5 Mar 2017

Silver Festival – Stafford Moor

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Weather conditions were much improved for the Final of Stafford Moors MFS Silver Festival but a bitter cold wind still lingered. The weights on the final day were excellent. ,Tanners fished well with Pines fishing even better! The top weight was 31lb 9oz from Colin Mercer who fished peg 12 on Pines fishing maggot over worm.  The Winner of the MFS Silvers Festival 2017 is Colin Mercer who had only 6 points! well done Colin.

Fishery owner Joanne Combes “What a fantastic week Paul and i have had with you all so much fun and laughter and fantastic weights,see you all next year!”

The Top Ten below

 

  • COLIN MERCER (MERCE) Peg 12 Pines: 31lbs 9oz
  • MARTIN WEDLEY (CARPY MARTY) Peg 7 Pines: 28lbs 8oz
  • STEVE MARTIN (ROLIO) Peg 13 Pines: 27lbs 14oz
  • WAYNE KEARNEY (LONG TALL SALLY) Peg 4 Tanners: 27lbs 9oz
  • RICH HOSKISS Peg 9 Pines: 26lbs 4oz
  • DAVE JOHNSON (SILVER) Peg 36 Tanners: 26lbs 0oz
  • CHRIS HAINES (HAINSEY) Peg 10 Pines: 23lbs 15oz
  • MARK SAUNDERS Peg 8 Pines: 23lbs 11oz
  • ANDY BAYLEY Peg 34 Tanners: 23lbs 9oz
  • PETE BAILEY Peg 3 Pines: 22lbs 10oz

 

5 Mar 2017

Trout Masters at Simpson Valley

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Simpson Valley – Jenny Wren Trout Lake near Holsworthy – Latest report from Paul Cozen’s

Jenny Wrens annual trout masters competition went well this morning despite the frequent heavy cold down pours of rain. Attending this year was Terry Allcorn, Richard Cooper and brothers Mark and Richard Hopson.
Fish came on the feed straight away with Terry kicking it off with a nice rainbow caught on a damsel nymph followed closely by Mark with another rainbow on a Montana. All anglers caught their 3 Fish bag limit by dinnertime and we’re glad to get out of the rain.
Winner this year was Mark Hopson from Barnstaple with a bag weight of 8lb 1oz who gets a place in the trout masters final at Draycote trout fishery this October.
Runner up was Richard Cooper from Lyme Regis with 7lb 13oz followed by Richard hopson with 7lb 8oz then Terry Allcorn with 7lb 1oz.
Well done to all and keep sending the trout masters tickets in for your chance of a monthly badge and a place in next year’s Fish offs.

4 Mar 2017

The essence of fishing

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I think we sometimes take this whole fishing thing too seriously and that’s quite a statement coming from someone who is seriously addicted to that next piscatorial fix. I have spent years chasing fish of dreams and don’t get me wrong I love to get a big fish on the line and admire it before slipping it back into the watery dimension. But fishing is about far more than fish, its about the chase and as the lyric goes; “The Chase is Better than the catch”.

Last week we fished Anglers Paradises Lure Fishing weekend. The weather was generally dark and gloomy and fish hard to find. Looking through the pictures of the event I noticed something quite striking in the smiles of grown men clutching tiny fish. In amongst the egos and tales of big fish there shone that childish delight that true anglers never lose.

Close to fifty years ago I watched a crimson topped float bobbing optimistically about in Mill Pond at Berrynarbour.

I watched for hours in anticipation delighting in its disappearance as a tiny perch devoured my worm or maggot impaled upon my hook. Fortunately that same joy can still be found in the catching of a fish.

Bigger may well be better but in essence its all about the chase and the expectation.

A few weeks ago I stood waiting for the start of a competition; the fifteen minutes until cast off seemed to last an eternity the following five hours evaporated in a flash. The line in the water is connected to another world strange how this connection is so essential.

 

3 Mar 2017

Kracking Day Ticket Carp from Paradise

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KRACKING PERSONAL BEST FOR SEAN!
Sean Mutch, 25 From Braunton , North Devon has been on a mission to catch a 30lber from the Kracking Carp Lake since last Summer putting in 15 nights of trying but still no success, so he decided to come back for day’s session to give it another try.
Finally, after all the blood, sweat and tears, Sean’s moment came and he ended his quest by catching an amazing New PB 39lb 8oz Mirror!! The Fish in question has a rather rare Z marking on it, we can now make it official that the Fish is named ‘Zebra’, so Sean, you can tell your mates you’ve caught a Zebra!!
Sean caught the Mirror from Swim 4 in the margins on a 10mm CC Moore live system boillie and pop up, plastic tiger-nut mounted on a KD Rig over a handful of chopped boillie and CC Moore roasted nut Spodmix Fished with dead slack lines.
It just goes to show that if you put the effort in and never give up that anything is possible.
CARP LEGEND ROB MAYLIN LANDS A KRACKER!

