Dan Hawkins continues to put anglers amongst the bigger predators on his boat Reel Deal, The latest trip in choppy conditions saw four shark brought to the boat including both blue shark and porbeagles.
Brace of big mullet secure victory in Bideford Rover
Bidefords 24 hour results
Andrew Clements landed superb brace of mullet to secure victory in Bideford & District Angling Clubs 24 hour rover.
1st Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 2.25oz 128.516%
2nd Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 0.5oz 127.344%
3rd Nathan Clements – smooth hound 9lb 13 98.125%
North Devon Match Group Championship No 7 Darracott Reservoir results:
Many thanks to Martin Turner for his regular match reports from both the North Devon Match Group and Bideford Club. Good to see a tight match with small silvers making up the weights instead of bulky carp. Whilst there is undoubtedly more rod bending in the commercial match’s full of carp there is more refined skill in extracting a net of small fish to compile a net.
North Devon Match Group Championship No 7 Darracott Reservoir results:
1st Tom Downing 9lb 6oz
2nd Mark Richards 8lb 2oz
3rd John Forster 7lb 12oz
4th Graham Currington 6lb 3oz
5th Graham Colman 5lb 5oz .
12 fished, Warm conditions led to a close match , Tom’s run continues with another victory from the far side with a great net of mainly small rudd taken on a whip, Mark found some better quality roach on the long pole for second place, John led the way for those who elected to concentrate on the feeder, his 3rd spot came to pellets on the first peg over the dam,
CMSAC – Where have the mullet gone?
During the writing of my book “ I Caught A Glimpse” recorded the memories of several anglers and one particular place that had a big impact on many anglers lives was the bend at Bishops Tawton. I wrote a piece on this a while back ; https://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/2016/08/27/the-bend/
I returned to this location once again with members of the Combe Martin SAC in search of thin lipped grey mullet. On this very pleasant and sunny summers day it was good to cast a line once again into familiar waters. This was the one of the clubs first events since lockdown and only a handful of us were present.
Strangely the entire estuary from Rock Park up past Bishops Tawton seemed devoid of mullet with not a swirl or glimpse to be seen. A couple of small bass succumbed to our baited spinners and solitary flounder. Plenty of mullet had been caught from the estuary back in June but they have disappeared since. Where have they gone? There is no legal netting in the estuary so I can only assume they have migrated elsewhere.
On the big bend I was intrigued to find an angler in a bivvy. It turned out to be an angler who has been fishing the river for several years trying to unlock its secrets and see if those ancestors of those big roach still dwell.
Walking the riverside patch beside Venn Stream to the river there is a sense of timelessness with the gurgling waters and the resting tombstones in the churchyard.
Stafford Match Result
The latest Stafford Moor Open match on Tanners & Woodpecker Lakes had a top weight from Gary Webber who bagged himself 187lb 2oz from peg 19 on Woodpecker Lake.
Fine Simpson Valley Thirty
Matt Dart fished Simpson Valleys Mallard Lake and banked a superb mirror carp of 32lb 14oz.
Stafford Moor – Carp 17 for Joey and Ezme
Joey Gould and Ezme enjoyed a great session on the inlet swim on Beatties Lake and had 17 fish out all caught on Sticky baits krill & house pellets, remix baits skrilliks wafters.
Upper Tamar Carp Brace
Mervyn Beale fished Upper Tamar and was rewarded with this lovely 21lb Mirror and 16lb Common . 20mm Nash Scopex Squid boilie doing the trick for Merv with a 5 bait stringer.
Stunning huss
Ollie Passmore caught this stunning looking huss of 10lb 2oz on his latest trip to North Devons rocky shoreline.
Olie was using Sakuma top gun 6/0 hooks and swivels on a pulley pennel rig.
Reel Deal Sport off Ilfracombe
Anglers have enjoyed some superb sport off Ilfracombe aboard Reel Deal with Skipper Dan Hawkins. Tope fishing as at times been hectic with a few larger predators showing including blue shark to 90lb plus and a some chunky porbeagle. One large porbeagle even enjoying a chunk of fresh bass for dinner! The anglers have also enjoyed frequent glimpse of dolphins and whale in the deeps.
