26 Sep 2024

Lyme Disease: A Doolally of Doctors Magic Pills and Clinical Clunkers

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Many thanks to Richard Wilson for sharing his thoughts on Lymes Disease with North Devon Angling News. Ticks are ever more common across North Devon and Exmoor and it is wise to check fior them after any visit to the countryside. Removing the nasty little creatures early reduces the risk of Lymes disease.

Lyme Disease: A Doolally of Doctors

Magic Pills and Clinical Clunkers

Are you familiar with the phrase a Doolally of Doctors? It’s a medical version of the Madness of Crowds, which is when a lot of people go collectively nuts. Like the dot.com stock bubble or a dangerous TikTok craze. OK, I just made it up, but it trips nicely off the tongue and is technically accurate.

For a great example of a Doolally of Doctors in action, look no further than Lyme Disease. It’s a textbook case.

Let me explain: Lyme, caught from ticks, is the fastest-spreading bug-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Which is a big and scary thought. It’s also nasty, very hard to treat and ruins lives. And if you spend time outdoors in long grass or woodland margins it’s very easy to catch. It’s even spreading to suburban parks and gardens.

So what’s a Doolally of Doctors got to do with ticks? Well, as said, catching Lyme is very easy, but try getting a diagnosis. Or treatment. And especially treatment that works.

For example: Hollywood actor and musician Kris Kristofferson had a physically debilitating disease that for 14 years, and maybe a lot more, ruined his life. It even moved into his brain, resulting in a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

He had muscle spasms, heart arrhythmia that needed a pacemaker, sleep apnea, fierce joint pains and pretty much the full gamut of symptoms that most of us with Lyme Disease would recognise as potential runaway Lyme; but a Doolally of Doctors didn’t. They opted for more familiar diagnoses, all of which failed to deliver a cure and, to repeat myself, this went on for at least 14 years. He also picked up diagnoses of several Syndromes, such as Fibromyalgia (beware doctors diagnosing a ‘syndrome’, it’s a weasel word).

This continued until a new doctor tested for Lyme and it turned out, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, that Kristofferson had Lyme, which then responded to antibiotics (Alzheimer’s doesn’t). And because the longer treatment is delayed the harder Lyme is to cure, I expect his road to recovery is tough.

I have some sympathy with the first stages of misdiagnosis. Lyme shares symptoms with many diseases and it’s human nature for a Dr to reach for something familiar and treat that. And it’s not easy to confirm Lyme. If you get a blood test then about 15-25% can be false positive or false negative. Worse, the tests detect antibodies and once you’ve had the disease you have the antibodies for life. So you’ll always test positive, except when you test negative even if you have had, or still have Lyme. Confusing, isn’t it?

Next is something that’s very hard for us non-medical folk to grasp. The antibiotic treatment used by doctors always works. Always. Different countries have widely different drug regimes & doses, but they all work. 100%. You think they’re joking? No, they’re not. Lyme is a disease the experts have got nailed. Or so they say. And this is where the Doolally starts to part company with reality.

The first problem is that maybe 20-25% of Lyme patients report the same or worsening symptoms after treatment. In a Swedish study, 19% were still on sick leave or incapacitated 5 years after taking the approved antibiotics. No wonder so many people think their recurrent Lyme symptoms mean the treatment has failed. A lot of sick people think the experts have got it wrong.

This is heresy. The Doolally forcefully rejects such foolishness and explains that all these patients are suffering long-term damage caused by the original infection, now cured (by them). The pills always work.

Next, hands up everybody with Lyme symptoms who was tested for the co-infections ticks carry? Almost nobody? That sounds about right. A US survey of over 3,000 patients with long-term Lyme found that over 50% had co-infections, with 30% reporting two or more. The most common include Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, Anaplasma, and Tularemia. All are unpleasant, some are more globalist than others and many don’t respond to the antibiotics used against Lyme. A UK survey found 95% of 500 patients had co-infections.

So somewhere between the misdiagnoses, miracle pills and co-infections, it’s no surprise that the ne’re-get-well Lyme patients are everywhere. In fact they’re so common that the Doolally has a name just for those they’ve treated: Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). And there’s that snitty little word ‘syndrome’ again. PTLDS means people they’ve cured but who ungratefully still claim to be sick.

So what is this Frankenstein confection, this “disease-syndrome” endorsed by some of the top research institutions around the world? Broadly speaking the two words are a mismatch. Diseases usually have known treatments. A Syndrome might be real and treatable, but is often doctor-speak for a patient who’s a bit wrong in the head. Some patients are just weird. Sigh!

