Jamie Rusling has been in the action at Melbury Reservoir, near Bideford, with some cracking fish. Jamie managed 4 fish on a surface fishing session with the largest being a cracking 26.08 common backed up by a scaley 17lb mirror. Jamie returned a couple days later to bank three more fish at 23lb, 19lb and a Ghost carp of 14lbs.
Scott Bowden had a fine mixed 48 hour session on Lower Tamar lake near Bude. Scott managed a 6.04 Tench, 9.04 Bream (largest of three bream), a 22.08 mirror and a 12lb common carp.
Kelly Duff and Jason had 39 fine carp up to 24lb 3oz from the spit on Stafford Moors Lodge Lake they tempted the fish using entice RB 1 carp bait company boilies.
Nick Phillips and I met with Dr Gill Ainsworth Social Scientist from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology CEH Edinburgh to represent Combe Martin Sea Angling Club in an hour long filmed interview that will form part of a film for the below project that gives Marine stakeholders an opportunity to voice their views on the Marine Environment and what matters to them and their communities.
Cultural values, experiences, identities and capabilities relating to marine ecosystem services
Project introduction: This Community Voice Method (CVM) project is being undertaken in collaboration between the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) as part of the Marine Ecosystems Research Programme (MERP). The project goal is to identify potential management measures for the North Devon Marine Pioneer area and views on the future of the marine environment in the Southwest. We aim to do this by gathering people’s views about the benefits, experiences and capabilities they gain from conducting different activities in the marine environment and how these might be affected by a range of possible future scenarios.
How the Community Voice Method works: This project aims to gather stakeholder views about potential marine management options and enable deliberation on those options. The method involves filming interviews in order to produce a documentary film to be shown during a stakeholder workshop later in the year. This will inform the design of marine management in the Southwest, and ensure different community voices are represented more effectively when policy options are being considered, alongside ecological and economic evidence.
The Marine Pioneer: The Marine Pioneer is an area of the Celtic Seas that joins the existing North Devon Biosphere along the coast and extends to approximately 20 nautical miles beyond Lundy. Defra chose the Marine Pioneer in 2016 as part of its 25 Year Environment Strategy to deliver growth in our natural environment and in the social and economic well-being of the North Devon area.
Who is being interviewed? We are approaching people for interview based on their knowledge or involvement in relevant marine industries or sea user groups as well as trying to ensure that we capture as full a range of views and values as possible. We are intentionally selecting people who we know are engaged in, care about, or are impacted by the marine management process, and who represent a range of views on and interests in marine resource use, management and conservation.
The films will be used later as a focus point at workshops where stakeholders have the opportunity to work together to find a way forward to ensure a marine environment that balances the needs for all involved.
There is every chance of a wide range of species off Ilfracombe with tope amongst the hardest fighting species likely to be caught.
NDMG summer league No2 Oaktree top
1st Paul Morris 63lb 2oz
2nd John Lovell 43lb 5oz
3rd Martin Turner 40lb 2oz
4th Christopher Morris 39lb 15oz
6th John Forster 39lb 1oz
Well done to Paul who fished a very tidy match starting on banded pellet fished shallow on the long pole and later switching to maggot in the margins over groundbait, John fished meat and corn on the pole to finish 2nd ,Martin had 7 carp on meat over hemp for 3rd, Paul Elworthy took the silvers pool with 21lb 1oz of skimmers, conditions were warm and wet, this did not stop half the field landing nets of more than 30lb.
Cameron Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly Rover with a specimen smoothound of 12lb 111/4oz. In runner up spot was David Langbridge with a fine gilthead bream of 4lb 2oz and in third was James Mayhew with a smoothound of 9lb 71/2oz.
Thin lipped grey mullet are providing exciting sport in both the Taw and Torridge estuaries where they are tempted with small spinners tipped with harbour ragworm. As in many methods used in angling I often wonder how the method was discovered. When I used to spin for salmon on the Lower Taw it was not unusual to get thin lipped grey mullet following the spinner to the bank veering away at the last moment. Perhaps anglers witnessed this behavior and added ragworm to the hooks in an attempt to provoke an attack from the mullet? Where did spinning for grey mullet originate? In the 1960 book “Sea Angling With the baited spoon” John P Garrad covers fishing with the baited spoon in great detail for flounder; he also mentions bass. If mullet were widely targetted with the baited spinner pre 1960 I suspect it would have seen a section dedicated to it within this tome. A quick glance through shows no mention of spinning for grey mullet. The latest book on fishing for grey mullet; “Fishing For Ghosts” covers the method spinning for grey mullet; other than this book literature on the method is scarce. I suspect that North Devon anglers were at the forefront of the development of this technique as I know Alan Paddon and Ray White successfully targetted the thin lips using these methods back in the 1970’s. If you know more feel free to share on NDAN facebook page.
