B.D.A.C 5th rod and reel match results date 26/2/23. 11 anglers fished at HIGHHAMPTON LAKES. The fishing was very hard going with very few bits for most. 1st place went to Darren polden was a nice net of carp for 30lbs 12oz caught in the margins, 2nd place when to Nigel spurr with 21lbs 2oz fishing the tip to the island, 3rd place was Mike Ellis with 20lbs 15oz on the tip and 4th place went to Cyril Found with 16lbs 7oz. The next match is on the 26/3/23 venue to be confirmed.
HORWOOD match anglers have booked the 4th Sunday of every month this year at Morchard Road, cracking venue and always seems to produce decent weights.
Despite a horrid wind and a very cold day it again fished well. It started hard but a few fish decided to have a feed towards the end. Very well done to John Lisle who had some proper lumps for his winning weight of 64lb 12oz from the near left hand bay, as everyone maggots seemed the bait, John pipped Paul Whitehead who fished the bridge peg and had 62lb 15oz Neilsen Jeffery managed third with 53lb 2oz from the first point just edging Graham Curnow who had 50lb 11oz caught from the left point. Cold but very enjoyable day and sure it will be a tad warmer next month, matches are capped at 14 fishing which gives everyone a bit of room.
Neilsen will be contacting all fishing members in March to see if they would like to renew memberships for 2023, numbers are limited.
The 2023 South West Fly Fair was held at Roadford Lake on February, 26th. This has become a very popular event in the West Country Fly Fishers diary heralding the onset of Spring fishing.
The format of the day allows plenty of time for social interaction with anglers from across the South West and beyond converging at the conference centre. There was a range of expert anglers at hand to offer advice on tackle, tactics, fly casting and fly tying.
There were numerous stalls with both new and second hand tackle, a vast array of flies and fly tying materials along with details of where to fish. Representatives from numerous angling club’s associations and trusts were in attendance.
Thanks must go to South West Lakes Trusts head of Angling Ashley Bunning and Dil Singh technical lead for game fishing who organised the event with their dedicated team. The event was opened by the familiar fair’s patron Charles Jardine. The fairs main sponsor was Chevron Hackles.
As always Charles Jardine’s enthusiasm for fly fishing was very apparent and was this year bolstered by the company of angling writer Peter Cockwill. Charles and Peter both highly respected fly fishing practitioners who have witnessed a huge amount of change in the fly fishing world and have remained at the fore front for several decades.
Charles and Peter are joining forces on June 21st at Syon Park to “ Cast A Marathon”. Twenty six miles of casting using a mix of Orvis 4,6 and 8 weights to raise funds for https://www.fishingforschools.co.uk and Castaway and to promote their love of Fly Fishing. Full details to follow.
On arriving at the lakeside venue, it was immediately apparent that the lake is still barely half full following last seasons disastrous drought. This was undoubtedly a widely discussed issue amongst anglers as they debated last season and the coming months. Colliford in Cornwall is apparently even lower prompting the alarming question what if we get another summer of drought? Let’s hope it’s a more traditional British summer with a few downpours to keep the lakes topped up and the rivers flowing.
The experts , Charles Jardine, Snowbee’s Simon Kidd and Gary Champion delivered fine casting demonstrations with impressive flexing of rods and swirling of lines that all looked so simple in their hands despite the chill brisk North East Wind.
The fly tying fraternity created many flies and lures to tempt the most discerning of anglers. Talks were delivered with humour and wisdom with plenty of audience participation.
The trade stands and expertise are an integral part of the show but above all it is the angling community that is at the heart of this event. Each year friendships are rekindled and plans made for the coming year. I’m sure its not just me who discusses plans for the season to then find that time and life intervene as for any keen angler will testify there is so much water and little time.
A cheerful smile from John Aplin of Casterbridge Fisheries LTD
Put a couple of hundred anglers together for a day and there will be a huge amount of discussion. That great angling writer H.T. Sheringham penned several classic books in the early part of the last century the titles of which would cover many of the debates undertaken. Trout Fishing Memories and Morals, Elements of Angling and perhaps more appropriate “Fishing its Cause Treatment and Cure”.
