Keith Maker (The Captain) landed 21 carp 3 days using Sticky Baits Manilla Boilies and fake corn on the Dam Wall on Lodge Lake.
(Below)Steve Pinn who fishes with Keith continued to enjoy success at the venue landing several carp topped by a fine mirror of 25lb 4oz.
Ian Burn with his 28lb 2oz catch from the dam wall on Beattie’s lake using Mainline cell 18mm boilies.
Glynn Aiken landed this pleasing 3lb brown trout at Blakewell and undoubtedly enjoyed a tasty meal. I like the fillets pan fried in butter with plenty of pepper how do you like yours?
Zenia Drury Gregorek sent news of her young sons latest angling adventures.
Please find enclosed pictures of our eldest Son Zaine Drury-Gregorek, 6 who is proving to be quite the Angler! Zaine went Lure fishing with his Dad Joe on our Predator Lake Valhalla, and within just two hours he caught a Personal Best Perch AND his 1st EVER Pike!! A double Whammy and in just 2 hours!! His arms were aching when he got home after all that reeling in! He is definitely 100% ‘hooked’ into fishing!
March 15th sees the start of the trout fishing season on running water and we are fortunate to have miles of wild brown trout fishing here in North Devon. What these trout lack in size they make up for in their beauty and tenacity giving a spirited fight on light tackle. Perhaps the real joy of wild trout fishing is the being beside our rivers as spring unwinds all around with wild flowers and birdsong reverberating through the air.
I could not resist a few casts today and tempted a beautifully marked brown trout with a just a few flicks into the fast flowing river. A small gold headed nymph will generally work well at this time with sparsely tied spider patterns also productive.
I can report that Andy Nixon has landed the first reported salmon of the River Torridge season whilst fishing a lower River Beat controlled by the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash. The fresh run 8lb salmon was sea liced and is great news and will undoubtedly encourage more to venture forth and cast a line for one of angling greatest prizes.
I drove over both the Taw and Torridge yesterday and both rivers looked to be in perfect trim. Below is the Taw at Newbridge running a little high but as each day passes it will become easier to fish and those spring run fish will start to settle into their spring lies.
Wistlandpound Opens for fishing on March 15th after an initial stocking that was witnessed by Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club Secretary Steve Edmunds :-
Torre Trout put in the stocking yesterday. The initial stocking of 685 brown trout was as follows:
450 trout between 7″ and 10″
140 trout weighing 1lb,
80 weighing 1lb 8oz
15 weighing 2lb.
They put in 2000 last year and only a couple of hundred were shown on catch returns. Even allowing for a few anglers forgetting to put in returns and the cormorants having a few, we should have about 1600 from last year plus 685 this year so about 2300 stocked plus naturals. I also understand that S W Lakes intend putting some more in around June.
Wistlandpound Information – From SWLT
Two stocking of Brown trout. One stocking a few days before the season starts on 15th March and one in early May.
· Season is 15th March to 12th October in line with EA byelaws for brown trout fishing
· Less fish than last year but some larger size
· Majority of fish still 8-10 inch but a good number of fish at 1lb and 1.5lbs with a scattering of 2lb fish.
· The fishery is only in its second season as a Brown trout fishery –the idea is to build stock levels the first couple of seasons and depending on progress and interest in the fishing we would then alter the stocking accordingly moving forwards with larger fish etc. This is still the plan local support is vital to achieve this and continue to move forwards sustainability.
Prices are the same as last season £15.50 for full day, £13.50 for concession day, £5 for children, £195 for season ticket, £160 for concession season.
· Boat price is £10 per day for members
· Volunteers and WFFC members, Dave Bocock and Steve Edmunds will help with permit checking, managing boat bookings and asking dog owners to comply with the regulations (dogs on leads and out of the water)
· New swims have been opened up and will be maintained by new SWLT warden Chris Eyles with assistance from volunteers Dave and Steve
· SWLT are keen for more volunteers to assist with bailiffing / practical sessions – please contact me: [email protected]
· Day Permit agents are the same as before (including Challacombe Post Office, Calvert Trust reception etc)
The mild conditions have really brought the carp on the feed at Stafford Moor where anglers are enjoying success on both Beatties and recently reopened Lodge Lake.
(Above)Jack Lord with his 25lb 3oz catch from Beatties lake on the inlet swim using Mainline Cell boilies.
(Above)Matt Luscombe had a new personal best of 27lb 6oz from the dam wall on Beatties Lake Matt had 2 fish out in 24 hours using good old Mainline Cell boilies.
(Above)Simon Jones who comes fishing here with friend Jon Osman. They fished up on the dam wall on lodge lake at the weekend had 6 fish out up to 22lb using Mainline cell pop ups .
Natasha Harrison with her 11lb catch from the spit on lodge lake using sticky Baits Manila boilies. Natasha had blanked at other fisheries for the last 7 times she has gone fishing so was pleased to just catch even if it wasn’t the biggest she still caught !
Steve Pinn “The BIvvy Tramp” sent me this report from the recently reopened Lodge Lake.
“These are the best of last week’s catches on Lodge lake which has been closed for most of Jan and Feb for maintenance work. We were rewarded as the first on there for some time with 21 fish between myself and ‘The Captain’ Keith Maker. I think Keith had more fish but I was delighted to get a cracking fish for Lodge lake and a pb for that lake at 25Ib 14oz plus the beautiful ‘apple slice’ mirror at 17Ib 4oz – a perfect example of how size doesn’t matter when they are that attractive. I also caught the scaley fish during that wonderful purple dawn. Bivvy Tramp.
Several thick lipped grey mullet have been caught along the coast and have also been seen in local estuary’s. Combe Martin SAC member Graham Snow landed a fine specimen of 4lb 13.5 oz and I landed a hard fighting of fish of 3lb 4oz.
Grey mullet were once considered to be fish of the summer months but recent seasons have seen local anglers land mullet throughout the year.
Bideford and District Coarse Section Monthly Competition Highampton Lake
Results
1st John Lovell 53lb 12oz
2nd Colin Gorman 21lb 3oz
3rd Martin Turner 18lb 4oz
4th John Lisle 16lb 2oz
Blustery conditions proved tricky John found some large carp willing to feed in the margins on double corn, Colin fished with prawn bait on a feeder.
