Exmoor Fishing

Exmoor Fishing for Wild Trout, Salmon, Seatrout, Rainbow Trout and Grayling 

Around us on Exmoor there is a variety of easily accessible fishing opportunies, mainly fly fishing for both trout and salmon, also some grayling, and, a little further away, seatrout.  Trout are both wild brown trout and rainbows in scenic rivers, streams and large and small lakes. We can arrange permits for several waters very close to us. Exmoor fishing is in superb scenery and for fishing holidays, Exmoor offers more than just fishing.

Our two self-catering offer very comfortable and convenient bases for a good choice of easily available permit waters. Andrew is happy to offer advice and guidance on tackle, waters, permits and methods - from his own experience and local knowledge.

Within under 10 minutes by car we have the rivers: Exe, Little Exe, Hadeo and Barle, (trout, salmon, and some grayling), Wimbleball Lake, (rainbows and wild browns), Exebridge Fishery and a private trout lake.  It is possible to gain permits for each of these.  Permits for those in red are readily available. 

A 20 minute car drive also brings in Clatworthy Reservoir, shown left, (rainbows and some browns), and Bellbrook still water trout fishery with large rainbows.

45 minutes drive brings in the dramatic East Lyn River: salmon, seatrout and trout.  One hour's drive brings in the River Taw, (salmon, good seatrout, trout), the Rivers Mole and Bray, (ditto), a good stillwater: Blakewell, (rainbows, some brownies) and Wistland Pound and Hawkridge reservoirs, and also some small streams.  Andrew is a keen fly fisherman and can help with advice, local knowledge and permits.

Exmoor fishing offers something for most fishing tastes at very affordable prices, e.g. a day's permit for the River Little Exe, (mainly small wild brownies, with 10oz being a good fish, some grayling and, later on with the right water, a chance of a salmon), 3 permit options, e.g. £10 for about 5 miles of fishing.  A shorter beat costs £6.00. Through the Dulverton Angling Association, totally wild fishing on both the Litte Exe and River Hadeo is available free to members after paying their £25 season membership, (membership via Lance Nicholson Tackle, Dulverton, contact details below). The Association also has access to some excellent salmon beats on the main river Exe, through the "Fish the Exe Scheme". Clatworthy from the bank is £17.50.00 per day for 5 fish; (in early May 2002 my bag averaged  3.3lbs!), boats cost £15. Wimbleball Lake bank is £20.00 for 6 fish, average 1.75 - 2lbs, with a few larger fish, (boats: 2008 prices, NYA for 2009, plus £11 and 2 more fish); catch and release £16.50, one of its arms has a mayfly hatch!.  See the fishing news page for full price details for 2008 for Clatworthy and Wimbleball. About 3 miles of the East Lyn costs £13.50 for salmon. Salmon permits on the main Exe, Mole and Taw are around £30.  Apart from the smaller stillwaters, fishing is very uncrowded, even solitary if you wish to go exploring! There is a wealth of very affordable fly fishing opportunities to suit all tastes.The Dulverton tackle and clothing shop, see link below, also sells permites for other local waters and has tickets for Angling 2000, from West country rivers Trust.

Access to day permits for salmon, (and trout) fishing on some superb beats on the main River Exe and Barle: RETA, The River Exe and Tributaries Association has promoted a scheme whereby various riparion owners make their waters available for day permit access, normally for one, or two days each week. This is the "Fish the Exe" scheme which as a very informative website about these beats and other local news -- see the link to it at the foot of this page.

Fishing Guides and Tuition. Locally we have two capable and knowledgeable guides to help fly fishermen of all levels of experience from beginner upwards, on the above waters and also on various additional waters: John Dawson, tel. 01398 331498, email: johndawson@castingclinic.freeserve.co.uk and Nick Hart: tel. 01398 331660.

Contact our local tackle shop for more information, including contacts for fishing guides and tuition as well as trout and salmon permits: Lance Nicholson in Dulverton: tel. 01398 323409 or use the same link immediately below as for Dulverton Angling Association:

©Weatherham Farm 2010

Brompton Regis, Dulverton, Somerset, TA22 9LG, England. Tel. (0)1398 371303