Both the Taw and Torridge are at summer levels with little chance of fresh run salmon moving into the river. Big tides might see the odd fish trickle into the lower reaches. Low water seldom deters sea trout that are likely to move into river and move stealthily up river with night fishing the only likely approach likely to succeed. I had a couple of hours on the middle Torridge at the weekend and tempted several brown trout on small black and silver flies intended for sea trout. The best trout was a fine wild brown of well over 1lb.
There are plenty of quality wild brown trout throughout our local rivers that can give superb sport using dry fly and nymph tactics. Fishing after dark with surface lures or traditional sea trout flies could bring success with big sea trout. The Welsh rivers are heavily fished after dark and some fine sea trout are caught. I am sure that many more big sea trout would be tempted in North Devon if they were targetted at the right time.
Bratton Water has a well deserved reputation for its quality brown trout fishing with fish to double figures banked in recent seasons. The best in recent weeks has a been a fine brown of 5lb 2oz to the rod of T.Evans of Barnstaple. The brown trout are however often hard to tempt and the hordes of small rudd often intercept the small imitative patterns before the browns get there. Mike has recently stocked a few rainbows that are being caught on a variety of patterns. The more aggressive rainbows are also feeding on the rudd fry in the margins giving an opportunity for the angler to stalk these fish. Mike informs me that the fishery is presently weed free despite the warm weather. The rudd whilst a nuisance at times will in the longer term lead to some big brown trout as they wax fat on the abundant food supply.
Congratulations to Matt Kingdon who has been selected for the 2018 English Commonwealth Fly Fishing Team.
Barnstaple & District Angling Association member Matt Kingdon has been selected for the 2018 English Commonwealth Fly Fishing Team.
Matt fished for England last year and is looking forward to flying off to Ireland for training seasons for the major competition in September. If successful next stop for the team will be New Zealand.
For his achievement the Barnstaple & District Angling Association have presented Matt with the prestigious ‘Committee Cup’
Wimbleball continues to fish exceptionally well as the season progresses with some superb catches to anglers fishing buzzers and imitative patterns. Th next couple of months offer some excellent prospects.
Peter Hughes enjoyed a superb day’s fishing today off the bank at Ruggs. Despite bright sun and a strong, cold, North East wind Peter and his friend managed to entice 15 strong, hard fighting, bars of silver on a catch and release ticket. Brilliant fish and fishing with all fish coming to buzzer variants on floating lines.
Simon Fuller and boat partner caught full bags from Cow Moor fish ranging from 2.8lb-4.8lb,and bank fisherman Ashley Scott bagged up at Ruggs with fish up to 5lb.
(Below) A fine rainbow for Daniel Loftus
(Below )A couple of the fish caught by Ashley Scott
As the rivers drop to summer level and start to show their bones there is still the chance of a salmon or sea trout fishing early or late in the day when the sun is off the water. Eddie Rands visited a middle Taw beat before work and was rewarded with a 10lb silver bar tempted on a little Invicta.
Daniel Brooks enjoyed a great session on Stafford Moors Beatties Lake landing 12 fish out up to 23lb 7oz all caught on Sticky baits Krill pellets and boilies from swim 1 (Long Island) on the dam wall.
SEA FISHING – The fishing at Combe Martin is varied and excellent; and not the least delightful aspect is the opportunity afforded the visitor of seeing from a new angle the magnificent cliffs. Motor boats and rowing boats are available in good weather at any state of the tide: though it is sound policy to listen to the expert advice of the local boatmen as to the most suitable conditions and the most profitable fishing hours. With the constantly varying tides of this channel they are perfectly familiar; and their favourite fishing marks are productive of good sport.
Bass, pollock, pouting (locally called “glowers”) wrasse,codling, tope, conger, grey mullet, plaice, dabs, and mackerel are taken in spring and summer.
