WINTER ANGLING

            As we head into Winter dedicated sea anglers will be targeting the big fish that prowl the varied shoreline of North Devon. On the open coast late November would once have signalled the start of the cod fishing season when anglers would jostle for position at favoured marks. The cod have sadly departed becoming a rare sight in the Bristol Channel. The number of anglers fishing the open coast has also plummeted and many sea angling clubs are in terminal decline. This decline is not entirely linked to fish but more to other factors that impact our lives. Social behaviours have undoubtedly changed since the Covid pandemic and anglers have to some extent become more insular and solitary in their pursuit of fish. The cost of living has also had a significant impact as families struggle to make ends meet.

            Whilst fish populations fluctuate and I mention the decline of cod in our region all is not bad news. Bass are now present in our waters all year and other species seem to be more prolific. Ray, smoothound, spurdog, tope and bull huss seem to be more abundant and dogfish seem to be present in plague proportions. Whiting and pouting populations seem to have crashed compared to thirty years ago which is a mystery as these fish are not targeted commercially. It could be that bottom trawling is having an impact on these fish that has not been documented.

            Safety is paramount when fishing North Devon’s remote and rugged shoreline and a few words of advice at this time seems appropriate. Key points I would suggest are an awareness of tidal state, weather and sea conditions. Sensible clothing and footwear. Consider a floatation device. Always let someone know where you are intending to fish and expected time of return. Carry a mobile phone and keep it safe and dry and use What-three words to communicate your location.

            Dale Kiff won Bideford Angling Clubs forty eight hour rover with a bass of 6lb 14oz. Runner up was Stephen Found with a spotted ray of 3lb 11oz.

The flounder fishing season is in full swing now and many will be fishing the estuary with numerous competitions being staged this Sunday including the Barnstaple Bait & Tackle Dan Miles Redmore Memorial. The competition starts at 8.00am and concludes at 1.30pm with the weigh in at the Ebberley Arms at 2.00pm. Entry forms at Barnstaple Bait and Tackle all proceeds go to Children’s Hospice South West.

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 year’s 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 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 some time and had become active with a rise in water levels and oxygen.  The club has resurrected several of its old trophies and three trophies 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.