NOTE: Our remaining 3 Day Package availability for 2026 and 2027 can be found at the bottom of the page. Our remaining 2026 1-2-1 and Guiding Day Availability can be found here.
I was out fishing the other morning, and it struck me that in all the time that I have been writing posts for this blog/website (since 2016 would you believe!) that I have NEVER written one specifically about the 3 Day Packages that both my 2nd Guide Joe and I offer at South Devon Bass Guide!
So, I will keep things as succinct as possible, while highlighting the consistently remarkable catch rate that our clients have enjoyed and achieved over the past 8 seasons of completing these popular packages via the slideshow galleries, as well as adding in a number of their comments and testimonials.
Am I attempting to sell these 3 Day Packages to you? Absolutely, but not because we need to fill the slots as it were, but very much because Joe and I are extremely proud of what we deliver on these packages, alongside the overall enjoyment they bring to us, and most importantly, to our clients.
What they comprise
Our South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 3 Day Packages comprise the following:
- They are for 3 anglers only.
- They encompass 6x 4 hour sessions.
- 3 Day Packages are completed in May through to November.
Camaraderie
Elaborating on the above, you DO NOT need to ‘find’ another couple of anglers should you wish to come as a singleton (as the majority of people do in the first instance). Moreover, giving you a sense of the camaraderie that is created during these sessions, in addition to the upwards of 80% of clients who return following the completion of their first package with us, many of them re-book with the same group – whether that is after meeting them for the first time, or returning year-upon-year thereafter.
Catered to you
The 6x 4 hour sessions then. Each client is required to complete our ‘Client Booking Form’ 10-14 days prior to arrival, which in addition to setting out what you are required to bring with you (hat, sun-cream, sunglasses, etc.) provides you with the opportunity to tell us what it is you would like to learn, and ‘get out’ of these packages.
It may come as a surprise but “catch a bass” is very rarely written or typed onto these forms, and rather, it is the learning aspect, and being able to take what they’ve learnt back to their respective section of coastline that forms the most commonly seen response, to what is a very specific question.
Once I have the requisite information from this form, and/or through the email correspondence and sometimes a telephone call, I can then begin planning the separate sessions so that they are catered to you as much as is practicably possible. By this, I mean the weather and sea state can occasionally influence my thinking, be it very rough seas, windy conditions, or even very hot weather and when thunderstorms are in the forecast.
Weather
The above is a very important aspect should you be considering booking onto one of our 3 Day Packages. I have NEVER had to cancel a package due to the weather or sea state. The reason for this is twofold: firstly, as well as being blessed with eight separate estuary systems that I am allowed to guide within, the south Devon coastline is orientated in many directions. What this means is that no matter how hard the wind is blowing, and from which direction, we will ALWAYS have somewhere not only to safely fish, but it will be a location where we still fully expect to encounter bass!
Associated to the above, as you would have seen from not only my personal catches over since I created this blog, but more significantly, those of our clients, the bass lure fishing here in glorious south Devon is a 100%, bona fide all-year-round pursuit – and not just in the estuaries too as Joe’s client here can testify. In all honesty, you could pull out a fish-of-a-lifetime in every month of the year!
“I had a fantastic 3-day trip in Devon with Marc at South Devon Bass Guide Ltd. Everything was brilliantly organised, from the great accommodation Marc arranged to the stunning and varied fishing spots along the coast and estuaries.
Marc’s local knowledge and guidance were outstanding, and I especially appreciated learning how to fish the Patchinko properly – something that really improved my confidence and results. A relaxed, and memorable experience in a beautiful part of the country. Highly recommended.”
W. Warren
What’s included
Included in the price of £569 per person (£579 in 2027) for my ‘Marc Cowling 3 Day Packages, and £549 for my 2nd Guide Joe’s packages (that are completed on the 400+ locations that I have researched and curated over 35 years of exclusively casting lures at this majestic species) is:
- 3 Nights Accommodation at the superb Chillington House BB Hotel
- Full use of our equipment (please bring your own waders for hygiene reasons)
Again, expanding on the information above. In regard to the 3 nights accommodation, each angler will have their OWN room with a double or king-size bed, with an ensuite bathroom, plus they will enjoy what is an amazing breakfast each morning (the full English will certainly set you up for the first session of each day!).