The herring season is from mid-September to Christmas. Cod, large conger, skate, ray and dogfish are caught in winter. bearded rockling and whiting also occur: sea-bream has been scarce of late years and hake has not been obtained for several years past. A weever was caught off Ilfracombe in 1932 and a sturgeon near Clovelly. Sunfish are sometimes seen resting on the surface. Small sharks, seals and porpoises come up the Bristol Channel at times. Lobsters, crabs and prawns may be added to the list. Squids are fairly plentiful.
A conger of over eighty pounds was caught about 1880. Two halibut were taken on “long lines” one night in early December, December 1919, one weighed 60lb., the other about 16lbs. This is the only occasion remembered for halibut locally. A bottle nosed shark sixfeet long and about three hundred weight, was caught in herring nets, November 1931. A skate (“rooker”), five feet across and weighing one hundred weight, was caught on December 2nd 1931. An angler fish was taken some years ago and a strange fish, possibly another angler, was washed ashore dead on February 7th 1933.
FLY FISHING – Fly Fishing may be had at Hunters Inn. Tickets being obtainable at the hotel; and on Slade Reservoir. Ilfracombe’ permits being issued at the Municipal Offices, Ilfracombe. Good fishing is also available on the East Lyn, the Barle and the Bray. For fishing on the Exmoor Reservoir apply at the Ring Of Bells Inn, Challacombe.
Perhaps if we had taken good care of our fish stocks we would no longer need to go to Norway to catch a halibut!
Whilst having a tidy up I came across an old holiday guide to Combe Martin. The back cover advert below gives a fascinating glimpse of the past. Reading through sections of this book brings thoughts as to what we have lost in the seas off North Devon. I was born in Combe Martin and can see see glimpses of my youth within the pages of this old guide within which I can frustratingly find no publication date. My guess is that it is early 1950;s. It is a sad reflection that the waters off our coast once held fish that we now travel to far off shores to catch.
There is of course much that has not changed along the majestic North Devon Coast and for this we should ensure that we pause to savour what remains and reflect upon change and what the future holds.
COMBE MARTIN (Scene of Marie Corelli’ s Mighty Atom)
For SUNSHINE and HEALTH and the Ideal Sea Side- Country Holiday.
UNRIVALLED MILD WINTER CLIMATE
Express Train 51/2 hours London – Ilfracombe, thence Motor coach connection (20 Minutes) Direct Booking.
The salmon season got off to a slow start on both the Taw and Torridge as a result of low water temperatures and successive spates that kept the rivers brimful. As the waters have dropped and temperatures have climbed sevral anglers have enjoyed success on both rivers with fish from Lower and Middle beats of both rivers.
Sugh Smith banked a 6lb salmon from the Weir Marsh and Brightly beats of the Taw. Barry Sutton caught a fine 10lb 8oz salmon on a silver stoats tail and Michael Martin a 9lb salmon on an orange fly of his own design.There have also been salmon caught from the Barnstaple Club water below Newbridge. Reports from Upper Taw beats are scarce but with the prolonged high water levels salmon and sea trout will undoubtedly be present.
On the Torridge Chris Warcup caught a fine brace of salmon estimated at 12lb and 14lb. David Lincoln landed a 10lb salmon from a mid river beat. As the river levels drop on both rivers salmon sport will ease off though lower beats of both rivers will be worth a try.
The lower river levels and higher temperatures will prove more conducive to sea trout fishing with after dark fishing worthwhile. Several sea trout between 2lb and 4lb have been caught by anglers at Little Warham Fishery on the RIver Torridge where day tickets are available. It is surprising how many sea trout can be present in the rivers and a concerted after dark sortie can often unlock the rivers secrets.
The Upper reaches of North Devon rivers and many miles of smaller rivers throughout the area can offer splendid sport with wild brown trout that rise freely to a well presented dry fly. The East Lyn offers stunning fishing in beautiful surrounding for less than a fiver a day. Many streams offer excellent fishing with nothing more required than a polite inquiry seeking permission to fish.
(Above)Torridge Fly Fishing Club Chairman Robert Chugg presenting Mike Ball being presented with the shield for winning the Torridge Fly Fishing Club annual competition.
