Looking for a holiday lodge with fishing? If you’re staying in Balebarn, Beech, Nuthatch or Honeysuckle Eco Lodges you can fish the pond at Wheatland Farm. If you’re holidaying in Otter Cottage you’ll be right next door!
It’s only a small pond at Wheatland Farm, and the fish aren’t huge, but it’s surprisingly addictive. Children love it, and even adults will happily spend an hour or so. We have a couple of rods you can borrow if you don’t have your own. And the best bait is a bit of white bread or some sweetcorn.
Wheatland Farm doesn’t charge for fishing, and we assume that anyone over the age of 12 has a rod licence (you can get them from post offices), as required anywhere in England by the Environment Agency.
There are of course a few house rules…
- Catch and immediate release with barbless hooks please – well, ok you can take a picture of course.
- Make sure you have someone with you who can take the fish off the line.
- Try to make sure your hands are wet before you handle a fish – then you’ll do less damage to their scales.
- Put them back gently! The best way is to lower a bucket into the water and let them swim out.
- Children may only fish by arrangement with us and under your supervision. Their safety is your responsibility. Sorry, no lone fishing for kids – there must be an adult present.
- Please bring your own fishing equipment if you can (but Ian can help out if that’s not feasible).
- No night fishing.
If you want more serious fishing, then Stafford Moor Lakes, about 6 miles up the road from Wheatland Farm, is well known for coarse fishing lakes. Stafford Moor does day tickets (and often have week-long matches). There’s also Spire Lakes near North Tawton. If fly fishing is your thing you’ll want the River Taw – the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel at Eggesford arrange fishing trips.