We had Rob Maylin stay with us last week with his Wife and Son for a Family Holiday as well as some fishing.
Rob decided to have a go on the Kracking Carp Lake in search of his 1st Fish of 2017.
Good job he did, because he landed this Beauty in the shape of a 32lb 12oz Mirror!

Rob Said –
“1st fish of 2017 for me, this beautiful ‘Orange’ 32.12 from Anglers Paradise caught from the Kracking Carp Lake. Red Spicy fish doing the business combined with an ESP size 6 Choddy straight out of the packet!”

WELL DONE ROB! IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO CATCH A CARP – IT’S DEFINITELY THIS MAN!!

Anglers Paradise

Footnote – North Devon Angling News

Rob Maylin is one of the founders of the modern carp fishing era his books Bazil’s Bush and Fox Pool are both collectable books now and reflect the carp fishing ethos of the late eighties and early nineties. The birth of the full time carp angler obsessed with catching the biggest at all costs with a beer or two on the way!

 

3 Mar 2017

Stafford Moor Sunday Open

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The Sunday Open on Tanners lake was fished in heavy rain and gusting wind. Despite this  Mark Lazelle put together a winning net of 106lb 6oz  fishing 11mm pellet down the edge and cage feeder.

  1. MARK LAZELLE Peg 18 Tanners: 106lbs 6oz
  2. MARTIN HEARD Peg 35 Tanners: 69lbs 7oz
  3. MAL KING Peg 11 Tanners: 56lbs 6oz
  4. DUNCAN EDWARDS Peg 34 Tanners: 55lbs 11oz
  5. KEV OSBOURNE Peg 27 Tanners: 47lbs 0oz
  6. KEV SHEARS Peg 25 Tanners: 43lbs 7oz
  7. NATHAN UNDERWOOD Peg 6 Tanners: 38lbs 7oz
  8. ZAC NEWTON Peg 36 Tanners: 32lbs 13oz
  9. TONY BURSLEM Peg 1 Tanners: 31lbs 14oz
  10. IAN GRAY Peg 9 Tanners: 29lbs 2oz
  11. JOHN LACY Peg 13 Tanners: 28lbs 14oz
  12. MARK HAYMAN Peg 3 Tanners: 28lbs 12oz
  13. PHILL COLES Peg 32 Tanners: 11lbs 1oz
3 Mar 2017

OVER THE HORIZON

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Whilst this is primarily a website on fishing in North Devon from time to time its good to look over the horizon. My long time fishing mate Rupert Morrall has been on a family fishing holiday to the River Ebro in Spain where they made some impressive catches, This image of a catfish caught by his son Aidan caught my eye and I thought it worthwhile sharing with readers.

Colin Joy has just returned from Costa Rica where he has been enjoying some fine sport with Rooster Fish to 80lb

Colin also enjoyed a long and exciting tussle with a Black Marlin estimated at 500lb. The mighty fish was released at the side of the boat.

Jacqui Joy with fine Costa Rican hound fish a close relative of the garfish we catch off Ilfracombe Pier!

3 Mar 2017

BLAKEWELL FISHERY REPORT

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Well Meteorological Spring is officially here, but I feel we can see the signs for ourselves, primroses, daffodils and snowdrops are in abundance and Magnolia trees are starting to blossom. The last few weeks have been kind to us, the weather has been reasonably mild and the water temperatures are at ideal spring levels.

The lake itself is looking superb, the water is crystal clear and the trout are cruising just below the surface, nymph activity is increasing so now is the time to dig out those nymph patterns.

Eric Battison recently proved the point with a double 6 fish ticket; nymph fishing a damsel with a blue flash was by far his most popular fly. But don’t be tempted to stay big, on another day buzzers will be equally as deadly, in fact we are witnessing some good early season buzzer hatches with red’s and blacks being the favoured colours along with gold head and bloodworm patterns.

With the mild end to winter, don’t confine your tactics however to the nymph, as well as the buzzer many other species of fly have been hatching including some pond olives so keep a keen eye in the margins and if you can match the hatch you may be in for some bonus dry fly fishing.

Richard Nickell with a fine brown trout ready to stock!