Mike Ball won Torridge Fly Fishers Annual Trophy at Gammaton Reservoir with a five fish bag limit. Derrick Joubert won the cup for biggest fish a rainbow of 3lb 8oz.
Day tickets: from Summerlands Fishing Tackle, Westward Ho!, Tel. 01237 471291. £20 per day (3 fish limit) Season tickets: £150 (waiting list, membership limited to 30).
I arrived at Blakewell just before 9.00am to meet up with members of the Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club and fish for the Edwards Floating Line Cup. It was a very pleasant late spring morning with lush green growth all around and birdsong filing the calm morning air. Dennis Toleman and Rob Hancock also arrived to fish Triple Hook Clubs A & J Barrow Fly Trophy Competition. They were a little concerned when I told them it was Wistlandpounds competition but when I told them it was not starting until 10:00 am they breathed a sigh of relief as they would most likely have got well underway towards their four fish quota by then as early morning before the sun gets on the water is often the best time of day.
After setting up my tackle I took a walk to the lake to capture Dennis and Rob in action and see if I could get any tips for the competition ahead. Both anglers were in action by the time I arrived and I took a few snaps as their rods absorbed the lunges of the hard fighting rainbows that both exceeded 4lb.
(Above ) Dennis Toleman – rainbow trout 4lb 2oz(Above)Rob Hancock with a 4lb 3oz rainbow
Dennis Toleman went on to win the A & J Barrow Trophy with a four fish bag totaling 13lb 4oz. Robbie Hancock finishing runner up with 12lb 3oz.
Blakewell’s Lake looked the perfect trout lake on this sunny morning with a brood of ducklings chirping as they dashed to and fro amongst the reeds. A few swallows swooped speedily over the water and high above a pair of buzzards soared on the thermals.
My fellow Wistlandpound club members duly arrived and after purchasing three fish tickets sauntered out to the lakeside. Within a few minutes several members were in action with bent rods as the lakes hard fighting rainbows surged to and fro in the clear water. I had tied on a damsel nymph and cast it well across the lake towards a rising trout. As I started to retrieve I noticed a trout of a couple of pounds closing in on the fly. Hoping for something a little bigger I stopped retrieving and watched the trout turn away. I fished on and within a few casts felt the pleasing tightening of the line. Whilst not big the rainbow fought gamely before eventually slipping over the rim of the net.
A few casts later I hooked an almost identical rainbow of a couple of pounds. Aware that other members had already landed bigger trout I decided upon a change of tactics and wandered to a shady corner on the far bank. I stood quietly leaning against a tree and peered into the crystal clear water watching as trout cruised past. I had tied on a gold headed green nymph one of my favourite stalking fly’s. After a few minutes a larger fish appeared and I flicked the nymph a few feet in front of the rainbow. I allowed the fly to sink then gave a twitch giving life to the gold head. The trouts mouth opened, the line twitched the rod lifted and I felt the weight of the fish and watched as it shook its head before surging away ripping line though my fingers before making the reel sing and rod absorb the strain. An enjoyable tussle followed before my prize was secure in the waiting net. At around four pound it was a pleasing result and emphasized how a little patience and stealthy angling can bring a better result than fishing blind.
(Above) My rainbow that succumbed to a gold head green nymph.
By midday all members had secured their three fish bags with Paul Grisley taking top spot with a bag of 9lb 9oz the best fish a fraction under 4lb. David Eldred was runner up with 9lb 6oz, Myself third with 8lb 13oz and forth Colin Combes with 6lb 12oz.
( Above) Winner Paul Grisley
With the competition over it was time to retire to the decking for welcome cups of tea and coffee. After a lengthy chat about fishing trips, catches and holidays it was time for a behind the scenes tour of the fish farm with co fishery owner Richard Nickell. Richard gave a fascinating and at times humorous account of rearing thousands of trout from fry to table size. Explaining the many trials and tribulations that can beset the fish farmer and the extensive costs involved. Richard ended the tour with a demonstration of his skill with the filleting knife and many ways to cook trout.
