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European Lure Fishing Show 2018
The European Lure Fishing Show 2018 was held at Bristol last weekend and I was fortunate to visit the show with fellow Combe Martin SAC members Nick and Jack Phillips. This is the second year of the show and after hearing good reports from last year I thought it worth taking a look. The event focus’s on Lure fishing and Fly Fishing with an extensive range of products on display along with talks and demonstrations.
The best side of these shows is undoubtedly the opportunity to meet up with fellow anglers and swap tales with old friends.
We took time to listen to two talks; one on world wide fishing with Dave Lewis of Sea Angler with Dave giving sound advice on chasing those bucket list fish that take anglers to some stunning locations.
The second talk was delivered by Henry Gilbey and was a thought provoking one that revolved around the wearing of life-jackets. Henry told of two young brothers who tragically died whilst fishing off the North Cornish coast. The fact that Henry knew the mark well and that he had intended fishing it that day undoubtedly struck a cord. I know Henry and he is passionate about his fishing and has like most keen sea anglers had a few near misses.
After listening to Henry I visited the Art of Fishing stand and purchased two Crewsaver Buoyancy aids. One for myself and one for my son James. After close to fifty years of fishing I am all to aware of the statistics with anglers drowning every year I ask myself how likely am I to become one of those stats? The life jackets are not cumbersome and after a few minutes you forget you have them on. Why would you not wear one Henry asked? £70 is but a small price to pay if it saves your life?
It was noticeable that very few anglers attended Henry’s talk on safety at sea. I am sure that if Henry had been waxing lyrical about lure fishing many would have sat hanging on his every word. Health and safety isn’t sexy but it was probably the most important topic on the agenda and most chose to ignore it!
Strangely in all the years I have been fishing on the coast I have given only passing thought to my own safety. Yet I have had nightmares about fellow anglers being washed into the sea whilst I stand helpless on the shore. What would you say to their nearest and dearest?
Perhaps it is for others that you should don that life saving vest for lets face it if you get washed into the sea on a dark and stormy night without a life jacket your not going to worry for long.
A short film shot in conjunction with the RNLI on the North Devon Coast was a true eye opener as to what happens if you fall into the water wearing waders. I will share the film on my Facebook page when it is released. Take a few moments to watch.
Great to see Mark Underhill present and chatting to enthusiastic anglers about his first season at Wimbleball lake.
(Above) Angling Trust Blogger, Author and angling guide Dominick Garnett
Jennetts Thirty
Some stunning carp from South West Lakes waters near Bideford. Report below from Ben Smeeth
(Below)Ryan Willshire had this peach of a mirror at the weekend from Melbury. There is some stunning mirrors in the venue and this one is right up there. The fish weighed 20lb 4oz.
Congratulations to Nathan England who after a few years away from carping is back with a bang! This 30.02 Jennetts reservoir common was backed up by another of 26.08 within a couple days of each other. He is over the moon and has outdone son Jake who had a 28lb common two weeks ago! The day ticket venue in Bideford, Devon, is on fire at the moment!
Sea Angling Round Up – Competition Results and catches
The flounder fishing season has got into full swing following a few frosty mornings with plump flounder being caught from all the popular estuary marks.
Mark Beer won Triple Hook Clubs RBL Club Shield Flounder Match with a fine flounder of 2lb 7/8oz. Runner up was Kevin Hancock with a flounder of 1lb 103/4oz and third Dennis Toleman with a flounder of 1lb 97/8oz.
(Above)Paul Hutchings and Andrew McKenna enjoyed an action packed session on the Taw estuary catching upwards of thirty flounder over 1lb 4oz the best a beauty of 1lb 14oz.
Further afield North Devon angler Dan Miles Redmore secured first place in Sunday’s heat of the prestigious National Flounder competition fished on the River Teign estuary over last weekend. Dan’s flounder scaled a fraction over 2lb and beat a field of almost 170 anglers.
Heidi Green took first and second places in Appledore Shipbuilders Rover catching flounder of 1lb 143/8oz and 1lb 133/8oz. Third was Josh Atkinson with a flounder of 1lb 117/8oz. Amelia Mellor took first and third in the junior section with flounder of 1lb 9oz and 1lb 5oz. In second was Jack Pike with a flattie of 1lb 71/2oz.
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Nathan Clements won Bideford Angling Clubs monthly rover with a dogfish of 2lb 1oz. In second was Terry Dymond with a flounder of 1lb 4oz.