As an aside, I’ve never heard of anyone with Malaria Disease Syndrome. Why? Hold that thought.

It’s important to remember that a Doolally of Doctors is never wrong (it’s group-think): They know that real people have real diseases that real doctors treat. Everything else, including many syndromes, is woo or psychiatry or weird. And that’s really strange because Lyme is a bacterial disease with a track record for dodging antibiotics. It’s real, just like its cousin Syphilis, which is also difficult to treat (but a lot more fun to catch). Both are the unusual spirochete bacteria, which can run a doctor ragged. If you want peer-reviewed papers published in reputable journals, there are plenty to choose from. Here’s one. There are many, many more.

In most walks of life, this authority-figure insistence on the dumb-ass patient being delusional/weird, despite persuasive evidence that they’re not, would be called Gaslighting. And remember, we’re talking about up to a quarter of the patients they manage to diagnose with Lyme.

Spare a thought also for the many they don’t diagnose. Too many Drs will insist you’ve got Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, man-flu, sleep apnea, ME, heart disease, gallstones, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic neuropathy and/or pathetically-weird patient syndrome. Whatever.

Just think what could be achieved with global diseases like malaria if we applied Doolally Logic to our planning. Maybe half of the world’s malaria would simply vanish if we just got better at misdiagnosis. And to cure someone, all you have to do is give them a one-size-fits-all course of pills. Dose, duration, follow-up appointments? Nah! The treatment is infallible and malaria will be eradicated. Anyone still claiming to be sick must have a syndrome. Except this rule does not apply to post treatment Recurrent Malaria. That’s proper Malaria, the real deal, because sometimes, unexpectedly, malaria treatment fails. Unlike Lyme?

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. A place where medics can’t tell if you’re cured, but they know for sure their medication always works because, if maybe sometimes it didn’t, what would that make their ‘Syndrome’?

Answer: Lyme Disease.

25 Sep 2024

A FEW LAST CASTS

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

I had a few casts on a Middle Taw beat hoping that recent rain had encouraged a few salmon into the river. The river was surprisingly low with the rocks very slippery and covered in algae.

The colour was good yet I saw no signs of salmon as I fished down through the pools and runs.

A kingfisher flashed past, leaves drifted down as a breeze stirred the trees. Tell tale accumulations of leaves told the story of the changing season. Just five days remain of the Taw and Torridge salmon season.

Lower down the Taw Simon Hillcox tempted a beautiful salmon of around 7lb. like most salmon caught in recent days it was already decorated in Autumn hues a sign that it has been in the river for a while. The Torridge has risen more than the Taw and several salmon have been glimpsed and lost. The last week will hopefully see a few salmon tempted to be discussed at the annual egg box dinner at the Half Moon Inn.

25 Sep 2024

A CORNISH EXCURSION

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Time seems to race past ever more quickly and trips that are on the horizon soon appear in the rear view mirror. I have just booked up for next year’s Looe Basher as it seems to have been christened on our Watts App Group. This fishing excursion to Looe each autumn has become an annual trip with all involved keen to repeat the excursion each year.

An annual trip to Looe in Cornwall is in truth nothing unusual for Pauline and I as the lively fishing town on the South Coast of Cornwall has an enduring appeal that sank into my soul as a child in the 1960’s.

Looe as I have said many times before was where I started my angling journey catching mackerel, garfish and pollock float fishing from the Banjo pier. The blue shark brought back to shark Angling Club of Great Britain weighing scales fascinated me as a child and I hoped to one day venture out onto the high seas where these fierce predators roamed the vast ocean.

The annual Looe Basher is organised by Lee Armishaw of Watersmeet Publications with military precision. I admire and appreciate the effort that is put into arranging such a venture with five boat trips and meals in local pubs all put together to cater for a range of anglers from all walks of life.

Whilst several of the group are in regular contact throughout the year either at the water’s edge or via social media many only meet during this week of the year.

I was joining a reef fishing trip with seven other anglers including Dr Mark Everard, Keith Armishaw, Carl Aldridge, Jeremy Wade, Lesley Smith, Dennis Hart, Peter Evans and A. Gaffney. We were fishing on Murray Colling’s boat Swallow Two, a boat I had wanted to fish on for many years having heard many complimentary comments from other anglers.

