Fishing Information
The charm of our rivers is that they are wild. We control the fishing rights on seven different rivers, the Tamar and six tributaries, all natural spate rivers draining the moors and high ground of the westcountry. With private fishing on a total of 20 miles of river bank, anglers can have up to a mile of water to themselves for the day. The banks are carpeted in wild flowers; the water babbles over gravel and glides serenely into deep pools. Wild brown trout are in all the rivers, while the beats on the Tamar and Lyd hold salmon and sea trout. Most of our water also holds grayling. You should see dippers and kingfishers, and hear ravens and buzzards overhead. Tracks on the wet sand beside the pool show where the otter passed last night, and if you fish early or late you may well see him too.
Brown Trout
Brown trout on the Tamar system are true wild fish, beautifully coloured and hard-fighting. They breed naturally as they have done for millennia. The size limit is eight inches - a fish of this size will be three years old and fully mature. Any trout over 10 inches is a good fish, with one of a pound (around 14 inches) being exceptional.
The trout respond well to a variety of fly fishing techniques, including the classic across-and-downstream style of wet fly fishing. This method is now unknown to many who have graduated on stocked rivers or stillwaters, and is an excellent way of teaching beginners on the river. Dry fly is the first choice for the more experienced fisher and, given reasonable water conditions, daily catches of up to 20 or 30 trout can be expected for any competent angler at the right time of the year.
Salmon
Our salmon run is in the Tamar and the Lyd, and we also have access to beats on the Lower Tamar water some 10 to 15 miles away, where the river is wider and fish can be found as early as March. We also have salmon fishing at Endsleigh. On the lower reaches, Endsleigh offers arguably the finest salmon fly water on the whole river system. The 2010 season was superb, with an incredible 25 fish landed on one day alone! We have four Endsleigh weeks available, with two rods per day. Dates and prices can be found on the 'Fishing Tariff' page and please contact us for special package deals if taking a whole week. The Arundell Arms beats at Lifton hold salmon from May onwards, with grilse from July and often some very good fishing in the final six weeks of the season, which closes on October 14th. Salmon average between 6 and 12 lb, grilse 5lb. Our rivers are true spate rivers and therefore catches are highly dependent on rainfall. When you make a booking you should indicate how many salmon fishing days you want and we will put you down on the list and organise the beats in strict rotation. Your name will be on the list in the hall when you arrive. If you decide not to make a booking until your arrival we will try to give you a beat but this will depend on prior bookings.
Sea Trout
Night fly fishing for sea trout is arguably the most exciting fishing available in the British Isles, and is something for which The Arundell Arms is justly famous. From mid-June to the end of the season in September, sea trout offer the absolute pinnacle of the fly fisher’s art. The local name for sea trout is peal and there are variations, such as harvest peal and school peal, but they really are all sea trout - migratory brown trout. The main run of school peal averages 3/4 lb to 1 1/2 lb, but there are a number of larger fish to 7lb. Beats are allocated in rotation. The sea trout run is in the Tamar, Lyd and Thrushel.
Grayling
The Tamar system boasts the most westerly population of grayling in Britain, and can offer sport after the trout fishing has closed at the end of September. Grayling numbers do not match the huge densities encountered on the chalkstreams, although fish of over 2lb are caught each season. Grayling are present on most of our beats, although the Tamar, Lyd and Thrushel tend to be the favoured rivers. Winter spates can often put the river out of order for long periods, so it is best to phone at short notice.
Tinhay Lake
The three-acre Tinhay lake, which belongs to the hotel, is at the bottom of the village. It was formerly a limestone quarry that flooded a century ago. It has gin-clear water and a maximum depth of 90 feet. It is fished from a level grassy bank along the southern shore, and is also used for teaching casting and stillwater techniques on our courses. The lake provides exciting clear-water sight fishing for browns and rainbows. The fish, stocked as pounders, grow to over 10lb and are in superb condition. There is a variety of natural food — buzzers, corixa, sedges, olives, mayflies, damsels, and minnows, allowing serious imitative fishing with nymphs and dry flies. The water remains clear throughout the season, so if the rivers are in spate, Tinhay Lake is always fishable. Being a totally enclosed water, the lake can be fished for rainbow trout at any time of the year.
Saltwater Fly Fishing
We can arrange a trip for hotel guests to the coast to fly fish from the shore for bass and other marine fish with our hotel instructors. Bookings should be made in advance. For more information see Help & Guidance.
Other Fishing
When lowland rivers are in spate, the River Dart high on the moors may be clear. We can issue permits at the hotel.
Reservoir fishermen will find excellent trout fishing, from bank or boat, at nearby Roadford Lake, or on Bodmin Moor at Colliford Lake and Siblyback Lake. In particular, we are pleased to offer a guided day's boat fishing on Roadford, where you can enjoy a day's classic loch-style drifting for brown trout. Please see Tuition & Ghillies for more information.
There are also many ‘put and take’ fisheries in the region. Exciting sea fishing by boat can be arranged for parties up to eight people. Fish for many different species from plaice to blue sharks (with bass being a speciality!) aboard a charter boat based near Falmouth.
Rules and Regulations
All fish taken belong to the fisherman but weight and numbers must be recorded at the hotel. Fly fishing only for trout and sea trout, wet or dry, but spinning for salmon is allowed on the Tamar. No bait fishing is allowed. We regret that dogs are not allowed on the rivers.
Catch Limits
All the fish in our rivers are wild. In order to conserve salmon stocks which have been under increasing pressure over recent years, there has been no netting in the Tamar estuary since 2004. Anglers are committed to releasing 70% of rod caught fish. i.e. the first fish must be released, with the option of taking the second. A maximum of one in three salmon can be kept. In addition, all coloured fish and fish over 10lb caught after September 1st must be released. There is a current national bye-law requiring that all salmon caught before the 16th June be returned unharmed to the river. For sea trout and brown trout we have a bag limit of four fish per rod per day and an 8in minimum size limit for brownies. Fishing may continue after the bag limit has been attained, but we ask that you return the fish unharmed to the river. We encourage catch and release fishing with barbless hooks. On Tinhay Lake, there is a limit of four trout - brown or rainbow - in a day. Fishing may continue after the bag limit is reached providing all subsequent fish are carefully returned with the minimum of handling.
Transport
You can walk to a few nearby beats but for most of them you need a car. We can sometimes provide transport, or we can organise a hire car for you.
Packed Lunches and Cold Suppers
Packed lunches are ordered on the form provided in the dining room on the previous evening or at breakfast. If you want to fish late in the evening, please let us know if you would like us to leave a cold supper for you (dinner ends at 9.30 pm).
To make a reservation please contact us by email at reservations@arundellarms.com
