I fished a North Devon Rock mark with Combe Martin SAC secretary Nick Phillips it was due to be a club competition but we were the only two members fishing and in the circumstances decided to just enjoy an afternoons fishing.
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It was after all a pleasing day with sunshine reflecting from the sea as a good surf rolled in. There were a good number of surfers enjoying the day and another couple of anglers were fishing the mark.
I reflect upon a few things that have changed over recent years. For there has been change in both the fishing and the anglers that fish. Are the two related perhaps or is it social behaviours that have radically changed?
The mark we were fishing will be recognised by many who read this post and some may well criticize me for blatantly revealing where we were fishing. I generally maintain a degree of discretion when posting images as many worry about large numbers of anglers descending upon good marks. But how big an issue is this these days? Yes keeping good marks under wraps is probably sensible but looking back to previous decades there was often intense competition to secure the top marks.
If you had fished this mark in November thirty years ago cod would have been the target species but at present cod are virtually non-existent along the open coast. In the 1980’s through until the mid 1990’s open coast marks like Capstone would be fished by anglers from all over the West Country. If you wanted to get a space you would have to get there early morning or at least a few hours before the tides peak.
Weekend sea angling club competitions would attract good numbers of anglers. Many of my generation will remember with fondness the weigh-ins on a Sunday night at the Bastille in Ilfracombe when twenty or thirty anglers would gather around the scales. In recent years local sea angling clubs struggle to attract more than half a dozen competitors.
Whilst the decline in cod may have impacted upon Winter fishing there are other species that have filled the niche with bass, ray, bull huss, spurdog and tope now caught pretty well all year.
It‘s not as simple as a decline in fish resulting in less anglers for I believe society has changed dramatically. The normal working week of Monday to Friday has been replaced with more seven day working. This has undoubtedly impacted upon competitions. The cost of living also impacts as does the cost of fuel and bait.
Access to the coast is also a worrying issue as more marks are closed off to anglers. Parking is both expensive and restrictive with night fishing at some marks now impractical.
Another factor that is impacting upon angling is the aging dynamic of anglers with the number of new young anglers in decline. The majority of anglers I know are over fifty whilst twenty years ago there were plenty of anglers in their twenties. Angling is recognised as good for mental health and brings participants close to nature.
What is the future of angling? It has been a big part of my life for close to sixty years and I would like to see it flourish into future decades. So what would reverse the decline in angling and bring a new generation into the sport?
Barnstaple & District Angling Association’s AGM was held at the Ebberley Arms on November 18th and a large proportion of the clubs membership were in attendance. The meeting commenced with an informative presentation from Hannah Parvin of the West Country Rivers Trust. Hannah outlined the challenges facing the rivers of the South West and in particular the Teign – Taw Fishery Management plan. Hannah outlined the work being done working with the farming community to reduce harmful impact on rivers from slurry and sediment. Adjustments to practices can have a very positive impact on the health of rivers with cost benefits from reduced lost soil and longer term sustainability. The main focus on the River Teign catchment is on removing migration blockers such as weirs.
Hannah highlighted results of recent fish fry surveys with some good news amongst the data showing good numbers of salmon fry across some areas of the Taw catchment.
The Taw eDNA study is ongoing and it is hoped that results from this years sampling carried out by anglers trained during the summer will soon be released. In recent seasons anglers have reported significant numbers of shad caught whilst fishing for trout and salmon. The presence of a breeding population of shad could bring significant funding that will in turn benefit salmonid populations.
The Club is undoubtedly in good hands with a longstanding and hard working committee good it is good financial health and has a strong membership. The club owns two stretchs of fishing on the Taw with salmon and trout along with a delighful coarse fishing lake at South Aller.
The 2025 salmon fishing season was hampered by low water levels and high temperatures. The last month of the season brought an encouraging number of salmon caught by anglers fishing the Lower beats above the club water. Close to forty salmon were caught between Newbridge and Umberleigh with only a handful of fish caught from higher beats despite good water in the closing weeks. Most of the fish caught were believed to have been in the river for sometime and had become active with a rise in water levels and oxygen.
The club has resurrected several of its old trophies and three trphies were presented on the night. Dave Winter was awarded the bass on the fly trophy for a bass reported at 8lb in Trout & Salmon magazine. The fine bass was tempted over a mile above the tidal limit.Scott Bowden received the Salmon Trophy and Nick McMurtrie was awarded the committee Cup for his sterling and meticulous work as club archivist.
The evening was an enjoyable social occasion that brought its membership together with a very positive vibe despite the challenges that face our rivers. An auction of fishing books and memorabilia was held at the end of the meeting with proceeds going to the Air Ambulance.
Pleased with runner up for 2025
Grey Mullet in local harbours –
Tuna two estimated at 300lb
The days takes it toll
(Above) Grandad takes new generation to the waters edge.
I end the months chasing hard fighting rainbow trout at Wimbeball and enjoy success with a pristine fish of close to 5lb.
It had been too long since my last visit to Wimbleball Reservoir and on arrival at the lake shoreline I was shocked to stand at top water level and gaze at the distant boat launching pontoon far away at the water’s edge.
