Fly Fishing in Cornwall

The easiest way onto the rivers is the Westcountry Angling Passport, run by the Westcountry Rivers Trust, which sells beats by the day in Fish Pass tokens. Prices on these beats are in tokens, not pounds. The small beats are 2 tokens: South Penquite on the De Lank, Fenteroon on the upper Camel, Grampound and Grogarth on the Fal, Coombe on the Inny. Penpont Water is 3 and Kingscombe on the Inny is 4. Treraven and Tresarrett on the Camel are 5 each, for sea trout and salmon as well as brown trout, and all rod caught salmon from the Camel catchment must be returned. Woodland Valley, a stream and two small lakes in a beaver enclosure, is 7. Many of these beats are fly only and catch and release, and several are small, tree lined streams that suit a short rod.

Four clubs sell tickets or take members. Liskeard and District Angling Club fishes for salmon and sea trout on the Fowey, Lynher, Seaton, West Looe and Inny. Visitors can buy day and week tickets on its website. Membership is limited to 250 and costs £117.50 for 2026, with a £25 joining fee. On the Fowey and Lynher the club’s rules allow one salmon a season, with every salmon caught before 16 June returned, and up to two sea trout in 24 hours, four in a week and ten in a season. Launceston Anglers’ Association fishes the Tamar, Inny and Kensey near Launceston and sells a £15 fly only brown trout day ticket through Launceston Tourist Information. Its salmon fishing is catch and release and it sells no salmon day tickets. Wadebridge and District Angling Association has the Camel and the Allen for sea trout and salmon, with day and weekly tickets on its website and full membership at £60. Bodmin Anglers Association has more of the Camel and the Allen, but it is members’ water. Butterwell Farm lets a stretch of the Camel at Nanstallon: £30 for a wild brown trout day, and £40 or £65 for salmon and sea trout, depending on the time of year.

The reservoirs are the simplest day out. South West Lakes Trust runs Colliford, 911 acres on Bodmin Moor, and Siblyback and Stithians, all fly only, with day, evening and season tickets sold online or by phone. Stithians is £27 a day for five fish or £20 catch and release. Under 18s fish free with a paying adult. Crowdy, 115 acres near Camelford, needs only an Environment Agency rod licence to fish for its wild brown trout from the bank. No ticket is sold.

The smaller lakes sell by the fish. Mallard Lake at Temple Trout Fishery, on Bodmin Moor, is £40 for a full day and five fish. Innis Fly Fishery near St Austell is £40 for five fish, £30 for three and £20 for two on Carbis and Sterrick, or £25 catch and release. Rose Park Fishery, which also sells through the Passport, is £25 for a catch and release day, and every brown trout must be returned. Drift Reservoir, 65 acres near Penzance, is fished through Drift Fly Fishing Club: £50 for a day membership, and £300 a year for bank membership. Ring first to check there is a place.

It suits an angler who likes small, overgrown water and a short rod, or a day on a moorland reservoir. Salmon fishing here is tightly limited or catch and release.