Note that it is exceedingly rare for our clients to miss breakfast because we are out fishing. And if this decision is made, it would have been following a group discussion that would have come about most probably due to avoid the worst of the expected weather, or more likely, to maximise our chances of latching into a monster due to the most opportune conditions at a favoured mark. What’s more Jeannie and Adam at the BB will provide you with a packed lunch instead of the breakfast in this scenario should it occur.
Rods, Reels, and Lures
As mentioned above, please bring your own waders. However, outside of this, I am in a position via my consultancy work with Westin Fishing to be able to furnish you with some very high end bass lure fishing rods (their W8 series for example which cost nearly £500). As well as the rods, we have invested in Shimano 3000 size reels that you can use, plus I own pretty much every conceivable lure that is worth owning – again, that I am happy to hand over providing we get it/them back at the end of the session(s). Clearly, any breakages or ‘lost’ items will need to replaced or compensated for!
What makes these 3 Day Packages Special
I our clients’ opinion, this is what makes our South Devon Bass Guide 3 Day Packages standout:
- The overall beauty to the environments you will be fishing.
- The variety to the locations.
- The multitude of tactics and methods we cover.
- That the use of all lure types can be taught.
- The companionship and like minded friends made.
- The success rate – 1st ever bass, and/or new PB landed!
The diverse nature
Once more, supplementing the bullet points above, and one of my favourite things about being a Professional Guide is witnessing that ‘Wow’ moment or ‘Gasp’ when we arrive on or above many of the marks that Joe and I take our clients to. The South Hams region of south Devon is noted for its outstanding natural beauty, and this, in essence, is our playground – something we never take for granted.
Towering cliffs and imposing headlands jutting out into tide races through to secluded beaches and pebble coves. The thrill of a surf beach setting through to those wild, craggy rock and reef environments form the backbone of our open coastal catalogue. Then there are the absolutely stunning estuaries and wood-backed waterways, within which we have experienced so much success over the past 5 years in particular that comprise our more inland portfolio.
What’s more, I need to highlight that it is uncommon to encounter any other anglers when we are guiding on these packages or indeed during any of the sessions we complete – we like to avoid prying eyes whenever possible you’ll appreciate.
“The sessions with Joe were eye opening, as he was so clear in his method of explaining the what, the why, the how and the when, as well as the where – all questions that I had carried with me on my own search for ‘how to’ when bassing, such as areas to target, tides to fish and methods to use. He got me thinking about how I need to approach my own areas and develop my watercraft.
Joe was humorous, calm and positive and very encouraging – we caught some lovely fish, and he celebrated as much as we did! It was a truly enjoyable and educational trip, and those 3 days will stay with me and help me ‘guide’ myself as I keep learning about these wondrous creatures. Highly recommended – we had a fun time, and Marc even came along as we dinner and a refreshment before an evening session!
Stunning locations; superb tuition and guiding! I’ve booked again for October!”
G. Weston
Facilitating the learning
Due to the extremely diverse nature of the south Devon coastline and the types of marks in which bass are caught, Joe and I are able to teach and instruct our clients each and every method associated to catching a bass on a lure. Indeed, you may begin the day fishing 7 miles inland, casting a creature bait at a bass we have ‘sighted’ in 8″ of water under a sunny sky, before embarking on a late-evening clifftop walk, to a hidden cove a good mile from civilisation to cast and retrieve a needlefish over a classic reef system as the Moon rises above the horizon.
Over the 6x 4 hour sessions, our ultimate aim would be take the party of 3 anglers to a different type of environment, and/or to fish at different stages of the tide, time of day, or different sea/clarity conditions, again depending on what the consensus is, and what each member of the package wishes to learn. Basically, everything is taken into consideration on these packages.
Furthermore, with over 400+ marks at our disposal, incorporating what I firmly believe is the best bass lure fishing you will find in the UK, all whilst enveloped within some of the most breathtaking scenery this country also has to offer, and you can see why so many of our clients return year-after-year.
Lure Types
Unquestionably (and something that forms the basis of why I have written three books on the subject here) learning WHICH lure type to attach in which series of conditions, scenario, or setting, plus being instructed in its use is fundamentally why I conceived South Devon Bass Guide in the first place.
So, in conjunction with explaining to our clients why they are stood on a particular venue or stance, and how and where we expect the bass to be located, our ‘bread and butter’ if you like is teaching our clients HOW to retrieve and work each specific lure type – be it soft plastics, hard diving minnows, metals, creature baits, or the most common – a surface sliding lure or popper.