I walked over Looe Bridge from West Looe and paused for a look down river as the tide flooded. The sun was rising slowly from the east, its glow illuminating the early morning vista. The bakery was the next stop for a Cornish pasty and an apple doughnut. Healthy eating is not my thing when out on a boat for the day.

The day was set up as a friendly fishing competition between two boats with eight anglers on each boat. The other boat was ‘Sowenna’ skippered by Dan Margetts with whom I have enjoyed several great fishing sessions in the past. There would also be a prize the angler to catch the most species and for who caught the biggest fish.

Fortunately with the good natured friendly group gathered there was no danger of the competitive element spoiling the day!

As we chatted quayside it was hard to believe that a year had passed since we had stood here full of optimism on our previous trip. Top of the agenda was success enjoyed earlier in the week with a very successful tuna trip that had resulted in a full house of tuna. The tuna had certainly given all involved a good workout! Sharking trips had also been successful with several shark tempted despite rough seas driven by a persistent North East breeze.

The two boats steamed out on calm waters past the historic and iconic Banjo pier. As the land faded into the distance behind us, the East wind whipped up white horses. Fortunately a clear blue sky lifted the spirits as sunshine illuminated the turbulent scene as gannets and gulls soared overhead.

We stopped for mackerel on the way to the reefs and brought up shimmering strings of fish for bait. Carl Aldridge was delighted to catch a pilchard to add to his growing species tally for the year. A couple of cuckoo wrasse were also swung aboard.

*Carl Aldridge with a colourful cuckoo wrasse*

With enough bait for a few hours fishing we set off once again for the reefs that were around nine miles off-shore.

Anticipation hung in the air the anchor was sent down and the engines cut.

A variety of tactics were employed by the anglers. I sent down a two hook rig consisting of size 4 Sakuma Chinus, baited with small strips of squid. Within seconds of the bait hitting the seabed the rod tip quivered and shook. I wound in a small poor cod to add to my mackerel in the species tally. Next drop down the rod tip rattled and I wound in a plump pouting. Looking around the boat everyone using small hooks or baited feathers were swinging in pouting.

I grabbed my heavier rod and baited a 6/0 Sakuma Kong hook with a fresh pouting head and trailing guts. Jeremy Wade to my left was using similar tactics and hooked a good fish that unfortunately came off. A few moments later I felt a solid tug transmitted through the line. I paid off a yard of line and paused for a few seconds. Tightening the line I felt a solid resistance and reeled quickly lifting the rod at the same time. The rod hooped over and there was a brief moment of give and take. I tightened the drag and heaved the powerful fish away from the rocky sea bed. I gained several yards before the fish tried to reach sanctuary at the seabed. I had every confidence in my tackle and held hard persuading the fish towards the surface.

The fish appeared in the clear water and skipper Murray grabbed the heavy 250lb b.s leader dragging the protesting conger over the gunnels. The eel was estimated at 28lb and was over 6ft long. After a short spell of wrestling I held the conger aloft for a quick picture before sliding the fish back over the side.

I caught a couple more smaller eels and others on the boat caught eels to 20lb with a couple of potentially bigger fish lost. Dennis Hart caught a fine double figure ling.

I switched back to the small baits and caught a succession of pouting and a couple of stunning cuckoo wrasse their colours more akin to fish of the tropics than UK waters.

A flock of birds appeared to the South working over a shoal of bait fish. A huge tuna erupted from the water silhouetted for a second against the bright sky line. One of those memory moments that will be forever etched in the mind’s eye.

As the tide began to pick up Murray suggested we start drifting and fishing with lures. I was determined to try and catch a John Dory and I knew that Murray was the go to skipper in Looe for these spectacular fish. I chose a small sidewinder lure fished on a long flowing trace. The tactic is to lower to the sea bed and then wind up slowly ignoring any taps and waiting for a solid hook up.

At the bow of the boat Murray’s deck hand employed these very tactics and soon hooked a small john dory that was delighted to admire and photograph as Murray held it aloft. Sadly this turned out to be the only john dory caught.

Over the next few hours we caught pouting, whiting, mackerel, horse mackerel(scad) and pollock as we drifted several different reefs. Murray was increasingly frustrated by the slow sport and attributed it to the exceptionally big spring tides that resulted in too fast a drift. Undoubtedly made even worse by the strong north-east wind.

Dr Mark Everard with a pollock (Above) Whiting (Below)

By the time Murray called time after a good eight hours at sea I’m sure some were glad to be heading back to port. It had been a tough day for at least one on board who had suffered the age old curse of sea sickness.

