North Devon Match Group Summer League Horwood Fishery
Result 1st Paul Elworthy 54lb 10oz
2nd James Grogan 36lb 1oz
3rd John Lacey 27lb 12oz
4th Neilsen Jeffery 26lb 11oz .
Paul fished on peg 2 with double red maggot on the pole, James came second on the next peg using pole and tip. John took 3rd spot from the end peg on the top lake using paste on the tip.
The final midweek evening comp at Tarka Swims.
1st Craig Crash Lamey 15lb 9oz
2nd Martin Turner 10lb 1oz
3rd Cavan Patterson 6lb 13oz
4th June Hawker 4lb 4oz
A dozen hardy souls braved a wet night at Tarka for the last of Bideford Angling Clubs10 match series, Craig took the honours with 2 carp tench and roach from the un-fancied peg G , Craig caught on cheese on the lead, Martin was second on peg G with a good bream and a late carp on 8mm pellet. Cavan had a nice carp on the next peg for third.
In the final points tally Keith Copland was unable to defend his lead and Martins 11 points gave him final victory with 66 Keith 64 Cavan 60 Colin Gorman 58 Peter Slade 56. Craig 55
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their Berry Shield Summer Competition for the single best trout a cool North West Breeze kept the fish down. I won the event with a 12oz brown one of three I tempted using a team of wet flies fished with a floating line. All three were tempted with a Montana nymph on the point. I also landed numerous golden rudd. Colin Combe was runner up with a brown trout of 10oz.
Graham Snow secured first and second in Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly Rover landing a fine brace of mullet. A thick lip of 5lb 21/4oz and a thin lip of 4lb 53/8oz. He also took first in Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover with the thick lipped mullet of 5lb 21/4oz Jazza John took runner up spot in Appledore Shipbuilders Rover with a smoothound scaling 11lb 15/8oz and Graham took third with his thin lipped mullet of 4lb 53/8oz.. Jack Pike dominated the Junior section with ballan wrasse scaling 3lb 13oz, 3lb 8oz and 2lb 14oz.
Combe Martin SAC members continue to compete in their two month long species competition. John Shapland is currently leading with 31 species with Dan Welch very close behind of 30 species.
I have had a couple of visits to the coast to try and add a couple of species to my own tally but have struggled to catch a fish let alone species and those that I have caught tended to be those few I have already caught. Bit of a reality check after a week in Norway catching big fish!
Ross Stanway got among the spotted ray at Ilfracombe landing five in a short session.
Combe Martin SAC’s Fun Fishing Event has been rescheduled to Saturday September 2nd as a result of boat landings on the Sunday. Full details of this event will follow shortly.
George Stavrakopoulos is a great fan of LRF fishing and using the techniques to tempt a wide range of species from Ilfracombe Pier. His comments below will come as a revelation to many died in the wool traditional sea anglers who wield tackle strong enough to subdue fish far larger than generally encountered close to the English shoreline.
“I caught the shore cling fish otherwise known as a Cornish sucker on my 0.5 to 7 g rock fish ultralight lrf rod mated to a shimano stradic 1000 loaded with 4lb braid on a drop shot size 18 Kamasan b980 specimen barbless hook using 2lb flouro trilene imported from the states. Was kind a funny as in the last month or so I have witnessed 3 Connemara cling fish off the pier one of them being one I caught and on the way down to the pier on that day I was saying to my fishing buddy Tim Poat how I’d love to catch a Cornish sucker and I did !! A lot of people laugh at the mini species but I love them and think they’re soo…. cool. I watch people on the pier blank time and time again using hooks that are too big and tackle that’s too heavy, whilst on the light rods it’s nearly always non stop action. There’s no Bristol Channel or British record for this fish species so I have submitted claims for both. The fish was obviously returned alive after a few photos and a weigh in. I’m waiting for a positive ID confirmation from BRFC they’ve sent the photos to the Natural history museum in London.”
Whilst the recent rain has not been welcomed by summer holidaymakers it has brought a much needed rise in local rivers that has brought a run of salmon into North Devon’s rivers. I fished the Middle Torridge on Saturday and whilst I did not connect with any salmon the river was in prime trim. Several salmon have been caught on beats on the Upper Torridge which indicates that the salmon have forged up through the river system and are now well spread out.
Little Warham Report – From Amanda and Anthony
After a series of good spates with occasional overcast days, last weekend Anthony caught a couple of fresh salmon with the biggest being 9lb. He also caught a 5lb sea trout. The second spate saw a 13lb salmon caught by a visiting rod. Gary Pearson one of our seasonal rods also caught a 6lb Grilse. Anthony also caught another salmon and see trout over the weekend.
Friday August 4th Johnathon Hellyer, one of our seasonal rods caught two salmon of 12lb and 6lb. Anthony caught a small sea trout and a 14lb salmon!!
Walking the river bank it is evident that the season is passing by all too quickly with spiders webs glistening in the grass and hazelnuts swelling in the trees. The salmons flanks are also starting to take on those richer autumn hues as what is perhaps the best of the season approaches.
Ian Blewett was among successful anglers on the River Taw landing and returning this cracking specimen from a Middle Taw beat.
I have also heard of a 16lb salmon from the Day Ticket Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the Taw where several salmon have been tempted in recent weeks. Tickets can be obtained from the Rising Sun at Umberleigh.
It looks like the work to improve Exe Valley Fishery and most notably Anchor Lake is paying off as the venue has just been voted as one of the Top 100 UK Still-waters by the Trout Fisherman magazine. In fact the fishery entered the top 50, reaching 42nd place, even better news, this year the water remains open to anglers after last year’s disastrous summer when I had to close. There is no doubt that the cooler air and heavy rainfall have helped, but extensive work to clear weed has also assisted.
Sarah Towel landed this cracking tope estimated at 45lb when fishing on Ilfracombe Charter Boat ‘Reel Deal’ skippered by Dan Hawkins.
Many Match anglers would be delighted to top 100lb; Steve Shaw fished a match at the Prolific Stafford Moor to double this weight!
Winner of Stafford Moors Fisho Festival 2017 was Steve Shaw (MOSELLA) who won from peg 1 on Tanners lake with 203lb 8oz!
Twenty anglers contested the competition on Tanners Lake.
Steve won £1000 and the four section winners won £295 each with second in section winners received £140 each.
