19 May 2018

A Glimpse into the past – Combe Martin

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SEA FISHING – The fishing at Combe Martin is varied and excellent; and not the least delightful aspect is the opportunity afforded the visitor of seeing from a new angle the magnificent cliffs. Motor boats and rowing boats are available in good weather at any state of the tide: though it is sound policy to listen to the expert advice of the local boatmen as to the most suitable conditions and the most profitable fishing hours. With the constantly varying tides of this channel they are perfectly familiar; and their favourite fishing marks are productive of good sport.

Bass, pollock, pouting (locally called “glowers”)  wrasse,codling, tope, conger, grey mullet, plaice, dabs, and mackerel are taken in spring and summer.

The herring season is from mid-September to Christmas. Cod, large conger, skate, ray and dogfish are caught in winter. bearded rockling and whiting also occur: sea-bream has been scarce of late years and hake has not been obtained for several years past. A weever was caught off Ilfracombe in 1932 and a sturgeon near Clovelly. Sunfish are sometimes seen resting on the surface. Small sharks, seals and porpoises come up the Bristol Channel at times. Lobsters, crabs and prawns may be added to the list. Squids are fairly plentiful.

A conger of over eighty pounds was caught about 1880. Two halibut were taken on “long lines” one night in early December, December 1919, one weighed 60lb., the other about 16lbs. This is the only occasion remembered for halibut locally. A bottle nosed shark sixfeet long and about three hundred weight, was caught in herring nets, November 1931. A skate (“rooker”), five feet across and weighing one hundred weight, was caught on December 2nd 1931. An angler fish was taken some years ago and a strange fish, possibly another angler, was washed ashore dead on February 7th 1933.

FLY FISHING – Fly Fishing may be had at Hunters Inn. Tickets being obtainable at the hotel; and on Slade Reservoir. Ilfracombe’ permits being issued at the Municipal Offices, Ilfracombe. Good fishing is also available on the East Lyn, the Barle and the Bray. For fishing on the Exmoor Reservoir apply at the  Ring Of Bells Inn, Challacombe. 

 

Perhaps if we had taken good care of our fish stocks we would no longer need to go to Norway to catch a halibut!

 

Whilst having a tidy up I came across an old holiday guide to Combe Martin. The back cover advert below gives a fascinating glimpse of the past. Reading through sections of this book brings thoughts as to what we have lost in the seas off North Devon. I was born in Combe Martin and can see see glimpses of my youth within the pages of this old guide within which I can frustratingly find no publication date. My guess is that it is early 1950;s. It is a sad reflection that the waters off our coast once held fish that we now travel to far off shores to catch.

There is of course much that has not changed along the majestic North Devon Coast and for this we should ensure that we pause to savour what remains and reflect upon change and what the future holds.

COMBE MARTIN  (Scene of Marie Corelli’ s Mighty Atom)

For SUNSHINE and HEALTH and the Ideal Sea Side- Country Holiday.

UNRIVALLED MILD WINTER CLIMATE

Express Train 51/2 hours London – Ilfracombe, thence Motor coach connection (20 Minutes) Direct Booking.

18 May 2018

North Devon River Update

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The salmon season got off to a slow start on both the Taw and Torridge as a result of low water temperatures and successive spates that kept the rivers brimful. As the waters have dropped and temperatures have climbed sevral anglers have enjoyed success on both rivers with fish from Lower and Middle beats of both rivers.

 Sugh Smith banked a 6lb salmon from the Weir Marsh and Brightly beats of the Taw. Barry Sutton caught a fine 10lb 8oz salmon on a silver stoats tail and Michael Martin a 9lb salmon on an orange fly of his own design.There have also been salmon caught from the Barnstaple Club water below Newbridge. Reports from Upper Taw beats are scarce but with the prolonged high water levels salmon and sea trout will undoubtedly be present.

On the Torridge Chris Warcup caught a fine brace of salmon estimated at 12lb and 14lb. David Lincoln landed a 10lb salmon from a mid river beat. As the river levels drop on both rivers salmon sport will ease off though lower beats of both rivers will be worth a try.

