24 Dec 2018

Shore Fishing Opportunities for the festive angler

by | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

The festive holiday will give many anglers the opportunity to visit the shoreline where there is a variety of species worth targeting. Bull huss,. spurdog and tope will be top of the wish list for many with codling also worth targeting epiecially up channel around Minehead and beyond. Harbours are well worth a try using light tackle tactics for grey mullet a species that are now present all year around.

(Above) Shuan Quartly landed this bull huss of 11lb 6oz on recent trip to a North Devon Rock Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) Mark Jones visited a beach in the Minehead area to land five codling to 4lb in a short session over low water.

(Above) John Shapland targetted grey mullet with success landing this sliver flanked specimen from a North Devon harbour.

 

(Above) James Grigg with an 11lb 1oz spurdog caught from a local rock mark on a whole whiting bait.

 

 

23 Dec 2018

Stafford Moor Christmas Match

by | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Stafford Moors Christmas Match on Tanners and Woodpecker lakestook place on a miserable grey day for anglers but not too bad for fishing I suspect. The winner of the Christmas Match 2018 was Mr Andy Dare who bagged himself 107lb 9oz from peg 1 on Tanners lake well done Andy! In second place was Mark Cullerton with 81lb 10oz from peg 20 on Woodpecker lake. In third place was Tom Downing peg 10 on Tanners with 99lb 5oz. In forth place was Nathan Underwood with 62lb 9oz from peg 16 on Woodpecker lake.

22 Dec 2018

Conger and codling for Christmas Anglers

by | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Nathan Clements enjoyed success on a North Devon rock enjoying the fresh air instead of the crowds of Factory Friday. This conger scaled 23lb 13oz and is one of the biggest shore caught eel reported so far this autumn. The biggest eels of the winter often show after Christmas so lets hope there are a few more to come. So far this autumn there have been large numbers of small eels that are nuisance but are perhaps a good sign for the future?

(Below) Young Charlie Stanway will be hoping for some chips to go with this cod he caught at Ilfracombe whilst fishing with his Dad.

Prospects for the Festive period are excellant with South West Winds and mild conditions. Matt Jeffery tempted a tope of 25lb 4oz and I expect one or two more of these toothy critters to show over the christmas holiday period along with spurdog and huss.

(Below) Ian laird landed this spurdog on a recent trip and is hoping to hook a bigger one before the winter is over.

20 Dec 2018

RIGS FOR TOOTHY CRITTERS – Article by Kevin Legge

by | posted in: Article, Articles, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Kevin Legge as a well earned reputation for catching specimen fish from the North Devon shoreline and having fished with Kev for close to forty years I know he is meticulous in his preparation and leaves nothing to chance. Kevin has been testing the latest terminal tackle from Veals Mail Order and sent me this short article.

I have been asked recently about wire traces for toothy critters. I have been using the Mason Wire for a few years now in 175lb b.s this wire is both strong and extremely kink resistant a plus when the straps and dogfish are about in plague proportions.For hooks I use good old Varivas extras or the recent catfish hook. I have always been a fan of stainless steel swivels and the latest from Seadra are exceptionally robust with the 1/0 crane swivel rated at 525lb! To connect the trace to hook and swivel I have been using Seadra double barrel crimps 1.2mm. The crimped joints are protected using Mustard shrink tube (3mm) this creates a neat finish and protects the fingers from shards of wire that can give a nasty cut.

At snaggy marks Kevin often uses a single hook instead of the more commonly used Pennel rig.

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Dec 2018

North Devon Match Group Final Championship and Christmas Competition @ Oaktree Fishery

by | posted in: Uncategorised | 0

Results

1st Paul Elworthy 42lb 4oz

2nd Paul Morris  39lb 13oz

3rd Neilsen Jeffery 35lb 15oz

4th Stuartshelley Burridge  32lb 1oz

5th  James Grogan 31lb 5oz

6th Dave Dodgy Hooks 30lb 6oz

22 members fished our final comp of the year , 11 on each pond. Conditions were still and cold to start but deteriorated into rain. Paul Elworthy drew on peg 2 in the middle of the dam on the top pool his first fish was a near double on paste on the pole , he added 6 more and crucially 7lb of sivers to secure a victory , Paul Morris was on peg 15 on the bottom lake he also landed a large carp early he went on to net 9 fish, all on the pole, for 2nd place. 3rd went to Neilsen Jeffery with a pole and corn approach on peg 9 , The first competition for the new year kicks off on Jan 6th 2019 on Morchard Road.

20 Dec 2018

New salmon and sea trout byelaws:

by | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Charles Inniss has sent this news to members of the River Torridge Fishery Association. It is great news for angling in North Devon.

NEWSREEL: XMAS 2018.

New salmon and sea trout byelaws:

At long last DEFRA has confirmed the new salmon and sea trout byelaws, which will become law and come into force on 1stJanuary 2019.

As far as the rivers Torridge and Taw are concerned:

  • All salmon netting in the estuary will cease. Currently there are three licensed netsmen and their licences will not be renewed. Following on from the ban on drift netting for bass and mullet in the estuary twelve months ago, this means that all estuary netting (apart from netting for sand eels) has come to an end.

In my wildest dreams I never thought the day would come when I would write the above!!

  • Being classed as rivers “Probably at Risk” there will be voluntary catch and release for salmon with the expectation that release levels are above 90%.

To support the new byelaws and to ensure as many salmon and sea trout are able to spawn successfully, the Torridge Fishery Association encourages anglers to return all migratory fish. In recent years the decline in sea trout numbers has been more pronounced than salmon, so returning sea trout is just as important as releasing salmon.

You can find all the details of the new byelaws on the EA website.

Have a great Xmas. Charles.

Dont forget tio send in those catch returns :- https://www.gov.uk/catch-return