SPECIES
Thornback and small-eyed ray show late May and June, but appear in bigger numbers from September on. Bass are resident all year round along with flounders and eels. Big mullet show from April right through to Christmas in mild years. Occasional stingray have been hooked and lost here in May and June.

BAITS
Mackerel or sandeel picks up the rays, though the thornbacks will take crab and the small-eyed squid as well. For the flounders, bass and eels stick with fresh peeler or soft back crab. King rag worm is only a fair back up bait. The mullet take tiny bits of rag or mackerel flesh under a float, or surface fished bread.

TACKLE & TACTICS
The estuary offers beach fishing with the beaches shallowish and backed by low cliffs. It can produce fish on all tide sizes but fished best on the bigger tides. The ray's show three hours before high tide, but the bas scan be caught both on the flood as they move in, and on the ebb as they head back for open sea.

For the rays and bass a 5-6oz beachcaster and 6500 reel loaded with 15lb line and 50lb shock leader helps get a little more distance out in to the deeper water. A good rig here is a clipped down one hook rig carrying a size 3/0 to 4/0 hook. Leads need to be 5oz grips.

With the flounders and eels generally feeding tight to the shoreline a bass rod and just 12lb line with a light 30lb shock leader is perfect. Fish a simple flowing ledger rig with a 2ft 20lb hook trace and a size 2 Aberdeen.

For the mullet looks for rocks that edge out in to the water and groundbait with bread around these. The mullet show very close in, so be prepared to keep well down out of sight. Fish an Avon type rod, 6lb line and a 4lb Fluoro carbon tippet to a size 10 hook under a loaded waggler float with just enough shot to get the bait down.

LOCATION
Take the A379 Plymouth to Knightsbridge road and then head for Holbeton and the estuary. Roadside parking in places.

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