7 Aug 2025

Weekly ANGLING REPORT – August 7th 20205

by | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Casting around North Devon, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Stunning Carp Brace

Shaun Thorne tempted a stunning brace of carp from Lower Tamar lake including a stunning common carp of 32lb 12oz and a mirror carp of 25lb 2oz. The lake on the Devon Cornish Border holds a stock of stunning specimen fish including carp, bream, roach, tench, perch and eels.

Carp sport

Carp anglers are enjoying sport across the regions lakes with Hacche Lane producing several thirty pound plus specimens. At Stafford Moor Owen Thrumble fished four nights on Beattie’s Lake to bank forty carp to 30lb 5oz. Adam Atkins banked sixteen carp to 35lb 7oz.

Bass Fishing

Bass anglers continue to enjoy good sport with lure tactics from both boat and shore.  I took a good friend to a local shore mark recently and despite lots of weed in the water and a brisk wind we managed a fish each. I was delighted to introduce him to the excitement of bass fishing in shallow water and enjoyed his success as much as my own.

Rivers

High water temperatures are still a concern for river anglers across the region. Barnstaple and District Angling Association have extended their advice to members requesting a refrain from fishing until water temperatures drop below 20 degrees. Abundant algae is also causing concern as it clogs the river bed and reduces oxygen levels.

Match Fishing

Stafford Moor continues to produce excellent bags of fish for match anglers. Scott Puddy won the mid-week open match at the venue with 274lb 3oz and Rich Yeo won last weekends match with 250lb 1oz.

Sea Angling 

Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly sea rover was dominated by smoothound with Richard Jefferies heading the field with a specimen of 11lb 9oz. Tony Gussin was runner up with a hound of 10lb 10oz and Dale Kiff third with a hound of 10lb 4oz.

Appledore Shipbuilders monthly rover was also dominated by smoothound with Andrew Atkinson taking first and second with hounds of 12lb 4.25oz and 9lb 3.75oz. Third was Michael Hammett with a hound of 8lb 12oz.

Comment

The summer holidays are now upon us and it is to be hoped that some young anglers will take their first steps into a pastime that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment at the water’s edge. The world today is very different to when I started fishing over fifty years ago. Many believe it is the online and gaming  world that has taken many young people away from outdoor pursuits whilst others consider cost to be a major issue. Reflecting upon my own journey as a young angler I would suggest that the main obstacle is the lack of freedom given to young people in an increasingly protective society. This is perhaps ironic when the world of social media may well pose more threats to mental well- being than those physical dangers of a life at the water’s edge.

Bideford Angling Club have been running a brilliant series of Summer competitions for junior anglers at their home water. Bailey Bramley won the latest event with 7.840 kilo. Max Chapple was runner up with 6.085 kilo and Leo Davies third with 5.795 kilo. Twenty one young anglers took part in the latest match that has been generously supported by local tackle shops. This Saturday is the last in the series in which close to forty young anglers have taken part over the five events.

4 Aug 2025

🎉Celebrating 25 years of South West Lakes Trust 🎉

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Coarse Fishing, Sidebar | 0
Title: 🎉Celebrating 25 years of South West Lakes Trust 🎉
Catch up offers 25% discount on its fisheries across the region.
https://www.gocatch.fish/?_kx=sara5Zvxxq8XI8PKXNwxg-NbTec2I1-cnoxQR72kYxw.VCaURL

 

🎉Celebrating 25 years of South West Lakes Trust 🎉 SWLT turns 25 this year, and to celebrate we are offering 25% off day and 24hr permits when purchased between 25th July – 31st August 2025. Discount will be automatically applied on the Catch app. Use the interactive map on the App or search “South West Lakes” to choose one of our 13 stunning fisheries 🎣 Anglers using the Catch App also get other great discounts including 25% off camping, glamping, equipment hire and self-launch for the rest of the summer using code CATCH25 ✨ Find our camping options here https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/Pages/Site/activities/Category/camping And our water sports options here https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/activities Don’t forget – children fish for free with a paying adult 🐟

4 Aug 2025

CARP FISHING at Roadford Lake

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Sidebar | 0
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering carp fishing for a limited period on Roadford lake, as part of our ongoing removal programme.🎣
A vast and beautiful lake covering a huge 780 plus acres set in stunning countryside Roadford offers the opportunity to fish in a unique environment which is very difficult to find in the UK. Much more akin to fishing on the big lakes on the continent, big skies and a big expanse of water offers anglers a unique opportunity for some very atmospheric fishing.
The fishing is from Friday Oct 17th until Nov 30th. Tickets are now available via the website at £25 for 24 hours and are limited to 12 anglers at any one time.
Please note: Our objective is to remove the Carp and improve the trout fishing along with the ecology of the lake. All fish caught must be placed in the holding tanks, and no fish are to be returned to the lake, these fish will then be collected by the fisheries team.
Strict Biosecurity measures will be in place and all anglers’ slings; nets and unhooking mats must be placed in the dip tanks provided. This is due to the presence of non-native invasive crayfish in Roadford, please help protect our fisheries in the southwest and further afield.
31 Jul 2025

Weekly – ANGLING REPORT – July 31st 2025

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

MAINLINE CARP PAIRS RESULT

South West Lakes Trust’ Mainline Carp Baits Open Pairs Competition at Upper Tamar Lake has been won by Terry Vincent and Ben Combes with three fish totalling 63lb 7oz. The pair take home a prize of £2000 plus trophies. Runners up receiving £1000 were Jason McEvoy and Paul Thomas with three carp for 61lb 15oz. In third place was Nigel Woods with 57lb 1oz. Over thirty carp were registered in the popular event held on South West Lakes Trusts premier carp water on the Devon and Cornish border.