Combe Martin Sea Angling Club members enjoyed a day out of Minehead aboard Steve Webber’s boat Osprey. Cod were the intended target but proved difficult to find on the day. Persistence eventually paid off when Rob Scoine’s bait was seized by a fine double figure cod weighing 12lb 4oz. James Thomas boated a blonde ray of 12lb the best of several ray caught including thornback and one other blonde. Smoothound, spurdog, dogfish and numerous conger were also caught.
The autumn is racing towards its close as winter descends and now is the time to catch that special fish. Looking back over the decades November is a month that can produce that fish of a lifetime. Kevin Legge’s British record tope of 66lb and 66lb 8oz were both caught in early November. Barry Hill’s shore caught record coalfish of 18lb was also caught in November and Tim Neal caught a rockling of 3lb 1oz that also held the British record. The stories behind some of these fish are in my book I Caught a Glimpse due for release in mid February 2019.
North Devon Company cheats the Norway chill!
Combe Martin SAC members Kevin Legge and Craig McCloughlin joined the Veals Mail Order fishing teams excursion to Norway where they enjoyed some excellent shore fishing success despite being battered by some severe arctic weather. Fortunately they were kitted out with extreme weather clothing from North Devon based Reeds Chill-Cheaters. Kevin ; Told me that the, “conditions were very testing and proved to be a real testing ground for the Chillcheater gear that came through with no wind or rain breaking through the outer layers with the thermal lining holding the core warmth in”
Flounder Give great light tackle sport
Combe Martin SAC member Ian Laird enjoyed his first flounder session of the season landing several fish on light tackle from a mark in the Taw estuary.
MAINLINE BAITS CARP OPENS UPPER TAMAR LAKE
Upper Tamar
Carp
Competitions announcement
South West Lakes Trust is delighted to announce a new sponsor for its carp competitions in
2019.
The Trust has
teamed up with Carp fishing giants Mainline to offer a new series for
competitors branded the
‘Mainline Baits Carp Open’.
There will be three Mainline Carp Opens in 2019 which will run on the following dates: 29-31 March, 5
-7 July and 4-6 October. The series is based at 81acre complex Upper Tamar
Lake on the Cornwall and Devon border which is stocked with carp to 36lbs.
Ben Smeeth, Head of Angling for South West Lakes Trust, said, ‘I am absolutely delighted
to be involved with Mainline Baits for these competitions moving forwards. When the
opportunity arose to work together and after discussions
went really well it was an easy decision for me to make. I am excited by what Mainline can offer and look forward to
building something special for everyone involved. Mainline Baits are arguably the largest supplier of carp fishing bait in the UK and across the world and already they have agreed to putting up some great prizes for 2019 which will benefit everyone who enters one of thecompetitions’.
Kev Knight from Mainline Baits, said,
“Having heard about the great competitions and carp matches that Ben, Gary and team of volunteer bailiffs had been providing
down at Tamar Lakes, we were more than happy to be able to lend our support and sponsorship of the Carp Open events. Funnily enough we’ve attracted a number of good anglers from Devon, Cornwall and the south west over the years, making some good friends along the way. So it was no surprise to us that a ‘friendly’ atmosphere is one the things the Carp Open at Tamar is best known for –
so we’re very proud to be helping these events continue.”
Each competition will offer competitors a chance to win a share of £3500 in prize money.
The winners will scoop £2000, runners up £1000 and third place £500. There will be section prizes sponsored by Mainline and also goody bags for everyone who enters with some fantastic Mainline products in each one! Bookings are now being taken for the 2019 competitions on 01566 771930. for more information, please contact:
Annabel Underwood
Public Relations and Campaigns Officer
South West Lakes Trust
01566 771930
Amazing haul of specimen perch
Alan Blair has had an amazing perch haul from Upper Tamar lake, on the Cornwall and Devon border. He caught nine perch, five of which were over 3lb in weight with the largest being 3lb 9oz. The smallest was 2lb 2oz! Alan used Nashbait Spod Cloud groundbait to get the small silver fish in the swim before the Perch moved in and seized his prawn hook-baits. Upper Tamar is renowned for its stock of large perch and its only a matter of time before a 5lb+ fish is caught.
Still time to beach a bass
As the evenings draw in and winter looms there is still time to beach a bass as Cameron Atkinson proved when he visited a local beach to tempt a 5lb 4oz silver bass. At this time of year a large mackerel bait or whole squid is likely to succeed.
Carp on a cold sunny Day – Stafford Moor
Steve Bradley fished on swim 2 (the triangle) on Beatties lake and banked three carp up to 28lb in a 24 hour session fishing with high attract pink Fluor pop ups using a Ronnie rig.
