early morning start. The boat, Borlewen II, is a ten-metre ‘Cheetah’ catamaran skippered by fully qualified Dan Gummow, whose twenty years’ worth of experience in commercial fishing and unrivalled knowledge of the local waters guarantees you’ll be in safe hands. All sharks caught during deep water excursions are released unharmed.

Another south coast charter boat receiving glowing reviews, Looe Fishing Trips run everything from fun mackerel feathering off Looe Island to sharking out in the channel swells. Hop aboard the Top Cat, a BW Sea Cat that has been purposely built for anglers. Fish the wrecks and reefs that hug this captivating sweep of the Cornish peninsula and take in some of its many coastal landmarks, or head for deeper waters with experienced skipper Andre in the wheel house, bound for some of Cornwall’s best fishing grounds.

Captain Chris Gill, skipper of the Aquila, has been fishing his native Cornish waters for more than 30 years. Operating out of Mevagissey, the largest port in St Austell Bay, the boat comes with an array of sensory systems including fish finder, echo sounder and sonar. Fish the local wrecks, sandbanks and gullies where you can expect to encounter the likes of mackerel, whiting, coalfish, cod, ling, pollack, conger, dogfish, flatfish, bream…you might even end up wrangling with a barracuda, sunfish or giant blue fin tuna which have also been either caught or spotted off the Cornish coast. Expect plenty of rod-bending moments aboard this well-known and reputable vessel.

Bessie Vee is one of the fastest and largest charter boats in the south west. Skippered by Dave Hunkin, Bessie Vee is licensed to carry up to 11 anglers sixty miles from a safe haven, making regular trips to any one of the many sunken wrecks in the local fishing grounds around Mevagissey. Fishing parties can book four, eight, ten or twelve-hour trips pitting their wits against anything from cod and whiting to conger eels and blue sharks. Dave was voted ‘Skipper of the Year’ in 2015 and 2016 by the Cornwall Federation of Sea Anglers and is a member of The Professional Boatman’s Association and the British Conger Club.

The flamboyant seafaring port of Falmouth is our next stop. Here, we find Falmouth Fishing Trips, a family-run business going back three generations. Running three times daily, the Girl Jenny is one of the harbour’s busiest and best-known boats with space for 12 passengers. You’ll be kitted out with all the equipment you’ll need for a successful sea angling trip, while under the watchful eye of your local skipper you can expect to reel in your catch of the day – all the makings of a hearty fisherman’s supper! Longer three-hour trips are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as are wreck fishing excursions around some of Falmouth Bay’s lesser-known sunken haunts.

Fishing Trips in West Cornwall

The gleaming waters of St Ives Bay is where you’ll find Bluefin Charters, a fishing trip company with an impressive track record. The bay is considered one of the best fishing grounds in the south west, so you can expect to be catching and casting within the hour. Skipper, Sam Narbett, is one of the top anglers in the region and is always ready to pass on some expert advice. Bluefin is an offshore 32 kitted out with all the latest technology. Booking options include sharking charters, mackerel trips, day trips and four-hour wreck and reef excursions. Sam knows the local waters inside out, so it’s easy to see why he attracts so many satisfised customers. Onboard fishing equipment comes fully supplied.

Trimming the harbour waters of Penzance and beyond, the Mermaid II comfortably accommodates large fishing parties. Skipper Adrian Thomas and his crew can cater for all abilities, from greenhorn anglers to seasoned piscators. Trips include two-hour mackerel catching in local waters, four-hour deep-sea trips with a maximum of 18 passengers, and full day excursions into the channel with a maximum booking of 12. Adrian’s knowledge of Mount’s Bay holds no bounds, and you can expect to see plenty of marine life as you round the peninsula.

Hook up with some of the best self-catering holiday homes in Cornwall when you book a stay with Toad Hall Cottages.