Congratulations to Tony Trenerry who caught a 55lb 3oz Catfish from Day Ticket Nirvana’s Specimen Cat Lake. The fish was tempted using good old luncheon meat.
Zenia at Anglers Paradise advises anglers that they should avoid holding the fish off the ground. “There’s no need to hold Cats but much better to position them like this or lying beside them on a unhooking mat.”
I called into Summerlands Tackle at Westward-Ho! to pick up my Sponsorship Form for Neilsen Jeffery’s charity Match later in the year. ( More on that later) I also took along a bundle of old line keen to make use of the line recycling scheme I helped promote earlier this month. Line is the vital link between angler and fish. It is prone to damage and degradation over time and for this reason it is prudent to change it on a regular basis. Line both mono and braid is particularly hazardous to wildlife and should be discarded with care. In the past I have cut it into short lengths or burnt it. This new scheme is a great idea and should be embraced by all anglers. North Devons premier tackle shops are all participating in the scheme.
Summerlands have just updated their impressive stock of carp tackle with an impressive range from Korum and Guru.
Line is probably the most harmful material anglers use and experienced anglers change their line on a regular basis as it is the vital link between them and the fish they hope to persuade to the waters edge. Discarded line has long been an issue that causes concern even when put out with the rubbish it can get onto landfill where it can entangle birdlife. I have in the past cut my line into short lengths or burnt it on the fire. Now there is a scheme to recycle old mono and braid and the good news is that North Devons tackle shops are participating in the scheme so please bag up your old line and take it to your local tackle shop and place in the designated receptacle. For more information on the scheme please click on the below link.
https://www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk
Last year I reported on a local angling clubs efforts to clean up their local sea angling venue following threats to close it off following unacceptable litter left by careless and uncaring anglers.
Sadly a year later I still get reports of issues relating to angling litter and whilst anglers are not exclusive in leaving litter they should be appreciative of the environment that is surely an integral part of what angling is about? I recently received this sad image of a popular North Devon Rock Mark the angler who sent this is to be commended for picking up the rubbish and removing it from the venue. We must all make every effort reduce litter and leave nothing at the waters edge accept memories.
Line is one of the major angling related litter issues and a new scheme is being launched to encourage responsible disposal. I will be speaking with local tackle shops and perhaps clubs to see if we can get access to the scheme here in North Devon.
Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme see link below :-
https://www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1lhCN-VIzOq5YTBezeiWD5i_V7CCzMeJAoOrrddA6fx-cpFXfE46nsw20
Bideford and District Angling Club 24 hour sea results
1st Kyle Blackmore spur 11lb 110%
2nd Rick eavis rockling 1lb 8 100%
3rd Rob Harris bull Huss 8lb 14 1/2 89.062%
I was privileged to attend Bideford Angling Clubs recent presentation night where it was good to catch up with members of Bideford Club. The club has a long history and continues to thrive in todays ever changing world and has even managed to attract some valuable young anglers. The youth of today are an essential ingredient for the future of angling clubs and angling as a pastime that can enrich a lifetime bringing valuable engagement with the environment.
(Below) Ryan Willshire from Bude has continued his fine from on Upper Tamar lake on the Cornwall and Devon border with a couple more fish, this mirror at 20lb10oz and a small common of 10lbs. Mainline IB boilies over link doing the job.
North Devon Match Group are generally a robust bunch fishing through the worst of the weather each month. Last Sunday they were however beaten buy a thick coating of ice when they turned up to fish at Oaktree Fishery forcing them two cancel.
Furzebray Carp Lakes were also frozen over at the weekend. A return to milder weather today should see all lakes fishable agin and after a few days I am sure the fish will respond by feeding hard. It would be good to get that picture of a carp in the snow here on North Devon Angling News. I hope for the sake of all businesses relying upon angling for their income that we do not not get another Beast from the East this year.
Dan Spearman has been among the 3lb perch again at Upper Tamar with a run of several perch to 3.04 since the new year. Dan is after the elusive 4lb+ fish which are in Tamar but it’s only a matter of time.
Congratulations to Steve Dawe on an amazing year of fishing and fund raising for the stroke association. I have already ordered my copy of Steves book recording his amazing year of species hunting and will review it within these pages. Many thanks to Steve for writing the below report for North Devon angling News.
The challenge to catch 52 UK species in 52 weeks ended on December the 31stwith a final push to track down a 3 Bearded Rockling from a mark in Ilfracombe. Despite great advice on location and tactics from two very good North Devon anglers the species remained elusive although Pollack, Pouting and Congers provided a distraction. My final total for the year long challenge ended on 77 species when I finally got one of my nemesis species the Spotted Ray while fishing aboard Mike Webbers Teddie Boy out of Minehead. The Spotted Ray alone had taken 9 sessions across the year before I finally got the target, it does sum up the challenge that targeting a certain fish species presents.
Fish just don’t read a script and despite anglers I know catching the Spotted Ray with impunity if you don’t have a slice of luck to add to the time spent on the bank then that magic fish can prove difficult. Over the year the North Devon Coast and Bristol Channel have been good to me on the species front with, Conger, Spurdog, Bullhuss, Dab, Hounds, Cod and Flounder all ticked off the list from the North coast.
This was largely down to great skippers and unconditional advice from several of the North Coast’s best anglers, you guys know who you are, and I and the Stroke Association are extremely grateful. During the challenge I notched up over 7000 miles, 115 sessions, 52 sea species, 25 coarse and game. Out of that total 44, were personal bests, a statistic I am sure I will never match or exceed again.
I must also thank Wayne who does a sterling job of reporting and promoting fishing events and achievements through his pages. Wayne invited me to attend the Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs annual fun day at Ilfracombe this summer, and it was a great few hours spent with future anglers catching mini species. This event alone raised £25 for the charity in coin donations placed in the charity box, typical of the generosity shown by anglers and their families this year. Many people I met this year know someone or have had a family member effected by a Stroke, this life changing condition can affect everyone young and old.
Last Saturday I was joined by my good friend and inspiration for this challenge Andy Adams, Andy was a dedicated angler who was hit out of the blue with a massive stroke. The stroke has left Andy wheel chair bound and in need of a full-time carer, what it didn’t take however was his fighting spirit. Together we presented a cheque for £1340.00 to Hayley Ali of the Stroke Association while at a lunch down in the port of Looe.
I was asked by several of the readers of my blog to consider writing a book of the year long challenge, I have managed to complete this to coincide with the cheque presentation. The book titled Fishty Two Weeks in a Yearis available from Amazon as a Kindle version and Paperback.
All profits from the sale of this book will also go to the Stroke Association, so anyone buying are helping this great cause. Although I may have been the figurehead of this challenge it was only possible due to the copious amounts of goodwill, professionalism and support of my fellow anglers and friends so I salute you all.