This is so important for us professionals and clearly to you, our clients, for the reason that this is what will place that bass in your gleeful arms, and will put that smile across your face. And if you don’t succeed while using that method, tactic, or lure type with us in that moment, at the very least you will know how to approach certain venues in the future, and will have the knowledge and skill set required to extract bass from it.
The social aspect and the remarkable catches achieved
I touched on the camaraderie created in the course of these 3 Day Packages – even more so when the 3 anglers are not already acquainted. No matter what each respective client has achieved within their own angling endeavours (and I have guided anglers who are fly fishing guides or have coarse fished for their country) or whatever their previous experience, a genuinely helpful and encouraging team ethic is always apparent from the outset – something that endures and only grows over the sessions, the days, and the catches!
Ahh the catches. In reality, the quite remarkable number of ‘big bass’ (the high 60 and 70cm+ fish) that have ended up in my giant net almost sell these packages themselves – that, and as I’ve briefly mentioned, the number of first ever bass that our clients have hooked, landed, and released (we operate to a 100% Catch and Release Policy). By ‘first’ ever, I mean the first via a new method, type of environment, tactic, lure type, in darkness, or indeed quite literally their first ever bass on a lure!
“I’ve now completed three fantastic 3‑day trips with South Devon Bass Guide, and each one has been an absolute blast. The first two were with Marc and the third with Joe, and both guides were superb—knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and seemingly gifted with a sixth sense for where the bass are hiding.
Every trip has been brilliantly organised, great fun, and packed with action, laughs, and proper adrenaline. Whether you want to learn, chase a PB, or just enjoy a few days on the water with top-class guides, I can’t recommend South Devon Bass Guide highly enough. I’m already planning the next one – unfinished business and all that!”
J. Ashford
To conclude, I must reiterate that these packages are based around the learning aspect of what it takes to consistently catch bass on lures from a variety of conditions and environments, whilst utilising a multitude of lure types, as as such suit anglers from a wide range of disciplines including those with very very little experience or expertise at all.
Although Joe are I are both ex-Military, I must emphasise that these sessions are NOT an endurance test in any shape or form. However, although we have a broad array of marks that allow easy access, I would say that a basic level of fitness and dexterity is required should you wish to join us. If you enjoy a Pub lunch or dinner (as my Border Terrier Bertie and I certainly do!) then you’ll be coming to the right place, as I will always look to book us all in for sociable meal in amongst the fishing…
Marc Cowling 3 Day Package Availability
2026 – My (Marc Cowling) 2026 3 Day Packages are FULLY BOOKED, however, I can certainly add you to my Reserves List if you’d like to complete the Contact Form at the bottom of the page.
2027 – The Remaining Positions on my (Marc Cowling) 2027 3 Day Packages can be found below:
2027 Availability
NOTE: 3x places are available unless stated otherwise:
- 1 – 3 May
- 7 – 9 May
- 16 – 18 May
- 19 – 21 May
- 1 -3 June
- 7 – 9 June
- 14 – 16 June: 1x place remaining
- 18 – 20 June: 1x place remaining
- 28 – 30 June
- 4 – 6 July
- 16 – 18 July
- 19 – 21 July
- 27 – 29 July
- 2 – 4 August: 2x places remaining
- 5 – 7 August: 2x places remaining
- 31 August – 2 September: 2x places remaining
- 13 – 15 September: 2x places remaining
- 10 – 12 October: 2x places remaining
- 1 – 3 November
- 4 – 6 November
- 14 – 16 November: 2x places remaining
- 22 – 24 November
- 28 – 20 November
2nd Guide Joe’s 2026 3 Day Package Availability
NOTE: 3x places are available unless stated otherwise:
- 14 – 16 June: 1x place remaining
- 2 – 4 July: 1x place remaining
- 12 – 14 July
- 3 – 5 August
- 6 – 7 August
- 2 – 4 September: 1x place remaining
Contact and Queries
Should you have any further questions and queries, or indeed if you would like to enquiry about booking a place onto one or more of our South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 3 Day Packages, then please do not hesitate to get in touch via the Contact Form below. Alternatively, you can me us directly at: southdevonbassguide@yahoo.com
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 