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.