Debate about tactics and morals have raged within angling for centuries. When does an artificial bait become a fly? Is Upstream dry fly fishing superior to upstream nymph. Is the use of an indicator akin to float fishing? Are wild trout more worthy than stocked? What of the future of fishing? Cane, carbon or fibre glass? Is social media toxic or is it the anglers that post upon it? Is competitive angling good or does it bring out the worst in people?
I joined a discussion with well-known West Country Fluff chucker Rodney Wevil debating on how to catch mullet on the fly. Are they the most difficult fish to tempt? Despite considerable success with the species Rodney believes they are indeed among the most challenging of fish.
Talk of Fly Fishing and twenty years ago most would have thought of trout or salmon. Today fly fishing enthusiast’s target a very wide range of species in both salt and freshwater. Predatory fish such as pike have become top targets as have carp. The tactics used to tempt these species open up an entire new spectrum for anglers to debate.
Another item very high on the agenda is the river environment a topic that is now gathering a far wider audience due in part to the sterling efforts of Feargal Sharkey and the like. As anglers we have a very close affinity with water and are very aware of change.
As waters closer to home suffer from mankind’s actions it is perhaps inevitable that those who can afford seek fish from distant lands. I talked of fishing the richer waters of Norway and Iceland.
I also had a very interesting discussion about the fishing in the Southern Hemisphere. I had seen pictures of adventures with huge seatrout, brown trout and rainbow trout posted by Peter Cockwill.
Peter enlightened me about how these fish have thrived in pristine waters of the Southern hemisphere after being stocked many years ago by us northerners. Waters that had no significant fish populations now have these fish that many think of as wild. They are not of course truly wild but illustrate how mankind can redistribute nature to his own ends. Mankind is undoubtedly decimating the marine ecosystems of the world how nature responds is complex.
The 2023 Fly Fair was a very enjoyable event that will hopefully run as an annual event for many years. I arrived home late afternoon with a head full of fishy thoughts. In the middle of the night I awoke; discussions of fish populations in our rivers swimming through my mind. A common theme amongst anglers is how it used to be. Each generation has its own bench marks.
Keen to record my thoughts I left a warm bed to compose the following:-
The old guy said,
I remember when the salmon poured into the pools,
Packed like sardines you could have walked across their backs, (1983)
I remember when some anglers caught one hundred salmon in a season, (2003)
It’s been a better season we caught forty from the river last year, (2023)
I remember when there were salmon in the river, (2043)
I remember being told there were once salmon in this river, (2063)
http://www.bannisterrods.co.uk
David Brooke secured top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s six hour rover landing a spurdog of 9lb 12oz. Runner up was Daniel Welch with a dogfish of 2lb 6oz. A cold North East Wind made conditions difficult at many marks along the coast. Several Bull Huss and large numbers of dogfish were landed by club members who have their early Spring Rover next weekend.
WISTLANDPOUND FLY FISHING CLUB 2023
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club was formed back in the 1970’s and its members enjoyed fishing the venues from which it takes it name. With the changes in Wistlandpound stocking over the years the club has now adapted and enjoys visiting trout fishing venues across the South West.
Members assembled on February 23rd at the Ye Old Globe Inn, Berrynarbor. Top of the agenda was the calendar of events for the coming year.
The events were discussed and dates set up with all members looking forward to getting together at the water’s edge for a bit of friendly competition.
The club welcomes new members of all ages and abilities. Membership is just £10 per year. Contact club secretary David Richards for details:-
Mobile 07748685155 email – [email protected]
Club Events – 2023
March 12th – Wimbleball 10:00am 4.00pm Bank only
April 16th – Clatworthy 10:00am 4.00pm Bank Only
May 5th – Tavistock Trout Fishery 10:00am 4.00pm
June 25th Wimbleball – Boat or Bank 10:0am 4.00pm
July 12th – Gammaton – Evening Rise 6.00pm 9:30pm
September TBC
October 8th – Wimbleball 8:30am to 12:30 pm Lunch at the George Inn
November, December, January & February; Winter challenge at small Stillwater venues full details TBC
As Spring looms fly fishers across the South West are looking forward to a new season. Fly fishing enthusiasts are now targeting a wide range of species in addition to trout and salmon. Pike, carp, bass and grey mullet are among species now fished for using fly fishing tactics. There will be ample chance to seek advice on all of these topics at the various stalls at this year’s fly fair. There will also be plenty of Environmentally focussed associations and groups to spread awareness and increase knowledge.