Zenia Drury-Gregorek of Angler’s Paradise took a break from her busy schedule to celebrate her birthday and a enjoy fishing session with her husband Joe on the complex’s new Nirvana Syndicate Lake. The session proved very successful with Zenia banking a complex record common carp of 44lb, a 45lb mirror carp along with grass carp to 32lb and a 29lb mirror carp.

 

Anglers Paradise

Bideford & District Angling Clubs Rod N Reel match at Tarka Swims was won by Kevin Shears with 67lb 14oz. Runner up was Keith Copland with 61lb 14oz and Paul Elworthy third with 45lb 10oz.

Andy Edge won the latest Open Match at Stafford Moor with 255lb 14oz.

Boat anglers are enjoying some fine bass sport off Ilfracombe with Predator 2 Charters putting anglers amongst some large shoals of feeding bass, Skipper Dan Welch took time out for a bit of fishing himself and registered a brace of 58cm bass and one of 55cm.

Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing League Sponsored by High Street Tackle is attracting a good number of entries from club members reflecting an excellent year for the species. Mark Drewer and Seth Tuson are currently joint first with five bass for 344.5cm. In runner up spot at present is myself with five bass for 313cm and in third place Reece Woolgar with four bass for 263cm.

Reel Deal Charters has taken anglers to the North Cornish Coast where several porbeagle shark have been brought boat-side.

The regions rivers are continuing to suffer from a lack of significant rain and warm temperatures. Barnstaple and District Angling Club control fishing on two beats on the River Taw and have closed both beats after recording water temperatures in excess of 24 centigrade. Water temperatures this warm are very concerning and can cause stress for both salmon and trout. The advice of the West Country Rivers Trust is to cease fishing above 20 degrees C.


31 Jul 2025

BIg carp brace from Lower Tamar

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Sidebar | 0
Shaun Thorne tempted a stunning brace of carp from Lower Tamar lake including a stunning common carp of 32lb 12oz and a mirror carp of 25lb 2oz. The lake on the Devon Cornish Border holds a stock of stunning specimen fish including carp, bream, roach, tench, perch and eels.

25 Jul 2025

Zenia – Just like living in paradise

by | posted in: Articles, Carp Fishing, Fishery Focus, Sidebar | 0
Zenia fished her home venues new Nirvana syndicate lake and had success beyond her dreams….read her story below…
Those of you that know me, will know that even though I live at Anglers Paradise, I don’t actually get much time to go fishing because of my role at AP! I literally live, eat and breathe AP, and that is my life, but I love seeing so many different walks of life here, seeing day to day, anglers catching PB’s, people making memories and of course kids and adults catching their first fish and gaining a passion for fishing from what we do…I love it! It means the world to me!💛🫶🎣✨
Every other week during the peak season months, I get a few hours to myself and because my time is limited, I go in search of the fish, stalking and surface fishing.
This session was a 40th birthday wish as it had been years since I was gifted ‘time’ to actually go night fishing and to have any longer than 5 hours, this is a big treat for me!! So a day/night/day session was more than I could ever wish for and also with my amazing husband which was a blessing on its own that we could have this time together doing what we love most!!
When my husband said that he wanted me to be the one to christen and fish the new Nirvana Syndicate, I was blown away and haven’t stopped thinking about it since!
Nervous, excited and butterflies going crazy, after dropping off our youngest, the time had finally come to go FISHING!!!
I was going to savour every minute being there, and that I did, catching would be a bonus as I really had no idea what was about to happen…
The first day was extremely windy and very challenging with the baiting pole!! After the traps were set, it was time to wait after several attempts getting the rigs and bait in place.
Plenty of pellet and crushed Monster Tiger Nut Boilies were planted and the Carp were already feeding which was a very good sign!
It ended up being the best Carp Red Letter Fishing session of my life!
Never did I think I would catch one forty…but TWO!!! 2 Grass Carp to 32lbs and a 29lb Mirror!
After catching my personal best and Common Complex Record at 44lbs, I honestly never expected it to get any better…
But then it happened, we’d just finished a beautiful dinner that my husband cooked, steak 🥩, broccoli, asparagus and a jacket potato, absolutely delicious! Then, all of a sudden, my right hand rod screams off!!
Another amazing fight, I knew this was going to be a big Carp! It was one of the most nerve wracking moments in my life praying that she’d eventually caress my net, which she did.
I was literally shaking, and after seeing the size of her, I cried, it was a moment I’ll never forget, I looked at Joe and he was in disbelief too, we both were just in shock, this session was just insane and so special, and one I will be eternally grateful for.
My new personal best 45lb Mirror, what a Fish!!!
I’m proof that Fishing Dreams can come true, and it was the best dream EVER!!!
Thank you to my amazing husband for making this trip possible, looking after me, just being a wonderful husband and not forgetting cooking for me like a Queen, and to friends Toby and Emma for having the boys to make this HAPPEN!!! I love you all and will be eternally grateful 🙏💛🫶✨🐳
Ps 1 Peppered Squid 🦑 🧨Pop Up was the winning bait!! 🟰🐳🦑🧨

