Richard Dennis won Bideford and District Angling Clubs latest match on their home water Tarka Swims with a bag of 31lb 4oz. Martin Turner was runner up with 25lb 8oz and Paul Elworthy third with 20lb 12oz. Pole tactics proved most successful with members catching carp, silvers and tench.
Richard’s success came close on the heals of victory at Stafford Moors Open match on the Saturday when he clinched top spot with an impressive 153lb 5oz.
Hard to believe but its just over two weeks before the start of a new salmon fishing season on North Devon’s rivers and there should be plenty of water in the river systems ensuring that the winters kelt’s have descended to the sea. Whilst the salmon fishing scene is plagued by the all too real stories of their decline anglers are eternally optimistic and there will those who take a rod to the water and try for that elusive springer one of angling’s greatest prizes. The fresh air and warming sun will certainly lift the spirits on those daffodil lined river banks.
On Sunday, February 22nd South West Lakes Trust host their popular Fly Fair at Roadford Lake. The event is always well attended as a curtain raiser for the coming trout and salmon season. There will be casting demonstrations and talks from top anglers and organisations including Charles Jardine, World Champion Fly caster Hywel Morgan and Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust. South West Lakes Trust’s Head of Fisheries, Leon Fisher, said: “This year’s Fly Fair is set to be an amazing event with lots of activities on offer for the whole family. We have some fantastic guests lined up with world class knowledge of the sport. Attendees are in for a real show, whether you are an experienced fly angler or you are just starting out”.
I won Combe Martin SAC’s winter rover with a thick lipped grey mullet scaling 3lb 5oz. Kevin Legge was runner up with a conger of 16lb. Members caught conger, dogfish, rockling and bull huss.
Anglers are on the front line in witnessing the changes brought by climate change. It seems that frogs are spawning far earlier with spawn seen across the Westcountry from mid-January. Spring Flowers are also abundant with many daffodils and primroses already in bloom. The relentless rain is swelling rivers and will undoubtedly impact upon salmon and trout spawning areas.
Carp anglers are perhaps reaping the benefits of a warmer climate as carp continue to feed all year and pack on the pounds reaching weights that would have seemed incredible just a few decades ago.
It is perhaps at sea that the greatest impacts are being seen as fish populations fluctuate. During the winter months cod once considered the main quarry of sea anglers have all but disappeared with hardly any reported from the Bristol Channel this winter. Bass are now being caught on a regular basis from our estuaries throughout the year. Grey mullet once deemed a fish of the warmer months are now caught by enthusiasts fishing in the depths of winter.
The influx of tuna, bonito and gilthead during Summer and Autumn months are also cited as being the result of climate change. In truth nature is complex and only time and scientific data will bring greater clarity. As anglers we can explore exciting possibilities and adapt our tactics to exploit these new opportunities.
Stillwater Trout anglers continue to enjoy top spot at Bulldog Fishery where Chris Warner-Hill put together this bag that included a fine 6lb 8oz spartic.
Big brown trout were the highlight of Bulldog Fisheries February Trout Open Competition with three double figure brown trout gracing the scales at the days end. The top angler was Andy Facey who tempted a fine brace of brown trout weighing 10lb 12oz and 9lb 2oz which when added the other three fish he caught gave him a winning weight of 29lb 4oz. Runner up was Dave Chapman with five trout for 23lb 10oz a bag that included a fine brown trout of 11lb 1oz. Third was Chris Dunn with six trout for 22lb 13oz and fourth myself with five trout for 22lb 2oz. I was fortunate to tempt the biggest fish of the day; a stunning brown trout scaling 13lb 7oz. All competitors caught fish including good numbers of rainbow trout and spartics of 5lb 7oz and 6lb 2oz.
Combe Martin SAC held their AGM and presentation night at the Mariners Arms, Braunton. Members reflected upon a successful 2025 during which some superb specimen fish were recorded. Shane Pavio Hookway won the clubs specimen league with five specimen fish that included a shore caught tope of 43lb 6oz and a pouting of 2lb 2oz. Best specimen fish from the shore was a gilthead bream of 5lb 10oz to the rod of Ollie Passmore. David Brooke won the clubs top Medway Cup for best caught specimen boat with a gilthead bream of 6lb 4oz. Daniel Welch was awarded the clubs Merit Award for his outstanding contribution to the club invigorating the boat sector of the club via his boat fishing enterprise Predator 2.