The boat bounced back over the lively sea. Gannets glided and dived into the water. We chatted of fish, fishing and future plans. As we approached Looe Island we entered calmer waters and left behind the turmoil of the open sea.

Looe harbour brought a comforting and familiar vibe. Crab lines from the quayside as young and old relaxed hoisting crabs up the old rocky walls to reside for a while in plastic buckets.

We were greeted eagerly by fellow Looe Basher members as the boat was secured. Some fish were filleted to be taken home. A few images were taken of the happy anglers gathered in warm comradeship content to have shared another adventure out at sea.

The biggest tides of the year – (Below)

23 Sep 2024

Angela Harding – Book Release at The Arundell

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

On September 25th The Arundell are hosting an evening with Angela Harding celebrating the release of her new book ‘Still Waters and Wild Waves’. A book that will undoubtedly connect with many anglers and those who love the waters edge.

https://www.thearundell.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Angela-Harding-25th-Sept.pdf

The rivers have cooled with some welcome, refreshing rain and the grayling are now coming into the peak of condition. The Arundell are running specialist grayling nymphing courses on the weekends of the 5th/6th and 12th/13th October.

This course will take you through tightline nymphing, indicator fishing and the duo method. The course also includes 2hrs hours of fly tying, constructing tungsten beaded jig flies, weighted shrimps and caddis flies. After the fly tying, we’ll look at tackle set up, tapered leaders, tippet, indicators, fly size and fly weigh.

For more details please go to the link in our bio or email [email protected]

15 Sep 2024

Salmon caught from Taw and Torridge

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

A rise in river levels following recent rainfall has encouraged anglers onto the regions rivers in the hope of salmon. James Lewis fished a middle Torridge beat and tempted a fine salmon estimated at 9lb. Another salmon estimated at 13lb was tempted from a middle Taw beat. Several other salmon have been seen migrating up river so there is hope that a few more will be tempted during the last two weeks of the season

I attended the West Country Rivers Trust CSI Volunteer Conference at High Bickington on Saturday September 14th. The event was well attended with enthusiastic volunteers from across the region. It is very encouraging to meet with a wide range of people with a passion for rivers. It is clear that there is a need for more coordination of effort between the many different groups that use the rivers a topic that was explored with future plans explained by speakers at the event. https://wrt.org.uk

Many at the event were not anglers and talking with several at the event my view that we need to work together for the good of the rivers was reinforced. Anglers, Canoeists, Wild Swimmers and conservationists all want clean water so we need to focus on our common goals and put our differences aside.

12 Sep 2024

Catching Late Season Beauty

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

As Autumn descends and seasons start to transition a trip to the river brings mixed emotions. Recent heavy rain has brought a tinge of colour to the river and there is hope of salmon and sea trout. The lower Taw and Torridge are both coloured and unfishable and so I have headed to a stretch of fishing on a tributary of the Taw.

I have thrown a heavy rod into the back of the car just in case I see a salmon but it’s the wild browns that I am seeking today with my ultra-light Snowbee Classic, a 4 wt thistledown line and a weighted nymph set up.

It is a delight to travel light to river and wander the bank flicking the nymphs into likely runs, pots and pools.

A cool North West Wind is sweeping clouds across the blue sky. Swallows and martins are swooping low over the grass undoubtedly feeding hard in preparation for their incredible migration to warmer climes. Large numbers of pheasants are strutting their stuff in the riverside fields oblivious to the rituals that await in October when the shooting season commences.

I work my way slowly up river and fail to connect over the first section. I change to a smaller nymph and shorten my leader slightly as the heavy nymph is catching the bottom too frequently.

I extend the line casting up and watching the bright orange section of my furled leader. I detect a twitch lift the rod and feel the vibrant life of a small brownie on the line. It comes off after a few seconds but my confidence is boosted and I fish on with renewed positivity.

A few casts later and a spirited trout of perhaps 6” is brought to hand and briefly admired.

Time is ebbing away as I reach my favourite pool and I work my way up working the nymph through the familiar waters. Connection comes as expected as a fine wild brown of perhaps 10” is brought to the net. I extract a further two beautiful wild browns of similar size but each is very different. Their flanks a sublime blend of rich colours, olives, golds, bronze and crimson. Their colours blending with the autumn hues to create a palette to please the most discerning artists eye.