The lower river levels and higher temperatures will prove more conducive to sea trout fishing with after dark fishing worthwhile. Several sea trout between 2lb and 4lb have been caught by anglers at Little Warham Fishery on the RIver Torridge where day tickets are available. It is surprising how many sea trout can be present in the rivers and a concerted after dark sortie can often unlock the rivers secrets.

The Upper reaches of North Devon rivers and many miles of smaller rivers throughout the area can offer splendid sport with wild brown trout that rise freely to a well presented dry fly. The East Lyn offers stunning fishing in beautiful surrounding for less than a fiver a day. Many streams offer excellent fishing with nothing more required than a polite inquiry seeking permission to fish.

 

 

 

 

 

17 May 2018

Martin Turner Wins Two Matches

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Coarse Section Monthly Comp Results May 13th Tarka Swims.

Coarse Section Monthly Comp Results May 13th Tarka Swims. 1st Martin Turner 48lb 15oz 2nd Pete Slade 11lb 1oz 3rd John Lisle 9lb 11oz 4th Stephen Craker 9lb 6oz 5th Richard Jefferies 4lb 7oz 5th Colin Gorman 2lb 15oz Martin drew on peg P and caught 4 large carp on bread flake, this added to a nice net of skimmer bream taken on maggot over groundbait was enough for victory in the 5th match of the series. Pete drew on peg F and landed a late carp on the pole for second . John’s single large carp on luncheon meat was third . Stephen came in fourth with a nice bream and a carp off peg M. this also took the silvers pool, just pipping Richard who landed small bream on the feeder off peg S

1st Martin Turner 48lb 15oz

2nd Pete Slade 11lb 1oz

3rd John Lisle 9lb 11oz

4th Stephen Craker 9lb 6oz

5th Richard Jefferies 4lb 7oz

6th Colin Gorman  2lb 15oz

Martin Turner drew on peg P and caught 4 large carp on bread flake, this added to a nice net of skimmer bream taken on maggot over groundbait was enough for victory in the 5th match of the series. Pete drew on peg F and landed a late carp on the pole for second . John’s single large carp on luncheon meat was third . Stephen came in fourth with a nice bream and a carp off peg M. this also took the silvers pool, just pipping Richard who landed small bream on the feeder off peg S

(Above) Martins net of skimmer bream

Summer Evening League. Match No. 1 Tarka Swims Results

1st Martin Turner 17lb 10oz

2nd Craig Crash Lamey 11lb 13oz

3rd Stephen Craker 8lb 5oz

4th Ian Sedgewick 6lb 13oz

5th Keith Copland 5lb 4oz

6th Martin Hawker 4lb 12oz

15anglers fished. Martin drew corner peg M and caught 2 good carp on bread on the pole plus some skimmer bream for top spot in the first of the evening series. Craig drew on the point peg F and had a nice bag of small bream on the pole with maggot for second spot, new member Stephen landed a nice carp on a bunch of dead red maggot on peg U to take third spot, 15 anglers took part on a mild still evening.

17 May 2018

Torridge Fly Fishing Club – Mike Ball Wins Annual Trophy

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(Above)Torridge Fly Fishing Club Chairman Robert Chugg presenting Mike Ball being presented with the shield for winning the Torridge Fly Fishing Club annual competition.

Mike Ball won Torridge Fly Fishers Annual Trophy at Gammaton Reservoir with a five fish bag limit.  Derrick Joubert won the cup for biggest fish a rainbow of 3lb 8oz.

Day tickets: from Summerlands Fishing Tackle, Westward Ho!, Tel. 01237 471291. £20 per day (3 fish limit) Season tickets: £150 (waiting list, membership limited to 30).

17 May 2018

Some stunning catches of carp from Stafford Moor

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(Above) Karl Hutchings and friend Edward Cochran who fished up on the inlet swim on Beatties lake they had 10 fish out up to 28lb fishing with Sticky baits white Manilla pop ups (Edward had a new pb of 28lb )

 

(Above) Matt Everill caught 5 fish up to 22lb 5oz on the dam wall of lodge lake fishing with Nash scopes boilies in a 48 hour session.