SPURDOG PACKS ON THE HUNT
John Barbeary’s Charter boat Blue Fin is now back in the water at Ilfracombe taking anglers to deep water marks where huge packs of spurdog are on the hunt. A party of anglers fishing last weekend caught an estimated 150 spurdog to almost 20lb. They also boated conger, bull huss, dogfish and rockling.
Nathan Clements won Bideford Angling Clubs monthly sea rover with a dogfish of 2lb 3.25oz.
Michael Hammett won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly sea rover with a thornback ray of 7lb 6oz. Jack Sharrock was runner up with a small eyed ray of 6lb 13oz and Andrew Atkinson third with a thornback ray of 6lb 10oz.
North Devon Match Group fished their latest Match at Stafford Moor saw good catches for members on both Tanner’s Lake and Woodies. Roger Ackroyd was top rod on Tanners with 116lb 14oz and Dave Stockton winner on Woodies with 101lb 1oz.
The South West Fly Fair makes a welcome return to Roadford Lake on Sunday 22 February.
The fair is hosted by charity South West Lakes Trust at Roadford Lake, between Launceston and Okehampton. The event is always a highlight in the Westcountry’s angling calendar and this year’s is not to be missed!
Throughout the day there will be fly tying and casting demonstrations, ‘have a go’ fly tying rooms and several talks by a range of experts including world champion fly caster Hywel Morgan and Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust.
Returning favourite, expert Charles Jardine will be giving a casting demonstration – a must see for all attendees, whether you are newcomers to the sport or experienced anglers.
Trade stands will be selling new and used tackle and equipment and food and drink will be available at the onsite café.
The event runs from 10am to 3pm. South West Lakes Trust’s Head of Fisheries, Leon Fisher, said: “This year’s Fly Fair is set to be an amazing event with lots of activities on offer for the whole family. We have some fantastic guests lined up with world class knowledge of the sport. Attendees are in for a real show, whether you are an experienced fly angler or you are just starting out.”
Bulldog Fisheries Fly Fishing Competition – 1st February 2026
Many thanks to Tom Early for his report on the competition below ;- My own account follows
Our latest fly fishing competition at Bulldog Fisheries took place on the 1st of February 2026, and on arrival the conditions looked absolutely perfect. Overcast skies paired with still air set the scene nicely. Over a cup of tea and a bacon roll, plenty of fish were already showing, rising steadily along the far bank. Much of the early conversation centred around the recent stocking, with Nigel and Tom boasting of monster browns that had been introduced — excitement levels were high before a line had even been cast.
Following a quick peg draw, keen anglers made their way to their designated spots, patiently awaiting the starting horn. When it sounded, the ‘stocky’ rainbows came hard and fast during the opening hour of the competition.
Then came the first real moment of the day. Out on the point, with his rod bent double and a huge splash at the end of the line, it was clear Dave Chapman was connected to something special. After a lengthy fight and some expert netting from his son Freddy, the first big brown of the day was landed. Weighing in at just over 11lb, it was a cracking fish and gave Dave’s total weight a serious boost.
As the day went on, the rain arrived — heavy at times — and the fishing followed a familiar rhythm of sudden flurries and quieter lulls. There were moments when multiple anglers were playing fish across the lake at once, followed by brief pauses before the action fired up again.
Big browns continued to make an appearance throughout the day, particularly for Andrew Facey — quickly earning him the nickname “the man of many browns”. Fish after fish came to the net, including a double-figure brownie and a second biggen not far off, prompting a running joke that he’d soon need a wheelbarrow to carry his fish bag.
Just before lunch, the biggest fish of the day decided to show itself. North Devon Angling News editor, Mr Wayne Thomas, found himself locked into the battle of a lifetime. When the fish was finally landed, it was nothing short of spectacular — fin perfect and a prime example of what Bulldog Fisheries is capable of producing. Weighing an incredible 13.7lb, it was not only the largest brown taken from Bulldog’s waters in several years, but also a brand-new personal best for Wayne!
By lunchtime, anglers were soaked through and thoroughly hungry, so lunch was very welcome — cheeseburgers and chips all round!
