Summer boat sport is on the up Off Ilfracombe where Dan Welch and Ross Stanway enjoyed some superb fishing relishing the calm conditions with North Devons spectacular coastline as a backdrop. Many thanks to Dan for sharing these stunning images.
Tope are starting to show in increasing numbers offshore. To target these hard fighting fish book a trip aboard Reel Deal as Chidgy did recently when he boated this hard fighting tope.
Jacob Judges aged 9 from Rochester, Kent, caught not ONE but THREE PERSONAL BESTS!! Jacob caught a PB 18lb 4oz Grass Carp and a 3lb 10oz Golden Orfe both from the Main Carp Lake on a simple knotless knot hair rig with a ABS Plan B wafter. Jacob then caught a PB 26lb 15oz Catfish from the Octopussy caught on a double frankfurter bait. Jacob didn’t stop there, he also caught some Stunning Koi from the Koi Lake – landed all by himself at the age of just 9 Years Old!! What amazing catches in just 1 week!
(Below) Molly Cook, age 7 from St Austell, Cornwall caught a Personal Best carp of 10lb 13oz on the Beginners Carp Lake, so she decided that she then wanted to catch another big fish like her Dad and Grandad. She told her Dad to get out the Spam and showed him where she wanted it to be cast to. Then all of a sudden, the bite alarm went off, Molly jumped up and struck it. After a healthy fight, Molly’s Dad helped her land it, Molly had caught her 1st Ever and Biggest Fish to date, a 14lb 14oz Catfish from the Easy Access Lake.
(Below)Sophie Oxehnham, 11 from Charfield, Gloucester, caught her 1st ever Tench from the Tench Lake and it was a special Two Tone Golden Tench too! She caught it all by herself after being taught how to cast, bait up and safely unhook the fish. She baited with sweetcorn and hemp and had a grain of corn on the hook. Sophie made sure she gave the fish a Kiss goodbye before returning her back to the Lake.
Over 50’s festival 2017 The winner was Andy Dare who had a perfect score just 4 points and a total weight of 510lb 7oz, In 2nd place was Mark Layzelle who had 5 points with 277lb 14oz and in 3rd place was Keith Winn with 7 points and a total weight of 339lb 12oz.
Recent rainfall brought a welcome rise in the River Torridge and Anthony and Amanda Milner of Little Warham Fishery took the opportunity to cast a line. Amanda was delighted to tempt a hard fighting silver sea trout on Monday June 12th. Anthony fished the following morning and tempted a fine 12lb fresh run salmon.
This is the couples first full season on this delightful fishery on the River Torridge where they provide both accommodation and day ticket fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout. I hope to bring a full report on this fishery in the very near future.
Peter drew peg Q and caught a carp and bream on luncheon meat and bread in the margins. Keith took 2nd with a carp on double red maggot in the margins on the pole.Conditions were blustery and warm. Chris Lovell scooped the silver pool with a bream of 2lb 12oz on a feeder.
North Devon’s Rivers hold plenty of beautiful wild brown trout that provide superb sport on the upstream dry fly. My son James landed this spotted beauty close to twenty years after catching his first fish. These wild fish are a treasure that we must ensure continue to thrive as their presence is an indication of a healthy river. My own fishing journey began on a tiny stream catching brown trout and I still get just as excited by these feisty little fish fifty years on.
Izzy Moser of the Devon Wildlife Trust shared these images on Devon Wildlife Trust Twitter Feed today they show the extent of sediment in the Taw today following heavy rain. As game fishers we all look forward to a summer spate that brings fish in from the sea but we hope to see a river the colour of beer not a muddy torrent.
Izz Moser writes :- Sorry for circulation email but I was fairly shocked looking at the River Taw this morning to see how brown the water was after last nights rainfall. This is definitely the worst I have seen it. It was disgusting.
I thought I would use the photos to hopefully raise the profile of sediment issues.
Photos attached – although I have to say they really do not do it justice.
If anyone would like to share the photos further, please do… I have shared them via the Devon Wildlife Trust Twitter feed.
PB COMMON FROM THE KRACKING CARP LAKE! Steve Elsbury, 34 from Holsworthy caught a New Personal Best 38lb Common from the Kracking Carp Lake! It’s the 1st time this year that one of the ‘Original Commons’ has come out so it’s a pretty special catch!! This was Steve’s 3rd attempt on the Kracking Carp and after seeing several of the lakes residents over the last couple of weeks, he was over the moon when he managed to bank one on his 3rd attempt! Steve used CR baits Cr1 wafter over a bed of CR1 bottom baits.
(Below)OFF THE TOP! Ellis Titheridge, 37 from Kent, had plenty of stunning Carp off the surface using good old bread crust, he caught a 23lb Mirror and 21lb 6oz Mirror from the Main Carp Lake and also a 22lb 8oz Mirror from the Specimen Carp Lake using his treasured 50 year old Richard Walker Split Cane Rod and won Fish Of the week with this Scaley stunner from the Specimen Carp Lake!
(Below)Phil Burke, 35 from Eastbourne, caught 21lb 4oz and 26lb 6oz Mirrors both from the Main Carp Lake using Scopex Squid Boilies.
(Below)ANDY JOINS THE 40 AND 30 CLUB! 5C’s Member Andy Pickard, aka ‘Johnny Vegas’, 37, from Yorkshire can now join the 30’s and 40’s club after catching a 42lb 1oz Mirror and a 31lb 4oz Mirror from the Kracking Carp Lake. Andy caught the fish on double bottom baits ‘lucky 13’ and cream haze, using a baiting spoon to put the rigs in place after casting to the far bank.
(Below)James Howland, 23 from Tonbridge caught a New Personal Best 32lb 8oz Mirror from the Main Carp Lake using a Poacher Baits T&M 14mm Wafter.