North Devon Flounder fisherman are looking forward to the first big competition of the 2024 Flounder season. There is plenty of interest with a good number already registered at Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.
Andrew Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly Sea Rover with a club record rockling of 2lb. Runner up was Josh Atkinson with a bull huss of 10lb 15.25oz and third Andrew Atkinson with a bull huss of 8lb 12oz.
Stephen Found won Bideford Angling Clubs monthly rover with a thornback ray of 8lb 13oz. Andrew Clements was second and third with a bass of 6lb and a conger of 17lb 1oz.
Mainline Comp Final Results 
Combe Martin SAC held a weekend long competition for the mullet anglers in the club that was fished between seven keen members. Fishing a variety of marks a total of 32 mullet were caught over six tides.
( Above ) John Avery with a 2lb 8oz grey mullet
( Above) First light Combe Martin Bay
The winning fish, a fine specimen thick lipped grey mullet fell to the rod of Callum Gove and weighed 5lb 2oz. Daniel Welch was runner up with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 14oz.
Members concentrated their efforts over high waters that coincided with first and last light each day with members fishing from pre-dawn until after dark on some tides.
The competition concluded with a full English and tea and coffee in the Pavilion.
Reece Woolgar has extended his lead in Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing League tempting a fine bass of 73.5 cm. The fish had a good sized mullet of close to 30cm in its throat.
With just three weeks remaining in the competition Reece will take some beating though October is a good month for big bass.
The present standings are :-
Reece Woolgar – 334.5cm
Wayne Thomas – 310 cm
Ross Stanway – 293cm
Dan Welch – 270cm
The seasons end comes all too soon and it seemed surreal to be walking through the familiar doors of the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash for the Torridge Rivers Association end of season Egg Box Dinner. The Torridge Fishery Association was formed back in 1979 with a young Charles Inniss at its helm. Forty five years later Charles is still very much the engine room of the Association and continues to welcome anglers to the Half Moon Inn with his cheery demeanour and resilient optimism.
The new owners of the Half Moon have wisely embraced Charles and Adam who has worked behind the bar for many years. A fascinating insight into the Half Moon can be gleaned by listening to the latest Fly Culture Podcast with Pete Tyjas. Interviewing Richard Miller.
It has been a difficult salmon fishing season across North Devon and the chalked writing on the Inns blackboard told a woeful tale.
Sea trout numbers were not so bad and the brown trout returns very encouraging with close to five hundred brown trout recorded. In fact the general consensus is that the wild brown trout fishing is the future for North Devon’s rivers.
The annual dinner sees those with a deep love of the Torridge travel from all over the UK. It is always a joy to sit with fellow Torridge fishers and hear stories from the water’s edge told with a burning passion that flows through generations.
There was of course much talk about the sad demise of salmon across the UK and beyond with the complexities and causes of this debated over plates of delicious food, wine and ale.
Charles Inniss gave a short humorous and impassioned introduction to Lord Clinton who has taken on the role of Torridge Rivers Association President.
A Memorial Service for the late Lord Clinton was held on July 15th at Exeter Cathedral. It was attended by Association Chairman Paul Ashworth and his wife Geraldine along with Charles Inniss and Steve Phelps. Lord Clinton was the prime mover in the creation of the Association and was its first Chairman and President for Forty years.
The Grand Egg Box Draw once again raised considerable funds towards the running of the associations hatchery a project that requires much work and dedication and rewards with a glimmer of hope for the future.
Before I sat down to write this I walked out into the garden and smelt the comforting scent of woodsmoke drifting through the valley. Autumn has arrived and another salmon and trout season has drifted into the past. In less than six months anglers will once again be wading into those perpetual flows as yellow daffodils once again decorate the banks.
Pauline and I attended the Get Fishing Day at Anglers Paradise where over fifty keen newcomers to the angling world attended to receive invaluable advice and tuition from a team of Angling Trust accredited coaches. The day was divided into two half’s and participants rotated between three lakes including the Float Fishing lake, New Easy Cat lake and beginners carp lake.
( Below) Martyn Green delivered Fly casting tuition.
I feel sure that all who took part found the day invaluable in providing an introduction to the fundamentals of angling and the various set ups and tactics.
It was fascinating to watch the various coaches at work demonstrating the many varied methods used to tempt carp and other coarse fish.
A large number of small fish were tempted on the float lake ensuring that all had the chance to catch their first fish. Fish care was one of the main focus areas of the day with good principles highlighted throughout the sessions.
The day was sponsored by the Environment Agency, Angling Trust, Angling Direct, Shakespeare, Anglers Paradise and Dynamite Baits.
The event was very family oriented with every generation represented and the values to mental well-being and a valuable connection with nature very apparent.
Dean Asplin of the Angling Trust and Zenia Drury Gregorek did a Stirling job of organising the event at this extensive and popular angling venue.