Competition Results
1st Place: Andrew Facey – 5 fish, total weight 29.4lb
2nd Place: Dave Chapman – 5 fish, total weight 23.10lb
3rd Place: Chris Dunn – 6 fish, total weight 22.13lb
Biggest Fish of the Day: Wayne Thomas – 13.7lb Brown Trout
Many fish were landed throughout the day, including multiple Spartics and browns in the 4.5lb to 6lb range.
Overall, this was definitely one of the better competitions we’ve held. It’s always great to see everyone enjoying the venue, and knowing that our hard work is appreciated makes it all worthwhile
Onwards to the next one
The Cultivation of luck
Those big moments in angling are often the result of a bit of luck and there are many sayings used in relation to the luck factor. ” The harder I try the luckier I get” is perhaps one of the biggest in angling. Chatting with Nigel about the carp lake I pondered upon the investment of time when he commented on an angler having caught one carp in eight days fishing. Carp fishing by its nature is a discipline where the amount of time spent on the bank can be seen as hours invested results in success.
Fly Fishing and in particular competitive fly fishing is time constrained meaning that the decisions made on the day within a strict time frame are perhaps more focused. Thinking back over my many years at the water’s edge many of my personal best fish can be attributed to a big slice of luck that has to some extent been cultivated.
The luck of the draw
The big brown trout I caught during Bulldogs February Competition is a good example. I had started the day in peg 10 determined by a random draw. As is often the case the first twenty minutes are often hectic with the fish seizing anglers offerings with gusto. I capitalised on this early spell banking two rainbows though I could and should have done better as numerous fish came off after a few seconds of brief connection. A lesson that I have learnt is that in a competition keep at it if the fish are playing ball for they will often switch off quickly as a result of angling pressure.
The competitive format is that every twenty minutes the horn is blown and all move two pegs along. The next three moves resulted in just one fish for myself and by late morning I had still to catch that fourth fish to complete the morning quota. Colin Combe a friend from Wistlandpound angling Club had come for a chat and we talked of previous successes at various lakes. Fly choice is a widely debated topic amongst fly fishers and we both agreed that Bulldog Trout seem to respond to larger lure patterns. My own favourite is an olive damsel whilst Colin reflected upon recent success with a cats-whisker. Now I know the cats whisker is a very successful fly but it is not a fly I tend to use often.
Half an hour or so later I was fishing the point a good peg but success was eluding me. It was by now lashing with rain and there were only three of us left on the striving for that fourth fish whilst all other anglers chatted in the warmth of the hut beside a roaring woodburner with hot drinks and biscuits. Tom walked over and perhaps taking pity upon us told us we could fish where we liked during the last twenty minutes.
I took the opportunity to walk ten yards to peg ten where I had started the day. I carefully tied on a catswhisker and checked the hooks bend for it was a fly that had resided in my fly box for quite a while. I cast the fly to what I perceived was the hot spot and after two tweaks of retrieve all locked up as a big fish hit the fly. Five apprehensive minutes or so later a big beautiful brown trout slid over the rim of the net.
It was a very lucky cast destined by being in the right place at the right time with a fly at the lines end that tempted the trout. In a stocked Stillwater big fish are no wiser than small fish. If there is any skill it is in the landing of the fish as a big fish can break free as they often do. Checking those knots, hooks and removing those line weakening wind knots are key to capitalising upon luck.
The burger and chips went down well as we chatted of fishing, country sports, healthy eating, cooking, local meetings with rock stars and a wide range of wider topics wisely keeping clear of politics and other contentious issues.
The afternoon session proved harder going with most struggling to complete their six fish limit. I did add another brown trout of a couple of pounds and lost a good rainbow of perhaps four pounds when the hook pulled. Chatting later it was obvious that the trout were nipping at the tails of the flys without fully committing.
It was cheery bunch at the weigh in as the days catches were admired and memories captured before heading home with plenty of trout and prizes.
Bruce Elston enjoyed a great days sports at Bulldog Fishery tempting a fine brace of brown trout weighing 7lb 12oz and 6lb 6oz. He also added a brace of rainbows and a spartic which that was his first of the species. The fish were all tempted on orange lures and damsel nymphs. Bulldog host their popular monthly open competition this Sunday, February 1st.
