Lundy Island Diving: What You Need to Know Before You Book a Dive Trip
July 28, 2026
Atlantic mackerel are one of the most abundant, accessible, and rewarding species available to any sea angler, and the waters off the North Devon coast hold them in significant numbers through the summer months. If you have never been fishing before, a mackerel fishing trip from Ilfracombe is one of the best possible introductions: the fish are willing biters, the technique is straightforward, and the experience of hauling multiple fish over the side on a set of feathers is genuinely exhilarating regardless of age or experience.
Here is everything you need to know before you book.
When Is Mackerel Fishing Best off North Devon?
Atlantic mackerel are migratory, spending winter in deeper offshore water and moving inshore in late spring as sea temperatures rise. Off the North Devon coast, reliable inshore mackerel fishing typically begins in May and peaks through June, July, and August before the fish move back offshore in September. August is arguably the most productive month: the shoals are dense, the fish are in peak condition and feeding actively, and the weather windows for getting offshore are at their most reliable.
How Does Mackerel Fishing Work?
The most common and effective technique for mackerel from a boat is a string of coloured lures called feathers, typically a set of six, jigged up and down through the water column above where the fish are holding. Mackerel are pack hunters and will all strike the lures simultaneously, meaning it is common to bring six fish over the side in a single retrieve. The technique requires no previous fishing experience and can be mastered in the first few minutes.
Mackerel can also be caught on small spinning lures and on bait, though feathers are the most efficient approach when the fish are in numbers.
What Happens to the Fish?
Fresh mackerel caught and eaten on the same day is one of the finest things you can eat from British waters. The flesh deteriorates faster than most white fish, which is why the freshest mackerel is genuinely superior to anything available in a shop. On our trips, passengers are welcome to keep their catch to take home, and we can advise on the simplest preparations if you have never cooked mackerel before.
For those who do not want to keep fish, mackerel can be returned to the water, though their fate as a released fish is uncertain given the stress of capture.
Is Mackerel Fishing Suitable for Children?
Yes, absolutely. Mackerel fishing is one of the most child-friendly forms of sea fishing available. The fish are easy to catch, the bites are immediate and obvious, and the experience of catching multiple fish in quick succession is exciting for children who might struggle with the patience required for other types of fishing. We have taken many families with children as young as five on mackerel trips and the experience consistently produces the kind of excitement that only actually catching fish can generate.
What Do You Need to Bring?
Nothing. All tackle, including rods, reels, lines, and feathers, is provided on board. We recommend wearing clothes you do not mind getting fish blood or scales on, and bringing layers as the conditions on the water are cooler than ashore. Seasickness tablets are advisable for anyone who is prone to motion sickness.
Book your mackerel fishing trip from Ilfracombe at wildfrontiercharters.co.uk