(Above) Darren Rundle landed 3 fish  in a day session on swim 3 up on lodge lake fishing with Sticky Baits Manilla 16mm boilies.

(Above) Joe Slater banked 5 fish up to 29lb from the summer house swim on Beatties lake. Joe was fishing with Sticky baits Manilla 16mm boilies and spodded hemp and Manilla pellets combined.

(Above)Mark Downing and Dave Dymond’s haul of 41 fish in a 48 hour session on Beatties lake, Mark fished with Dave on the summer hut swim then Dave had a session on the inlet swim all caught on Sticky Baits Manilla bodies and Uberbaits.

 

 

 

16 May 2018

Fun Fishing at Agapi

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Agapi Fruit & Fishing is a small lake that nestles in a secluded valley a few miles from Torrington and is reached via quiet country lanes that make its discovery all the more rewarding. I had not visited since last September when I had visited with my wife Pauline and son James and wrote a review on the fishery. http://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/2017/08/24/unique-fishery-agapi-fruit-fishing/

This is a fun fishing venue teaming with rudd and a few carp that have probably grown to a little over 5lb maybe more. I had persuaded Snowbee ambassador Jeff Pearce to join James and I on a fun trip to try and catch a carp using fly fishing tactics. James would act as back up using free lined stalking tactics to get a carp for the camera if Jeff and I failed. Jeff is a dedicated Fly Fisher and loves to catch his fish on Fly Tactics whilst I tend to be a little more flexible in my approach generally using whatever tactics are within the rules to catch. On this occasion however I was going to remain strictly Fly Only!

James adopts simple free line tactics to try and catch a carp                                                                                                                                      Jeff being the fly Fishing purist ties on a small nymph pattern whilst I elect to use a deer hair chum mixer fly. To increase our chances I catapult pre-soaked mixers out into the lake so that they will drift slowly down the lake with the breeze. When the carp start slurping them down I will flick my fly into their path. That was the plan but the carp proved elusive whilst the rudd swarmed around the baits in their hundreds with an occasional glimpse of a bigger than average rudd that would have been close to 1lb!

Jeff was first to tempt a fish a small golden scaled rudd.

This was closely followed by a couple more tiny rudd on Jeff’s small nymph patterns. The fascinating aspect of this being that once a couple had been caught it seemed that the lakes population had been briefed for catching consistently became frustratingly difficult.

James was persisting with the traditional bread tactics and caught a pleasing rudd early in the evening and glimpsed a couple of carp cruising the margins.

After a couple of hours we retired to the lakeside Summerhouse for a well earned cuppa with delicious ham and chutney sandwiches, salad, crisps and Kit Kat’s. Special thanks must go to Sandra for making us welcome and ensuring we didn’t go hungry.

Fortified we returned to the fishing I dabbled my chum mixer fly in the margins and watched the rudd nudge and nibble at it whilst I hoped to see a carp materialize from the green tinged water and devour my offering. Jeff and James had crept up to the shallows where James had spotted a few carp. I strolled up to see how things were going and Jeff said a good carp had slurped up a bit of floating crust from amongst the reeds. James had modified his tactics and was using a chum mixer on the hook that slowly sank with the weight of the hook. This tactic proved successful as the line suddenly zipped tight and the rod hooped over as a carp surged to and fro stirring up clouds of silt as it fought gamely before eventually slipping over the rim of the net. Sandra appeared at this moment to congratulate James on catching the first carp of the season a handsome mirror carp of around 4lb.

Agapi is the perfect venue for a family fishing excursion with hordes of small rudd to ensure plenty of action and the chance of a carp to set the pulse of the young angler racing. This is thie sort of water all young anglers should start off on for many anglers today set their sights so high that they reach the summit too early without enjoying the journey. Of course old timers like me still get immersed in the fascination of the chase and the challenge of catching whatever the lake holds.

If you are going to Agapi I suggest you give Sandra a ring for directions and to book the lake and secure a few hours of tranquil seclusion deep in the countryside.