Antony Smith secured first place in Bideford Angling Clubs forty eight hour rover with a specimen spurdog of 13lb 1.5oz. Stephen Found was runner up with a bull huss of 12lb 9oz and Andrew Clements third with a huss of 12lb 7oz. The specimen fish emphasise the significance of the weather in fishing. After several weeks of poor fishing along the coast with a North and Easterly winds predominating a swing to a South Westerly flow has invigorated sport. The next few weeks should see some good fish from the North Devon coast especially following any storms that stir up the seabed.
North Devon Match Group fished their first match of 2026 at the ever prolific Stafford Moor. The Match was fished on Woodies Lake and Tanners and both lakes gave great fishing. Dave Stockton was top rod on Woodies with 190lb 13oz and Steve Hayman runner up with 143lb. Tom Downing was the winner on Tanners with 108lb 2oz and Les Polden runner up with 100lb 14oz.
Each season I venture over to fish for grayling on the Upper Exe and its tributaries that are accessed via Dulverton Angling Association membership. Grayling are not native to Exmoor but have thrived since their introduction into the Exe in around 1896. These delightful silver ladies of the stream offer an excuse to visit the river in the depths of winter. Probing the river using tight line nymphing tactics I connected with two grayling one of which shed the hook the other was brought to the net and admired for a moment before being slipped back into the cool water.
The valleys at this time of year have a certain atmosphere that contrasts with the vibrancy of Spring and summer. There is state of slumber as the cold of winter still maintains a grip yet there are signs of spring as snowdrops flower and the intensity of birdsong seems to be increasing as if there is expectancy in the cool air.
There are less than two months until the start of a new trout fishing season non local rivers and that time will soon pass. Now is the time to sort out those fly boxes, tie flies for the new season and plan where you intend to cast a line.
STORMY DAYS FOR ANGLERS
Storm Ingrid swept across the South West last weekend with rainfall swelling the regions rivers. Its impact on the salmon redds high on the moors and upper tributaries of rivers is unknown. It seems remarkable that the salmons tiny eggs buried in the gravel survive. Yet winter floods happen every year and these remarkable migratory fish survive against all odds. I have heard some encouraging results from last year’s fry surveys with good numbers of salmon fry recorded across many of North Devon’s rivers. It is to be hoped that ongoing work across the region is starting to bring hope for the future.
On Friday night Combe Martin SAC hold their AGM and presentation night at the Mariners Arms in Braunton. As chairman of the club and club officer for close to fifty years I have seen significant change in angling and the angling community. The club like many others is struggling to adapt to changes in society and social habits. I remember with fondness the clubs annual dinner, dance and presentation night when at its peak over one hundred would attend to cheer on the cup and trophy winners. The desire to win trophies has declined across the sea angling sector as a grip and grin picture on social media seems to have become the preferred option. Adapting to change is undoubtedly a challenge for all clubs as the way we fish changes. Clubs are vital in bringing anglers together and it is to be hoped that community survives as the modern world continues to evolve.
The Angling Trust is the sports representative body and I have been a member since its formation. The Angling Trust and Fish Legal work to protect, promote and develop angling for all anglers across all disciplines. Sadly only a small proportion of anglers belong to this organisation with many openly criticising the organisation for its failure to deliver. The organisation needs vital funds to bring the results that anglers need to safeguard the future. If every angler joined, the trust would be a powerful body that could fight for the future of angling a pastime that brings many benefits across society.
Bideford and District Angling Club members endured cold wet and windy conditions at their monthly rod n reel competition fished at their home water Tarka Swims. Paul Whitehead was the winner with 17lb 10oz. Martin Turner was runner up with 12lb 10oz, Paul Elworthy third with 12lb 9oz and Colin O Hagan forth with 11lb 11oz.
Steve Johnson was awarded angler of the year in Barnstaple Bait and Tackle Match Groups presentation night evening.
Kevin Shears won the latest open match at Stafford Moor fishery with 169lb 4oz.
Bulldog Trout Fishery hold their latest Open Fly Fishing Competition this Sunday spaces are limited and can be secured by contacting the fishery via the contact details on their website www.bulldogfisheries.com
