David Brooke took top spot in Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs fish of the month competition with a specimen smoothound scaling 15lb 1oz. In runner up spot Dan Spearman with his thin lipped grey mullet of 4lb 15oz and in third Derek Ferrett with a smoothound of 11lb 14oz.
Stafford Moors Sunday Open on 3rd July saw some excellent nets of fish; full report from Joanne Coombes below
We had a continental payout today. We had 25 guys fishing .
The winner was Mike Iacono (pictured below) on Woodpecker peg 32 with 183lb fishing 8mm pellet on the waggler.
In 2nd place was Tim Hagg on Tanners peg 9 with 122lb 1oz
In 3rd place was Tony Burslem on Woodpecker peg 36 with 159lb 15oz
In 4th place was Andy Webb on Tanners peg 13 with 118lb 8oz
In 5th place was Mark Cullerton on Woodpecker peg 16 with 155lb 14oz
In 6th place was Dave Stockton on Tanners peg 35 with 109lb 6oz
Our silvers winners were : Tim Hagg on Tanners 9 with 7lb 9oz & Bruce Hunt on Woodpecker peg 26 with 12lb 6oz.
Fridays residents match today on Tanners lake had a great winning weight from Steve Pearce peg 36 with 137lb 13oz fishing 8mm pellet on the bomb well done Steve! who has actually won the residents match 3 years in a row! Please see full match results below.
Overall
Mid Week Open Wednesday 5th July
What a glorious day weather wise. Had so many great weights as you can see in the full match report below. Well done to Nikki Miller who bagged himself 169lb 6oz from peg 9 fishing 8mm on the waggler.
Overall
Bideford and District Angling Clubs Midweek Competition at Tarka swims was won by Matt Cross with 22lb 5oz. In runner up spot was Kevin Shears with 16lb 8oz and third John Lovell with 14lb 9oz. 13 fished Matt caught 2 carp and 1 bream on paste on 10mt pole Kevin fished with the pellet waggler for 4 carp.
An Open held on JRs lake at Clawford Fishery resulted in a great days fishing with all fish caught in stunning condition. In first place was Nick Jones with 73lb 4oz, predominantly carp around 5lb, second was Chris Haynes who weighed in 63lb and had a great net of small pasties, and third was Andy Seery with a net of 50lb exactly. All good practice for next weeks Clawford festival as will be this Sunday’s open which will be on Edwards with Fletchers on standby depending on numbers.
I look back on the seventies with fond nostalgia at my early year’s sea angling with my teenage friends who were junior members of the Combe Martin Sea Angling Club. The tackle we used then was generally inferior to the equipment we use today yet am I alone in having a strong connection with past memories when I glimpse familiar items of tackle? I was peering into the window of a second hand shop in Minehead last weekend. On display was a Mitchell 624 boat reel a workhorse of a reel that I well remember clamped to my ABU Pacific 6; where it went I cannot remember. I do however remember those days afloat on the sturdy old wooden boats of the day.
I was prompted to write this when a friend at work showed me an Intrepid Sea Streak he had undoubtedly looked after with a degree of care. I recalled that as youngsters we all treasured our latest tackle as if it was the latest sports car. The most popular shore reel of the day was the Ambassador 7000 with red side plates. I clearly remember being given a 7000 for either Christmas or Birthday. Other popular shore reels of the day were the Mitchell 602 and Mitchell 600. Both had black plastic or fibre glass spools and were very prone to bird-nesting. That brings back memories of tangled blue Sylcast line produced by Modern Arms.
If you Coarse fished you may well remember the Efgeeko Green Vinyl seat box? Everyone had a Mitchell 300 with a Match spool and a specimen spool. It would be interesting to see what vintage tackle pictures readers could send me. The appeal in old tackle is not in its usefulness but the memories that are rekindled of good days fishing.
I was struggling to remember the small black reel that every Junior angler took fishing in the seventies. A quick search on Google brought the answer; the Black Prince. http://www.intrepidreel.com/reels.html
Chris Wilson read this article and sent me a couple more images including this Mitchel 602
The latest report from Anglers Paradise contains images of some superb carp from Kracking Carp Lake and other waters on the famous complex.
Jamie Fox from Manchester was a Happy Chappy when he landed this 45lb 8oz Mirror from the Kracking Carp Lake, he even got in the water for pictures! The Best Pictures are in Water and also best for the Fish! Jamie caught the Mirror amongst the Lillies Free Lining with Fake Corn as the Hook Bait.
Steve Bradshaw, from Towcester, caught his UK Personal Best in the shape of this Kracking 36lb 4oz Common from the Kracking Carp Lake caught on Sticky Baits, it made it even more special that his wife was there to witness it and he won our Fish Of The Week Competition. Steve Said – ‘”This has made year and I can’t stop smiling”. It really is great to see Anglers so passionate about their catches (-;
Ellis Titheridge, caught a lovely 23lb 12oz Mirror from the Specimen Carp Lake on a Active-Bait-Solutions Custom Boilie fished as a single hookbait.
Father and Son, Alan and Shane Burns from Merseyside, decided to give the Main Carp Lake a go and did really well between them. Alan caught a Personal Best 28lb 2oz Common and Shane caught a Beautiful Scaley 20lb 12oz Mirror and a 24lb Mirror using bottom Bait Rigs with Cell topped with Corn.
Alex Bishop, 18 from Southend had a surprise Catch from the Specimen Cat Lake when he landed a New Personal Best 31lb 8oz Mirror rather than a Cat!! It’s the only Carp in there and Alex caught it! Alex caught the Mirror on a Halibut Pellet topped with Fake Pop Up Corn.
Stuart Eynon sent me this superb photo of one of five salmon he caught on a middle Torridge beat at the end of June. His fishing partner David Middlemiss also landed two salmon and a sea trout.
Dave O Brien with a 29lb 8oz mirror carp caught from the back bays on Beatties lake. Dave was only one hour into a day session when he caught the beauty using mainline cell boilies . Dave was there fishing with the ‘Carp busters’.
Anglers are enjoying some great tope sport off Ilfracombe with these hard fighting predators now abundant. Tope have been landed up to 37lb with every chance of bigger fish as the season progresses there is even the chance of one of these fish from shore marks if anglers are prepared to set their stall with a big bait and wire trace.
North Devon Tackle Clubs latest Match at Morchard Road saw Simon Poynter secure an impressive win with 156lb 3oz. In runner up spot was was Norman Martin with 84lb 9oz and in third Dean Vickery with 60lb 2oz. Forth was was Wayne Mitchell with 53lb 5oz.
