Ian Laird landed this fine 9lb 7oz small eyed ray whilst fishing a North Devon Rock Mark. He also hooked this dab that had tried to engulf a mackerel and herring cocktail presented on a 6/0 hook to 80lb b.s wire!
Furzebray Beauties Relish stormy conditions
Steve Pinn fished Furzebray Carp Lakes Willow lake in stormy conditions and was thrilled to catch his first three carp from the venue the best a fine carp of 21lb 6oz. All the fish were tempted using UBER baits.
Winter Pike
Its not North Devon but its is winter and nice to see a good pike. Ben Smeeth of South West Lakes Trust sent me this picture of a fine pike caught at Porth near Newquay. North Devon anglers can always target these toothy winter predators at Lower Slade near Ilfracombe.
Richard Mason visited Porth reservoir near Newquay at the weekend to land this cracking 18.05 Pike on a ledgered smelt near the Dam wall. A size 6 hook and 20lb Fox trace were the successful tactics for Richard.
If its cod you want get up Channel!
Boat fishing has been excellent off North Devon with spurdog and conger but if its cod your after its up to Minehead and Watchet you will need to go.
A good weekend on Reel Deal with plenty of fish about including whiting, conger, ray and dogfish both days no cod yesterday. Cod have been scarce some days but plentiful on others. Chris Wadham has taken the lead in the Big Cod Competition sponsored by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe, Ammo Bait and Veals Mail Order with five cod for a total length of 2.32 metres.
Private Boats Enjoy Offshore Sport
The recent calm weather has allowed several of North Devon’s boat owners to venture out and savour the sport on offer. James Gubb Fradgley and Rob Scoines sailed out of Lynmouth and landed spurdog to 17lb, thirty conger to 29lb a blonde ray of 13lb and several bull huss.
Rob Scoines -bull huss
Rob Scoines – spurdog 17lb
(Above ) James Gubb specimen bull huss
Dan Welch and Ross Stanway sailed out of Ilfracombe and also discovered conger, huss and spurdog.
(Above) Ross Stanway with a specimen huss
(Above) Dan Welch – spurdog
(Above) Ross Stanway with a spurdog
Dan Welch – conger 28lb
Blakewell for Fin Perfect Winter Trout
Fly Fishers are enjoying great sport at Blakewell Fishery with both brown and rainbow trout succumbing to flies in the cool clear water. Greg Arlotte & Neil Butler enjoyed success at the venue with rainbows to 6lb and brown trout to 4lb.
Bideford and District Angling Club Coarse Section Championship No1. Harepie Fishery
Results
1st Craig Crash Lamey 7lb 15oz
2nd Steve Bailey 5lb.
3rd – Joint – David Bailey 3lb 14oz
3rd – Martin Turner 3lb 14oz.
Members enjoyed a rare still and dry winters day, but the chilled waters meant that fish were hard to find , Craig caught 3 small carp plus some nice roach on maggot on the pole, coarse section secretary Steve drew peg 3 and managed 1 small carp and some nice silver fish also on pole fished red maggot for 2nd. David and Martin faced each other across the lake and both weighed in 3lb 14oz of small silver fish for joint third.
Bluefin
Anglers Enjoy Deep Sea Sport on Bluefin
The days fishing got underway following the stunning sunrise above Combe Martin Bay ( Above).
I joined a party of anglers on board John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’ Last Sunday morning when we steamed out to a mark six or seven miles off Ilfracombe where we hoped to connect with the packs of spurdog that have become a feature of winter fishing off the North Devon Coast. Several trips had been possible to these deep water marks over the previous few days when plenty of tackle testing specimens had been boated.
It wasn’t long after dropping the anchor before a few spurdog homed in on the array of baits on offer beneath the boat. Spurdog are not particularly fussy feeders devouring most fish baits with gusto.
(Above) Simon Blacher with one of the first double figure spurdog of the day.
(Below) One of several spurdog I landed during the day.
As the tide eased several conger joined in on the feasting beneath the boat with Exeter based angler Pete Gregory boating a beauty of 36lb. (Below)
A brace of bull huss ( Below)
Pete Gregory with a fine spurdog (Below)
Over the previous week John Barbeary had taken several parties of anglers to the grounds several miles off the coast when neap tides and good weather gave a perfect window of opportunity.
Below highlights from a productive week on Bluefin
Rob Scoines with two spurdog the best a fine specimen of 18lb 2oz
(Below) Pete Gregory with a 30lb plus conger
Pete Gregory with a rare Bristol Channel Ling.
Stafford Moor Lodge Lake Catches
Luke Howell enjoyed a successful first trip to Stafford Moor landing three carp from the double swim on the Dam Wall of lodge lake this weekend all caught on Sticky baits Buchenberry pop ups. (Below)
Adam Atkins and dad John had six fish out up to 20lb 10oz from swims two & three on the Dam Wall on lodge lake using Sticky Baits Manilla 16mm Boilies topped with Sticky Baits signature squid pop ups. (Below)
Ali Aiken had this fine carp from Albert square on Lodge lake using Sticky Baits Manilla pink pop up. (Below)
Tom Keer fished a 24 hour session on Beatties and had 2 carp from big fish corner on Sticky Baits Manilla Wafters. (Below)
