Deep Sea Fishing
The best spot in the UK for deep sea fishing is open for debate. However, there are places where people keep flocking back to because of the varieties, rarity and abundance of fish, and their picturesque nature. We’ll take a look at them here..
Deep sea fishing can be divided loosely into two areas. The first is reef fishing and the second is wreck fishing. The ‘deep’ part is, in this industry, fairly subjective. Divers refer to ‘deep’ as being past 18 metres, whereas many in fishing would say past 100 metres is ‘deep’. The word is also used because of the types of fish found at the depths in question.
Reef Fishing
Regarding reef fishing, a particularly notable location is the South coast of the United Kingdom, and The Channel. The South coast in particular is notable for its slate seabed, resulting in a unique underwater environment, playing host to various creatures.
The Mewstone in particular is a ‘tried and tested’ good spot for deep sea fishing according to those in the region. A large slate rock protruding from the sea, the underwater topography follows The Mewstone and its natural ‘coved’ environment makes for easier fishing.
Wreck Fishing
The Medoc is a WWII era vessel, sank extremely quickly and is largely intact, making it very receptive to marine life such as Pollock, Mackerel, Whiting, Wrasse, Bass, Conger Eels and more. This sea life is not necessarily unique to deep sea wrecks, but is certainly abundant upon them. Likewise, the Skaala (an old Norwegian steamer) wreck, lying at 47 metres from the seabed, is a perfect wreck for the fish mentioned above. Generally ‘deep wrecks’ are between 45-55 metres down, in fishing terms.
The South West’s wrecks are, by most accounts, one of the best places in the UK to go deep sea fishing. Others would recommend further upcountry and even the English Channel, where cod, butterfish, pufferfish and sunfish can be found, amongst more ‘standard’ types of fish! Ultimately, the ‘best’ location is determined by the type of fish sought (exotic .vs. plentiful amounts of common fish), and the conditions that one is willing to brave in order to obtain them.
Our Favourite Deep Seas Fishing Locations
The South West of the UK is our location of choice, due to its varied mixture of coves, wrecks and reefs, offering totally different deep sea fishing experiences all within a few miles of each other.