I leave the river determined to return again before the season ends in a couple of weeks. Trouble is there are bass, mullet, tope and maybe a salmon calling from elsewhere. But still that constant beauty of the wild brown trout remains always there a reassuring presence for the past fifty odd years.

10 Sep 2024

TREVOR TELLING MEMORIAL

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Since Mark Underhill and his family have been managing Wimbleball Trout Fishery it has gained a reputation as one of the West Countrys best venues. Its hard fighting trout and spectacular scenery bring anglers back time after time. Trevor Telling was a very well-liked and respected member of the Wimbleball Fishery team giving valuable advice to visiting anglers inspiring them with his positive and friendly demeanour. Trevor has undoubtedly played a significant role in building Wimbleball’s reputation. Trevor loved Wimbleball and it’s anglers and was remembered at a Memorial Competition at the reservoir on September 8th, 2024. The competition was organised by Alan Cross a close friend of Trevor. Below is Alan’s full report.

The competition was opened by Karen Telling (Trevor’s wife) who thanked everyone for their turning out in weather that only fishermen could appreciate.

Total money raised on the day from fishing entries, raffle and donations was £305.
That is all going to the South West Fishing for Life charity. Trevor was a fishing instructor with them, helping ladies who are going thru cancer treatment.

Sale of Trevor’s fishing tackle and donations previously total of £1,565 went to Exeter Hospice Care who looked after Trevor in his final week’s and supported Karen and Charlotte.

A Total of 3 bank fishermen and 22 boat fishermen took part in the competition.
The winners were
Martin Williams with 8 fish total and a biggest fish of 6 lbs 9oz’s for boat fishing and Andrew Hill with 2 fish and his biggest fish was 4 1/2 lb’s.
Both fishermen were presented with a memorial shield by Jeff Pearce from Wimbleball Fishery.

A total of 56 fish with a combined weight of 119 lb’s 6 oz.
Winners of the raffle prizes of boxes of flies from Trevor’s own selection were
Wayne Middleton
Andrew Hull
Neil Jones.
Three ladies and their instructors from the South West fishing for Life charity turned out to fish as well, they didn’t want to enter the competition but enjoyed their fishing catching a further 4 fish.
Karen closed the competition by drawing the raffle and congratulating everyone on their catches and again thanking them for turning out to remember Trevor. This will be an annual match to celebrate Trevor and of course allow us fishermen to talk about how big the one that got away was.

I shared a boat with Snowbee Ambassador and Wimbleball team member Jeff Pearce and as always enjoyed a great day of fishing and fishing talk. The fishing proved to be challenging but with the combination of determination, trial error and experience we managed to catch five superb hard fighting trout. It rained pretty well all day but this failed to dampen our enthusiasm as the misty vistas still gave a certain dramatic back drop to proceedings.

http://www.snowbee.co.uk

*Jeff Pearce with a typical Wimbleball rainbow*

The warm and convivial atmosphere at the start of the day and conclusion were a fitting tribute to Trevor whose spirit lives on at this jewel in the crown of Exmoor Fly Fishing.

5 Sep 2024

A Long Drift of Expectation

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

The calm waters merged into the misty grey of the morning light. Archie cut Reel Deals engines and readied the shark rods as we began a long drift of expectation.

The five of us sent down jigs and feathers to catch fresh bait. Archie baited the circle hooks that were suspended beneath brightly coloured drinks bottles that would bob optimistically upon the ocean.

Mackerel, scad and pollock were swung on board as we drifted. We drew numbers, Peter Robinson drawing number one, Bruce Elston, number 2, Kieran (from Wales) number 3, I was number four so knew from the off that I would only do battle if we had a good day with the sharks. Toby was number five cementing the fact that it was not his day! A broken rod, lost sunglasses sealing that old comes in three saying! Fortunately Toby is a resilient sole who carries an infectious smile throughout.

Archie Porter was Skipper for the day as Reel Deal founder and owner Dan Hawkins was down South chasing tuna, skippering with Happy Days Adventure Fishing.

Archie has gained valuable experience working with Dan on Reel Deal and skippering Predator 2 before it was bought by Daniel Welch who is now embarking on his own journey with the boat.

With the rubby-dubby sending out a stream of particles and scent it was now time for a brew and to drift with wind and tide.

We were drifting over rocky reefs and we all used various jigs and lures to tempt hard fighting pollock from the clear water. Scad and the occasional jumbo sized mackerel were added to the bait stash with fresh baits added to the shark set ups from time to time.