 

Anglers Paradise
24 Jul 2025

WEEKLY – ANGLING REPORT – July 24th

by | posted in: Articles, Carp Fishing, Casting around North Devon, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Andrew Clements secured top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs forty eight hour rover with a specimen smoothound scaling 11lb 14oz. Tony Gussin was runner up with a smoothound of 11lb 1.5oz and Stephen Found third with a bass of 7lb 11oz.

Bideford Club have recently acquired fishing rights for club members at Higher Shorston Lakes near Holsworthy. Full details can be found via the clubs website. Access to these waters adds extra value to membership of this thriving and long established angling club.

Bideford Clubs Junior competition is proving very popular and is fully subscribed most weeks with twenty three participants in last weekend’s event which is very encouraging to see as it bodes well for the future. Hallie Osbourne won the latest match with 7.105 kilo. Runner up was Bailey Bramley with 6.935 kilo and Jenson Kiff third with 4.925 kilo.

This weekend is the first weekend of the summer holidays and I still relish the memories of those distant times when I fished the River Umber in Combe Martin to catch small brown trout and eels that were abundant in those days. The open coast and local ponds were also visited and our generation seemed to enjoy a greater freedom than todays. Angling is undoubtedly a pastime that is beneficial to mental health and connecting with nature and it is to be hoped that the joys are discovered by a few more young people this summer.

Predator 2 Charters operate out of Ilfracombe and in this their first full season of operation they are gaining a reputation for putting anglers amongst the fish. Skipper Dan Welch has fished the North Devon coast for many years and is putting that experience to good use having considerable success targeting bass and wrasse using the latest lure fishing techniques.

Good numbers of tope are also being tempted from waters off Ilfracombe with plenty of fish over 30lb boated.

High water temperatures have eased on many local rivers enabling angling to resume though extra care should be taken to ensure all fish are returned as soon as possible preferably unhooked in the water. During hot summer days fly fishing enthusiasts can enjoy some superb and at times challenging sport targeting bass and mullet in saltwater. Mullet have become something of a cult species to target with their wily reputation and powerful fights sometimes compared to the bonefish of tropical waters. On a warm summers day it is undoubtedly a joy to stand ankle deep in the cool waters as bass and mullet swirl close by in the flooding tide.

Stuart Kennedy won Stafford Moor’s latest residents Match with 269lb 10oz. This followed success for Stuart in the venues Open match when he put together a net of 262lb 15oz.  On the venues Lodge Lake Zack Skinner banked a personal best carp of 32lb.

7 Apr 2025

Slade Reservoir – First carp visit pays dividends.

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Many thanks to Nick Woodger for allowing me use his write up on a first successful trip to Slade Reservoir.

Done My First 24hrs At Slade Reservoir On Saturday Got There About 2.15pm Went For A Walk About. I Decided To Fish The Road Side Of The Lake Close To The Shallows As The Sun Was Shinning And The Wind Pushing Down To That Corner Of The Lake. Hoping that the Fish Would Be Following The Wind. Got The Rods Set Up And Out Into The Lake About 2.50pm. Had My Left And Right Hand Rods Both In The Margins, But The Left Hand Rod Was Out A Rod Length And A Half Up Tight To A Weed Bed. Had My Middle Rod Out In Open Water In Front Of Me. On All Three Rods I Was Using A Ronnie Rig With Remix Baits Tuttle-Tigers On The Left. Purple Secrets On The Middle And Pink Secrets On The Right All With A Tiny Mesh Bag Of Mainline Pellets. Traps Are All Set. At 5.50pm The Left Hand Rod Screamed Off I Was Into My First Ever Fish At Slade. What Resulted In A Stunning Mirror Weighing In At 24lb4oz I Was Over The Moon What A Carp Like This One For My First Fish. Put Rod Back Out On The Same Spot. The Hours Went Bye With No More Action. 11.00pm My Alarm Screamed Off Again But This Time It Was The Middle Rod The One In Open Water. I’m Into My Second Fish Of The Trip. I Seen The Carp Roll In The Light Of my Head-Torch And I Was Like Oh My God This Is A Big Carp. I Finally Got Her In The Net And Had A Closer Look, It Was A Beautiful Common I’m Stood There Looking At Her In The Net Thinking Can This Session Get Any Better But My God It Did When I Weighed Her And To See The Scales Go Upto 26lb8oz I Was Buzzing, I Have Only Gone And Smash My PB Common Witch Was 19lb7oz. All I Can Says Is What A Session And I Can’t Wait To get Back Out Onto The Bank Of Slade Reservoir Again.