The lake now at less than 30% capacity demonstrates the impact of a dry spring followed by a long dry summer. The recent Autumn rainfall has had little impact so far and we can only hope for a very wet winter to restore the reservoir to full before next Spring. Abstraction from the River Exe will be key for Wessex and South West Water in achieving this goal for the lake is a shared resource that provides water across Devon and Somerset. I believe there are plans to build a new reservoir adjacent to Cheddar Reservoir that will take some of the load off Wimbleball but this is several years away.
There was a brisk North West Wind blowing which would undoubtedly influence where to fish. After loading the boat I headed up to Bessom’s an area that had been producing and is often productive at this time of year.
The road bridge stood high and dry a stark indication of the low level already mentioned. Autumn leaves in shades of bronze stood as a backdrop to the scene. It was indeed well worth visiting the lake to witness the banks revealing scars from its living past before the huge concrete dam held back the River Haddeo that joins the River Exe a mile or so below Dulverton.
The water at this shallow end of the lake was rather murky as a result of recent rain. I thought this could be the reason I could get no action as I searched the water with my flies. I headed to the dam end of the lake and passed the two other boats fishing the lake. I enquired as to success to be told that they too were struggling to find the fish.
I ventured into the deeply wooded Upton Arm hoping to find some shelter but the North West Wind seemed to be increasing in strength making fishing difficult. It was fascinating to explore the steep slopes with the rotting roots of tree’s an eery testament to the valley that was flooded in the late 1970’s.
I felt slightly ill at ease alone in this secluded area and decided to head back up to the dam area where I found more sheltered water. After half an hour or so I still failed to connect with any of the lakes trout. I was using a sinking line with a damsel nymph on the point and a black cormorant on a dropper. This was a combination I felt confident with and my gut feeling was to stick with this and search for fish.
I headed back up the lake again trying the shallow end. It was one of those days when things just seemed hard going. Those days when the wind catches the fly and it ends up stuck right in the middle of your back forcing you to disrobe to remove it. The fly you have just selected and put on the seat blows off into your fishing bag resulting in five minutes playing find the fly.
Deciding on another move I pulled the starter rope to be met with a brief splutter and total engine seizure. Looking over the back of the boat I spied a short length of rope wrapped tightly around the prop. It was impossible to remove the rope in situation so I had to haul the outboard on to the boat. The rope was solid and there was no way I could untangle it. All I had on me was a pair of line snips totally inadequate for cutting the rope free. Fortunately a friend of mine was within hailing distance and was able to assist cutting the rope free with a pair of robust garden scissors. A valuable lesson was learnt; always carry a knife in your fishing bag just in case you need to cut yourself free. Luck was to some extent on my side though for if this had happened whilst in the Upton Arm my days fishing would undoubtedly have been ruined. As the long row back against the strong wind would have been challenging to say the least.
Persistence will generally pay off and I headed to the North shore where I found better clarity and deep water close to the bank. I stuck to the same fly combination and was encouraged to see anglers in another boat enjoying some success as their rods flexed as a fish splashed in the water.
I felt a momentary tightening of the line that injected a degree of optimism and belief. Five minutes later there came that delightful tug on the line as a rainbow trout devoured one of my offerings. The fish fought hard leaping from the water and giving numerous strong runs that tested both tackle and my nerves.
I was relieved to pull a splendid rainbow of around 4lb 8oz into the net. It had taken the black cormorant on the dropper and I noted that the barbless hook was held by just a sliver of skin in the side of the mouth. I noted that it was now cloudy with light drizzle, the wind had dropped and it was undoubtedly a couple of degrees warmer. A brace of rainbows followed in the next half an hour and with the light starting to fade I called it a day contented with success on a hard day.
These hard days are often more rewarding than those days when fish come easily to the lures.
As I drove away in the fading light a barn owl glided close to the road and I slowed down to watch it settle on an old farm trailer. The privileged sight of this ghostly bird still lingers in the mind as I reflect upon the day fishing Exmoor’s premier trout water.
A Miscellany of Angling Anecdotes, Facts and Folklore.
By Dominic Garnett
GMC Publications. ISBN 9781784947200
Dominic’s latest book delivers an array of wisdom and comment in his unique and at times quirky entertaining style. The book strips angling back to basics in the first few chapters adding clarity to tactics that will sharpen any anglers approach to the varied waters into which lines are cast.
The design of the book certainly oozes tradition and it is in many ways a timeless tome packed with information for anglers making their first tentative casts or reflecting upon a life time searching for that connection with those creatures that dwell within a fascinating and mysterious realm.
Dom is a multi-discipline angler like myself and I can relate to much within the book and found myself benefitting from the straight forward analysis of angling. It also stimulated my own thoughts on why we fish and its wider benefits.
As those darker winter nights approach it is a book well worth delving into deserving a place on any anglers bookshelf. My own personal favourite section is perhaps the Fishing and Culture section that celebrates anglings rich history and mythology.
It is a book that will never become outdated for its key themes are the timeless essence of angling through the ages.
UNDERWOOD SECURES WIN AT BIDEFORD CLUB WATER
Combe Martin SAC members have been catching specimen mullet from the North Devon Coastline with Daniel Welch catching a 4lb 2oz specimen and Graham Snow a specimen of 4lb 1.5oz.
Large numbers of small mullet bode well for the future though they made it hard to connect with the larger specimens that could be glimpsed on the flooding tide. The annual event was concluded with breakfast in Lynmouth Pavillion.