I love the expectation of shark fishing the mystery of what lies beneath and what could be? Banter and chat flowed freely with tales of fish and the wider world. Topics from toxic politics, music, life and recipes.

Whilst the sea was mirror calm a rolling swell lifted the boat gently as the immense power of the Atlantic ocean stirred. As the mist lifted we glimpsed white water as the swells crashed into the wild and rugged North Cornish Coast.

Somewhere on the cliffs Hawkers Hut nestles high up overlooking this treacherous coastline. Robert Stephen Hawker was an eccentric clergyman who lived between 1803 and 1875. Hawker is said to have spent many hours in the hut writing poems and smoking opium. He is perhaps best remembered for his compassionate desire to provide Christian burials to shipwrecked seamen washed up on the shores. He also wrote the famous Cornish song, The Song of the Western Men” with its chorus line “ And Shall Trelawny die? / Here’s twenty thousand Cornish men / will know the reason why!’. A song that is sung by Cornish Male voice choirs with great passion. The hut is now preserved by the National Trust and is well worth a visit.

The day drifted past and after tempting several pollock I decided to change tactics. I baited two size 4 Sakuma Chinu hooks with slivers of fresh mackerel. Down into the clear water to be bounced along the rocky sea bed.

The rods sensitive tip jagged sharply and a small black bream was briefly admired before being released. Toby Bassett always keen to chase different species followed suit and soon caught three handsome bream two of which were keepers.

There was a moment of drama when a shark float bobbed and disappeared a large swirl preceding close by. The gulls and fulmars that had been bobbing in the rubby-dubby slick took off. Peter grabbed the rod apprehensively but nothing happened! Was it a wary shark, a tope or cuttle fish? The bait was damaged but the evidence inconclusive.

As the day drifted into afternoon a breeze came from the North West. We relished the blue sky and warm sunshine, the shark floats spread out perfectly in the slick and expectations grew, conditions were perfect.

Something large intercepted my tiny mackerel baits and put a serious bend in the rod before biting through the trace.

At the bow of the boat Bruce hooked a powerful tope as he bounced a large scad bait just off the seabed. A good tope of over thirty pounds appeared in the clear water and came off as Archie grabbed the leader.

A few minutes later Bruce was in action again this time bringing the tope to the boat where it was expertly netted by Archie. At 38lb it was a new personal best for Bruce.

In the mean time I hooked two more tope on my small hooks and inevitably suffered bite offs. I couldn’t resist the chance of a tope and tied on a short leader, a 150lb b.s trace a 6/0 Sakuma Kong hook and sent down a side of mackerel. A few minutes later I was locked in battle the spinning rod taking on an impressive battle curve. I piled on the pressure determined to get the tope to the boat without severing the hook-length or wrapping in the mainline. A tope of over twenty pounds was soon secured safely and its image secured.

The action packed flurry of tope sport brought the day to an end all too soon. Reel Deal bounced comfortably over the lively sea past Hartland, Baggy and Morte Point the wild cliffs and coast as always pleasing to the eye. The occasional gannet was circling searching for fish.

We pondered on the lack of porbeagle, earlier in the year there had been some good days with multiple catches of shark. September is often a prime month and it is likely that they will show in numbers later in the month if of course the bait fish are there. Last year tuna arrived off the coast in late September will they arrive again? The only way of answering these questions is of course to drift in expectation.

1 Sep 2024

CMSAC – FUN FISH 2024

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Hard to believe that its Autumn and yet another CMSAC Fun Fish is over. Twenty three anglers braved the initially inclement weather to join the fun of fishing. The forecast gave a warm calm morning with the slight chance of a shower! Wrong; the fishing that commenced at 10:30am was greeted by heavy rain, grey sky and a gusty east wind. Many like myself had looked at the forecast and not even packed a waterproof! After forty odd years of fishing I really should know better!

Despite the weather there were broad smiles as anglers of all ages cast their lines into the harbour from the landing stages of the old pier. The Fun Fishing Competition was run on a simple points basis with 3 points for the first of each species, 2 for the second and 1 for the third. There were also prizes for heaviest fish, longest fish and family with most points.