(Below) Olivia Diebney enjoys catching a common carp
Eleven year old Bobby Lean certainly had a weekend to remember fishing with his father who was coaching on the New Easy Cat lake. During the afternoon session he banked a catfish in front of an appreciative audience. Then staying on overnight with his dad Gary Lean they fished the Nirvana Specimen catfish Lake banking huge catfish of 84lb and 72lb!
Below are several images from the day that was blessed with sunshine and light winds.
September proved to be a mixed month weather-wise, although generally warm, with some occasional heavy showers. Water levels slightly dropped over the month, now down to around 60% to 70% at time of writing.
Fishing:
Kennick – The fishing gradually improved as the month progressed, with weekly rod averages up to 2.4 fish per rod towards the end of the month. The fish were well spread out around the fishery, with Clampitts Bay, The Narrows, Oak Tree Point, Poplar Point and the East Wall all proving popular locations. Fish tended to feed close to, or from, the surface, and floating line tactics proved the most successful, either with dry patterns (Foam Daddies, Black Hoppers, dry Sedges and Beetle patterns), or shallow-fished nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Green Buzzers, Pheasant Tails and Diawl Bachs). Successful lure patterns included Orange Fritz, Cats Whisker and Cormorant, as well as the occasional deeper fished Booby – Jerry Hiscutt (from Newton Abbot) caught five rainbows on a Black Booby.
Siblyback – The fishing at Siblyback proved challenging this month, with anglers struggling to average one fish per visit, although this did pick up as the month progressed. Stocky Bay, Crylla Bay, Two Meadows and the West Bank proved to be the most promising locations, with Damsel Nymphs, Goldhead Montanas, Black Buzzers, Shrimp and the occasional Black Midge catching fish. Few fish of note were caught – Nigel Hoskin managed to catch a 2lb rainbow using a Black and Green Goldhead pattern fished on a floating line and fast retrieve, and Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) caught a bag of four fish using a slowly pulled Black Beetle.
Burrator – Rods averaged 1.9 fish per angler over the month (picking up to 2.7 by the end of the month), with most fish being caught from Longstone Point and Bank, Bennetts Lawn, Lowery Point and Pig’s Trough. Fish were feeding throughout the water column, with floating, intermediate and sinking line tactics all catching fish. Successful nymph patterns included Damsels, Hares Ears, Buzzers and Black and Peacock Spiders, while successful lures included Hothead Yellow, Orange Blob, White Dancer and Black Woolly Worm. Alan Green caught a bag of five fish, the largest of which was a rainbow of 3lb 12oz, a personal best, as well as best rainbow of the season at Burrator. Carl Thomas (from Kingsbridge) caught five rainbows to 2lb, as well as two brownies, using Buzzer patterns on a floating line.
Stithians – Fishing at Stithians remained tough throughout the month, with anglers again struggling to average one fish per visit. The best locations included Goonlaze, Deep Bank, Pipe Bay and Yellowort. Generally midge-Tip and Floating lines proved popular, in conjunction with Daddy Longlegs, Black Gnats and Deerhair CDC fished on the surface, or Diawl Bachs, Hares Ears and Quill Nymphs fished just below. Neil Chapman (from Penryn) caught three browns from the East Bank, using a floating line and a moderate retrieve.
Fernworthy – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging three fish per rod in the final week. Lowtin Bay, Picnic Area Bank and the South Bank proved to be the most productive locations, with a selection of dry (CDC Sedge, Cinnamon Sedge and Black Parachute) and nymph (Damsel, Black Spider, Hares Ear and Pennel) patterns proving successful. Clive Garland (from Tiverton) caught three browns (missing six others) using a Black and Peacock Spider fished just under the surface on a floating line with a slow retrieve.
Colliford – Here the excellent sport continued, with anglers averaging 4.2 fish per visit (up to 5.3 in one week). Floating line tactics continued to produce the best results, with fish being caught on dry patterns (CDC Hoppers, Foam Daddies, Beetles and Black Gnats), nymphs (Pheasant Tail, Black and Peacock Spider) and pulled Soldier Palmers, Zulu Muddlers, Bibios and Zulus, as well as a few of the more traditional brown trout patterns (Alexandra, Teal Blue and Silver and Black Pennel). Popular locations included the Middle Car Park bank, Dam, Lords Waste, Stuffle and Menaridian Point). Simon Peters (from Cusgarne) caught thirteen fish in one session on a bright sunny day with a northwest wind, with fish coming to a selection of flies fished as a team with a slow retrieve. Chris Tilyard (from Fraddon) caught nine browns to 1lb 8oz, casting dry patterns to freely rising fish.
Roadford – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging 3.3 fish in the final week. Daveys Bank proved to be the best location, where Rodney Wevill (from Lifton) caught ten browns to 2lb, using Soldier Palmer and Humungous fished on a floating line with a varied retrieve. Other successful patterns included Blue Damsels and Bibios.
October 12th is the Final of the Fluff Chuckers Brown Trout Masters at Roadford
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. The Trust, in conjunction with Fluff Chuckers, will be running a Brown Trout Masters competition this season, to be held over three dates at Colliford, Fernworthy, and Roadford – please see the website for more information.
Chris Hall (September 2024)