Shore Fishing has been difficult along the North Devon Shoreline with those big fish hard to find. Fish those prime marks with big baits and heavy tackle and the results will eventually come its just a case of being in the right place at the right time.
Nathan Clements ended 2019 with this fine conger of 26lb 9.5oz tempted from a North Devon Rock Mark.
Stefan Jones caught this specimen bull Huss of 12lb 10oz whilst fishing a North Devon Rock Mark
Graham Kelly has enjoyed a session to remember at Furzebray Carp lakes banking four of Island lakes most sort after fish. Graham banked the carp known as Charlotte at 46lb 14oz, Blackspot at 45lb, Angies Common at 37lb 10oz another carp of 31lb, the big Zip at 28lb and two other twenty pound plus fish.
Mark Jones secured first place in Combe Martin SAC’s Breath Of Fresh Air Winter Rover landing a specimen small eyed ray of 11lb 1oz.
Runner was Dan Miles Redmore with a spurdog of 8lb 8oz.
Wayne Thomas was third with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz and Dan Welch forth with a thornback ray of 6lb 15oz. Jack Phillips was fifth with dogfish of 1lb 12oz and Mark Jones 6th with a codling of 5lb 13oz.
The fourteen members fished marks covering a wide area from Somerset down to Bideford Bay. Fishing was generally hard going with dogfish and small conger prolific in some areas.
I fished a local mark and the highlight of the trip was a visit from a hungry shag that was so tame it took bits of bait straight from the hand. Whilst cormorants cause a great deal of damage inland and on rivers I delight in seeing them on the coast where they belong. Gannets were also swooping over the water indicating food fish potentially close to the surface.
Triple Hook Clubs Annual Christmas Turkey Competition was plagued by raging flood waters that made fishing conditions challenging. Despite this several good fish were brought to the scales by the thirty-seven competitors ensuring turkeys for the successful anglers. John Passmore won the competition with a flounder scaling 1lb 91/8oz. In runner up spot was Julian Stainer with a flounder of 1lb 81/32oz.Third was Junior angler Ian Cairns with a flounder of 1lb 71/4oz and in forth Antony Smith with flounder of 1lb 41/2oz. In fifth was Tarrant Wotton with a flattie of 1lb 43/4oz and in sixth Mark Beer with a flounder of 1lb 31/4oz.
Shore sport along the North Devon coast has been slower than expected with the water coloured following recent winter storms I expected to be swamped with pictures of specimen fish. CMSAC member Dan Spearman caught this blonde ray of 12lb 11oz. James Gubb Fradgley caught a pleasing whiting of 1lb 8oz. This weekend see CMSAC and Triple Hook Club holding competitions it will be interesting to see what is tempted.
Dan Spearman
Aaron Jones continues his fine run of form on Melbury with this 19.06 common. Nash scopex squid doing the business again!
The rough weather has encouraged a few ray to move close inshore with small eyed ray, spotted ray and blonde ray tempted.
Michael Blake won Stafford Moor’s Christmas Match with 91lb 13oz with Nathan Underwood taking the runner up spot with 81lb and Rich Dennis third with 38lb 12oz.
Jonathon Stanway and Ross Stanway enjoyed a successful session from a North Devon Rock mark landing conger of 19lb 6oz and 16lb 4oz.
Dark winter nights are made for reading and dreaming and the latest edition of Fly Culture delivers plenty of fuel to inspire. The editor in Chief of this quality read is local Fly Fishing enthusiast Pete Tyjas who was an inspiring Fly Fishing Guide at the Fox and Hounds, Eggesford.
My own book on fishing in North Devon entitled “I Caught A Glimpse” is available from https://thelittleegretpress.co.uk/product-category/author/wayne-thomas/
Matt Jeffery made the best of a session between the storms tempting a hard fighting tope of 34lb 2oz. The fish was tempted using whole squid.
(Below) Early this autumn Matt caught a tope of 39lb.