*Mat Mander and Club Secretary Nick Philips*

Combe Martin Sea Angling Club give grateful thanks to the events sponsors, High Street Tackle, Barnstaple Bait and Tackle and Ilfracombe Aquarium. Our guest Mat Mander Chief Officer of Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority once again made the long journey from South Devon to join us all on the pier. Mat gave valuable advice to young anglers and was on hand to take any questions about the sterling work undertaken by D & S IFCA.

https://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk

There were good numbers of fish caught from the start with ballan wrasse, pouting, poor cod, pollock and small red bream among the catch’s. The stars of the day were the young anglers who delighted in catching the fish with some catching their first ever fish!

I was asked by several about what tackle and tactics to employ for starting off and my advice is to start off with a cheap LRF outfit and target the small fish that abound close to pier. It is possible to get set up with a serviceable outfit for less than £100. I will try and put together a short feature on this in the near future.

Our local tackle shops High Street Tackle and Barnstaple Bait & Tackle are great places to call in for advice with a wide range of suitable tackle and bait in stock.

The exciting thing about the fun fish is seeing what each year produces. This year the appearance of small red bream was a first for the event. There were no mackerel or garfish caught which was a surprise as this summer has been quite good. One year a big fish will undoubtedly show!

Ilfracombe Aquarium donated a family entry to the event and were delighted to receive red bream and corkwing wrasse to house in the aquarium.

Hopefully Nick and I will be dashing around the pier again next Sea-Ilfracombe Festival with camera and clip board. Thank you to all who joined in to make this year another success.

*An Array of prizes from High Street Tackle & Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.*

Winning Family – Stanway Family – 46 points

Heaviest Fish – Jake Stanway – Ballan Wrasse 9oz

Longest Fish – Ted Childs – Corkwing wrasse – 20.5 cm

Winning Angler Ben Clark – 32 points

Runners up –

Ross Stanway – 29 points

Solly welch – 23 Points

Ted Childs – 20 Points

George Gove – 18 Points

Jake Stanway – 17 Points

Dave Welch – 14 points

Finlay Stanway – 13 points

Ollie Hunter – 11 points

Callum Gove – 11 points

Bella Mitchell – 11 Points

Beth Hunter – 9 Points

Archie Cameron – 8 points

Louis Cameron – 8 Points

Aaron Birchall – 3 points

Jack Philips – 3 points

Lila Mitchell – 3 points

Species Caught : – 12

Pollock

Pouting

Poor Cod

Ballan wrasse

Corkwing wrasse

Red Bream

Whiting

Shore rockling

Rock goby

Tompot-blenny

Shanny

Number of fish – 96 Fish – 23 Anglers

31 Aug 2024

A Luring Day on Predator 2 – Ilfracombe

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Lure Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Ilfracombe Harbour an oasis of calm as a glow appears to the East as the sun starts to climb from its overnight absence. The sounds of voices drift across the calm waters of the harbour as boats are readied for the day ahead.

Dan Welch and Ross Stanway are already on board Predator 2 readying the boat for another mates trip to continue the exploration of the Bristol Channels potential.

As I arrive at the Quay I speak to three anglers sat waiting to board Dan Hawkins Reel Deal. They have driven overnight from Oxford and are hoping to connect with the porbeagle that prowl the waters at the mouth of the Bristol Channel.

We are heading out to fish with lures hopping from wreck to reef and watching for signs of feeding birds that could indicate shoals of silver bass. Dan Hawkins on Reel Deal had found some quality bass the previous day whilst travelling back from an unsuccessful foray to the shaking grounds.

Todays friends group consisted of Skipper Dan Welch, Ross Stanway, Shaun Quartly, Shane Murch, Paul Lorrimore, Callun Gove and myself. Dan is keen to continue to explore the lure fishing potential and today we are heading West to fish marks off Baggy Point and Bideford Bay.

There is a still a bit of chop on the sea, residue from the previous days stronger winds. We were all full of hope and optimism for the adventure that lay ahead as we bounced over water watching the spectacular sunrise above towering cliffs up channel from Ilfracombe.

We passed the familiar rock outcrops of Bull Point and Morte Point before reaching the first mark a good distance off Baggy Point. By now the sun was higher in the sky its warm rays illuminating the seascape.

We all tied on the lures that we had confidence in sending them down into the deep clear water to connect with the fish that lurk around the rusting wreck.

There are surprisingly many wrecks scattered around the Bristol Channel, symptoms I guess from an era when navigational equipment and modern safety was less advanced. Wrecks provide shelter and food for many fish and I ponder if we could create artificial reefs to improve upon fish populations. Perhaps the new seaweed farms, and off- shore windfarms will create some protected habitat that will benefit fish populations?

