Fly Fishing on the River Tamar

The River Tamar forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall, which is why it sits here under Devon only. It rises on a high, windswept plateau close to the north Cornish coast, then turns its back on the sea and runs south across the whole peninsula to Plymouth Sound, about 61 miles in all.

Up in the Launceston country it is a lowland farming river. Fishermen describe big, slow, deep pools, long gravel flats and riffles, and wading that is generally straightforward, so it suits beginners as well as anglers who want to hunt out the stretches that see little fly. Wild brown trout and sea trout are the main fish, with the occasional salmon, and the sea trout are fished mostly at night.

The Tamar is also the trunk of a catchment that includes the Lyd, the Carey and the Tavy on the Devon side, and each of those fishes quite differently from the main river. The tide reaches a weir just below Gunnislake, so the game fishing is all above that.

Fishing on the Tamar is held by private owners and hotels, with some water offered on day permits, so check the details for the stretch you plan to fish.