Combe Martin SAC member Ian laird enjoyed recent success landing several thin lips to 3lb 3oz.
North Devon Tackle sell purpose made mullet spinners with small single hooks ready to use. Far simpler than modifying Mepps spinners.
General:
Water temperatures continue to rise with the recent warmer spell of weather, now to around 16ºc, resulting in an increase of insect activity, buzzers emerging and fish feeding nearer the surface.
Fishing:
Kennick – Rods averaged just over 2 fish per angler, with some superb fish caught – plenty in excess of 4lb. The best fish of the month was a 7lb 1oz Brown Trout, caught by Barry Ware Jnr from Okehampton, as part of a full bag, which also included a Rainbow of 4lb 4oz while fishing from the bank. Darren Everitt, from Moretonhampstead, caught a 5lb 12oz Brown Trout from the bank, using a Damsel Nymph. The best Rainbow caught in the month was a 5lb 6oz fish caught by Mike Steer, from Bovey Tracey, using Damsel Nymph fished from the bank in Boat Bay. Clampitts Bay, The Narrows and The Lawns were the most productive locations for both boat and bank anglers and, with Hawthorns starting to be blown onto the water, along with buzzers emerging (particularly on the warmer days), Hoppers, Emergers, and Snafflers all produced good results. The majority of fish were caught on Nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Diawl Bachs and Montanas) and teams of Buzzers fished on a floating line, while a few deeper fish were caught on Boobies fished on a sinking line.
The Bank Pairs competition was held on 7 May and was won by father and son team Barry Ware Snr and Jnr, with a bag of 20lb, followed by John Hern and Rob Gale (bag of 17lb 7oz).
Siblyback – Anglers also averaged just over 2 fish per rod over the month, with most fish being caught from the Marshes and Stocky Bay and from the North Shore toward the end of the month, mainly from the bank. With Hawthorns very evident at the beginning of the month, Dry Bibios, Hoppers and Hawthorn imitations caught well fished on the surface. Lures such as Cat’s Whiskers, Baby Dolls and Orange Blobs, fished on intermediate lines, were the most productive, with nymph imitation catches (Damsel Nymphs, Buzzers and Diawl Bach) improving as the month progressed.
The best fish of the month, a Rainbow of 5lb 2oz, was caught by C.Hall (from Pensilva), while Mr Long (from Liskeard) caught a Rainbow of 4lb 12oz.
Burrator – With the reservoir level starting to fall, boats are now available through the Burrator Fishing Club. Anglers averaged 2.4 fish per rod, with Longstone Peninsula the most productive area. Buzzer Emerger patterns and Hawthorns fished on the surface have produced some great top-of-the-water sport, while the majority of fish have been caught on nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Pheasant Tail Nymphs and Spiders) fished on Intermediate or Sink-tip floating lines. The best fish of the month was a 3lb 13oz Rainbow caught on small black pattern fished on a floating line from the bank at Longstone. Jonathan Rood caught a 3lb 4oz Rainbow at Longstone, using a Small Damsel nymph fished on a floating line.
Stithians – Anglers averaged 2.5 fish per rod over the month, with fish well spread out and being caught in a number of locations, particularly Pipe Bay, Pub Bay, opposite the activity centre, Goonlaze and Yellowort. There are plenty of Hawthorns being blown onto the water and this, combined with a lot of hatching fly-life, has meant that dry flies have produced some exiting sport (particularly Black Hoppers, Hawthorns and Spiders fished in the surface film). Subsurface nymph patterns have also caught well (especially Damsel Nymphs, Buzzers, Diawl Bachs and Pheasant Tail patterns).
The best fish of the month was a 3lb 6oz Rainbow caught by J. Dolley, from Redruth, using an Orange and Yellow Blob, fished from the North Bank.
Wistlandpound – The water level is now about two metres down from full and the fishery has been producing some fine fishing, with rods averaging 11.5 fish per angler (on a catch and return basis), with one boat session bagging (and returning) fifty Browns up to 1lb 8oz, with Damsel Nymphs, Sedgehogs and weighted mini Tadpoles all catching well.
Midweek comp at Tarka Swims
1st Kieth Copland peg B 15lb 10oz
2nd Cavan Patterson peg F 15oz
3rd Rhys Eyles peg S 10oz.
The match was very well attended but did not fish well. Several large carp were lost luckily Kieth managed to land 2 on double red maggot fished near the lilly pads, on the pole Cavan fished the pole on peg F for a small carp,tench roach and perch,Rhys Eyles had a nice roach .Pete Slade hooked and landed his fish , unfortunately after the whistle!