Within seconds of the lures reaching their destination rods hooped over as hard fighting pollock smashed into the lures diving for sanctuary within the rusting hulk. The first drift produced some stunning pollock to around 4lb and bass to 3lb.

There is a great deal of skill involved in manoeuvring a boat into position so that the anglers lures can be presented to the fish. The wreck or reef is shown on the boats navigation system, but the strength and direction of tide has to be factored in with the wind direction as to the boats starting position that is calculated to give maximum time drifting over the structure.

It is noticeable that each drift tends to bring diminishing returns as the fish seem to wise up quickly. Changing lures sometimes seems to bring increased success though I’m not sure if this is my perception or simply luck on the day? I change to a Seadra slow jig decorated with a stunning mackerel flank. It looks good to me and I work the lure with confidence catching several bass and pollock.

Ross Stanway hooks a very powerful fish that powers off testing his light spinning tackle to the limit. Dan assisted by following the fish whilst we all pulled in our lines to watch the drama unfold. We all speculated upon what Ross has hooked hoping that we would at the very least get a glimpse before the gossamer thin braid parted. My guess was a tope as Shaun had had a pollock bitten in half by a hungry tope a few minutes before the fish appearing with the pollock within its jaws before swimming free after shaking its head to tear the fish in half.

We all peered into the clear aqua water, suddenly a shape appeared below the boat. A sleek and powerful tope of around thirty pounds hooked foul hooked in the tail! Dan scooped the fish into the net and swung the fish aboard. Ross wrestled with the powerful fish and held it aloft for a quick photo before dropping it back over the side where it disappeared back into the mysterious depths with a flick of its tail.

After a couple more drifts sport eased off and Dan suggested a move to a rocky pinnacle in Bideford Bay. Half an hour steam away we chatted and watched for birds working that could indicate bait fish.

There is always anticipation on arriving at each new mark asking the question with our lures. Sadly this mark proved to be a pouting haven with these plump fish seizing our lures. Whilst these fish have little sporting value they are a valuable source of food for many predatory fish and their flanks of pearl and beige have a rich beauty in life. Sadly they often perish as their swim bladders are unable to cope with the pressure change as they are brought to the surface. They can be kept for bait or at worst provide a welcome meal for the sea birds that always follow fishing boats.

The light breeze from earlier in the day had by now dropped off leaving the sea a tranquil calm that seems so rare this summer. A commotion a few hundred yards away caught our attention. Was that a huge tail slashing the water amongst a pod of dolphins? A thresher shark perhaps? There have been several sightings recently.

We moved closer, the dolphins swam gracefully rolling in the calm sea. We put out lures hoping for a bass whilst we enjoyed the marvellous spectacle of the dolphins.

After the hectic sport at the start of the day we were now struggling to find feeding fish. We headed back to the wreck where we had started the day. Part way across Bideford Bay we spotted a mass of birds a sure indication along with a couple of fishing boats that bass were in the area.

Indications on the fish finder confirmed the presence of fish and so we sent down our lures. I hooked a hard fighting bass of around 5lb and several other smaller fish were added to the days tally before the birds dispersed and the fish disappeared.

By now a brisk east wind was sweeping down the Bristol Channel creating white caps on the waves. Judging by the Beaufort scale it was indeed a fresh breeze.

The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale.

Fresh Breeze

29-38

19-24

17-21

Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters. Moderate waves, many white horses

2.0

2.5

The Beaufort Scale like the shipping forecast holds a certain resonance and connection with maritime history. That provides me with sense of historical enchantment and fascination with Great Britain’s connection the sea.

Connection with fish seemed harder to find now as the flood tide pushed against the wind. Natures roulette spins continually and we fished the shallow waters off Morte Point in our last roll of the dice. Shaun foul hooked a specimen mullet that fought hard in the tide. Dan tempted a ballan wrasse before declaring time to head back to Ilfracombe.

Ilfracombe on a warm summers day at Summers end was a stark contrast to the peace and tranquillity of the early dawn. Hundreds of tourists rested on the beach, strolled around the shops, licked ice creams and savoured those last few days of the tourist season. How quick this summer has flown. Our son James plays his last game of league cricket as I type this, it is hard to believe, its seems such a short time since he was wielding his bat for the first game of the season.

September brings much expectation for the sea angler of North Devon with so much promise if natures roulette wheel obliges and we play our hands wisely.