The latest from Nick Hart at Exe Valley. These cold calm winter days are great for the winter fly fisher!
Always good to see new faces on the lake and today Andrew, John, Simon & Roger took the trip from Cheddar on a cold January morning. I got the boat out for a bit of ice breaking and the guys nailed some fish. Rogers were camera shy but the 4 of them landed 19 fish with John taking the best bag of 5 at 19lb 8oz with Andrew on 5 for 17lb. All sorts of tactics used including lures and nymphs with sink tips & floaters. Thanks for visiting guys and hope to see you again.
Everything changes through time just at different rates so whilst our perception may well be that something’s never change the fact is everything does, we are just not around long enough to notice! I of course write this from an angler’s perspective and find myself trying to gauge where we are or I am in piscatorial terms.
We walked down to Watersmeet a few days ago and I stopped to take a photo of the waterfalls. Stood tall and proud in the river was a grey heron patiently stalking his next meal. I thrilled at the sight of a fellow fisher fishing the waters that I have fished. I recalled a salmon of 11lb that took a Mepps spinner in the pool above. I also remembered another salmon I tempted from the little pool below where the bird stood. These great memories are tempered by my knowledge that the rivers salmon stocks are in serious decline. I have many fond memories of the river thirty years ago when salmon and sea trout were abundant. Yet back then I spoke to locals who reminisced about a river when they were young when salmon and sea trout where packed into pools like sardines, tides of silver that moved up river following a spate.
The good old days – Fish on River East Lyn
I frequently recall a sentence uttered in jest during a TV comedy show. “They were the good old days, yet no one told us at the time!” How true this is if I fish the river next summer I may well hook a salmon and of course I will now have to return it carefully to the water. I just hope that in thirty years time if I am still around that I don’t speak to a young angler and recall when salmon once swam in this river!
Fish populations do of course fluctuate and hopefully salmon will be ascending and descending our rivers long after I have made my last cast. I am not so gloom ridden when it comes to sea angling for in this huge expanse of water things evolve. Fish populations ebb and flow and whilst there has been a decline there is plenty of room for hope as each season we see superb catches of some species. The adaptable sea angler will always find sport. Thirty years ago we chased twenty-pound cod from the North Devon Shoreline now its spurdog that seem to be the go to fish. The cod have gone but the spurdog have been protected from intense commercial fishing and have filled an ecological gap. I am puzzled where previously bountiful numbers of pouting and whiting have all gone?
(Above)The good old days – An 18lb plus North Devon cod
The carp fisher has never had it so good in many ways with big carp now readily available in many waters. The old timers like me can wax lyrical about the old days when we had to work for our fish. Of old waters with overgrown tree lined banks, of carp that were nigh on impossible to catch pre hair rig and boilie.
The carp fisher has never had it so good- 45lb 8oz Anglers Paradise carp for Kevin Hosie
The coarse fisher has a multitude of waters containing silver fish and handsome perch to specimen size. In some ways we have never had it so good yet we always look back with fondness at those good old days. We should remember that in angling as in life things are so much better when we are young or at least they are looking back. I guess we need to just seize the moment for what it is fish for what’s there and enjoy.
Times they are a changing! There was a time twenty odd years ago when winter saw anglers flock to the North Devon Coast in search of big cod and in those far off days they were caught by those who put in the hours. With the demise in cod along the North Devon coast it is now spurdog that seem to be flourishing and providing the incentive for anglers to brave the cold nights. Unfortunately it is not just the spurdog that seem to have increased in numbers for their relative the humble Lesser spotted dogfish also seem to have increased in numbers as I found out last night when I hoped for a spurdog and wound in numerous LSD’s!
The last couple of weeks have seen numerous spurdog landed in addition to Michael Toogoods stunning haul of eight reported earlier this week.
Top tips for spurdog – Deep water, whiting shoals and use fish baits with a wire trace hook size 4/0 to 6/0…
Ross Stanway – 11lb 10oz
Ollie Passmore 9lb 4oz
Dan Miles Redmore 11lb 1oz
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I have just heard of a threat to a popular local fishing mark as a result of the idiotic behavior of a few anglers. This unfortunately is a very common problem that has lost anglers access to many marks across the country.
I took the above photograph earlier in the year whilst on holiday in Cornwall where we visited a picturesque viewpoint that overlooked the stunning River Fowey. There were no anglers present at the time except me, I was not fishing just admiring the view. A young couple scrambled past and I heard them remark about the disgusting stench. The smell of stale urine hung in the air and the detritus that lay around was a clear sign of the culprits. At that moment I felt ashamed to be an angler.
There is no excuse for leaving the places we fish in such a disgusting state, litter should be taken home. Ensure leftover bait is discarded with care, if its not going to be taken home then ensure it goes into the sea where it will be washed away and eaten. Never leave hooks and traces lying around, there have been numerous incidents with dogs becoming injured resulting in costly visits to the vet. The stench of urine is another blight on the anglers who should either use the public toilets or have a pee where the tide will wash clean.
Many of the places we fish are shared by sightseers who want to sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery that North Devon has to offer. What do you think there reaction is going to be when the place stinks of urine and the ancient cobbles are strewn with litter. If it was your property would you welcome anglers?
I know that some of you reading this will be guilty of the above and that my words will fall on stony ground. Angling is a wonderful pastime, pursued in stunning surroundings and I have often sung the praises of what anglers do for the environment and how they care about fish stocks. Those who leave behind their dirt tarnish us all. I have written this in the hope that it will make a few think about their actions. If it doesn’t then don’t grumble when we lose another easily accessible fishing mark. Don’t walk by if you see litter pick it up and bin it.
Michael Toogood’s terrific haul of eight spurdog that included seven double figure fish took the top three places in Appledore Shipbuilders twenty four hour rover. The three biggest scaled13lb 4oz, 12lb 8oz and 11lb 7oz. Cameron Atkinson landed a fine flounder of 2lb 4oz and returned the fish having heard of Michael’s staggering haul of spurs.
Phil Vanstone won Bideford and District Angling Clubs twenty four hour rover with a specimen whiting of 1lb 81/4oz. Dick Talbot was runner up with a whiting of 1lb 71/2oz and Phil Vanstone third with a bull huss of 8lb 15oz.
Colin Oram bagged himself a stunning spade tailed 14lb 8oz Rainbow trout from Exe Valley Fishery caught using an Olive Classic FM on 7lb leader . The fish gave a spirited 15 minute scrap; no surprise with a tail like that!!
Chay Boggis took a rest from sea angling and visited a local still-water where he landed a double figure pike scaling 11lb 8oz. The fish was tempted using half a mackerel bait and was the only run during the eight hour session. The venue produced a twenty pound plus specimen a few weeks ago. Pike waters are few and far between in North Devon and anglers are reminded to take great care of the fish that are surprisingly delicate creatures that do not tolerate poor handling. It is essential to carry a large landing net, unhooking mat, carry long nosed forceps and always use a wire trace and suitably strong tackle to ensure the fish do not break free to trail lost trace and line. There is nothing sporting in fishing light!
North Devon Match Group enjoyed some fine silver fish sport at Mill Pond Berrynarbor.
Kevin Shears landed a fantastic 38lb 10oz of roach and hybrids on caster over hemp on the long pole ,for a convincing victory. John Lisle took second with 4 carp on the method and pole, third Martin Turner had all roach on caster. Andy’s 4th place was boosted with a stunning chub.
1st Kevin Shears 38lb 10oz 2nd John Lisle 24lb 7oz 3rd Martin Turner 23lb 8oz 4th Andy Gray 11lb 7oz