Club man of the year was Nathan Clements who does a sterling job running the clubs shore fishing section.
COARSE FISHING AWARD WINNERS
Monthly Competition Champion : Nathan Underwood
Runner-up Craig Lamey
Third Keith Mountjoy
Midweek Series: Winner Nathan Underwood Runner up Martin Turner
Best bag in competition Richard Jefferies
Pairs winners Nathan Underwood and Darren Polden Junior series winner Imogen Babb Runner up Hope Polden.
SEA ANGLING AWARDS
Valentine bowl – most points in the Monthly Rover.
Andrew Clements 54 points
Keira short trophy – most points in 48 hour rover.
Julien Stainer + Andrew Clements 13 points
Stephanie Vanstone – Best specimen caught from the shore.
Stephen Found thick-lipped mullet 7lb 175% 5th August
Jason Talbot memorial plate – Best specimen ray caught from the shore.
Antony Smith Thornback Ray 12lb 8 138.888% 2nd October
Snake Plate – best specimen Conger caught from the shore.
Richard Jefferies Conger eel 22lb 8 112.5% 21st August
Best round fish from the shore
Stephen Found thick-lipped mullet 7lb 175% 5th August
Best specimen flat fish caught from the shore ( no ray)
Stephen Found Flounder 1lb 11 ¼ 86.156%
Best specimen shark from the shore.
Andrew Clements Bull Huss 15lb 11 ¼ 157.041% 29th March
Winner of end of season competition
Stephen Found spur 14lb 1 ½ 140.937% 29th January 2023
Big Mike Memorial vase
Nathan Clements bass 4lb 27th August
1st- John McCulham 34pts
2nd- Dan Lock 32pts
Matt Kingdon and I arrived at Wimbleball Lake for around 8:30am, misty drizzle drifted across the water and surrounding hills driven by a brisk North Westerly breeze. Wimbleball can be a bleak place in early February but the plentiful full tailed hard fighting rainbows draw anglers from across the West Country.
We headed for the picnic bank giving access to deep water; a reliable area especially early in the season when the recently stocked rainbows tend to shoal up. It was good to wade out into the cool clear waters of this vast lake and put a line out across the water. I had tied a small black Wooley bugger on the point with a small black and green nymph on a dropper, this was presented with an intermediate line. These tactics were the same I had used from the boat a couple of weeks ago with good effect. On each cast I paused for a few moments allowing the flies to sink before commencing a slow erratic retrieve. I often use the analogy of playing with a kitten when describing how to tempt a trout. The movement imparted into the flies or lure can trigger a take as can the pause. Each cast is made with thought, searching the depths and aiming to stimulate a reaction.
I watched Matt to my left employing a speedier retrieve that I thought was more akin to his competitive angling spirit.
After a few minutes my line zipped delightfully tight as a rainbow seized the lure erupting from the water in a flurry of spray. Over the next couple of hours another five trout were caught and despatched. All hard fighting full tailed fish between 1lb 12oz and 2lb 8oz. Matt also banked a couple of pleasing rainbows.
The relentless brisk cold wind and light rain was not pleasant so despite being where the fish were we decided to move to a more sheltered bank. With the wind at our backs casting was easier and the fishing more pleasant, there is often a balance to be had when deciding where to fish. The whole thing is after all about enjoyment so whilst catching is important its not always vital to catch as many as possible. Unless of course it’s a competition!
We resumed our quest searching the water in various locations and catching trout in each area we searched. Matt worked hard changing flies and tactics earning himself a full bag of five trout by the time we were ready to head for home shortly after 3.00pm. I soldiered on with the same tactics and caught and released a further three trout ending the day with eight trout. A great days’ trout fishing on a dark dank February day.
As we packed away we plotted to return on those warmer spring days when the fish would rise freely and a floating line would stretch out on a lake riffled by a gentle breeze. Despite the chill air there were signs of spring all around with frogspawn in the shallows and birdsong drifting in the air. Snowdrops were abundant on the roadsides with daffodils budding in every moorland village along the route.
