After a slow start to the lure fishing season bass are starting to show from both open coast and estuary. Lure enthuisiast Reece Woolgar has taken an early lead in Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing League tempting a bass of 62 cm to add to a bass of 56.5cm registered ealier in the season.
After several aborted trips due to bad weather it was good to eventually get back out to sea on a Combe Martin SAC boat trip out of Minehead with Steve Webber skipper of Osprey Charters. As a club we have been fishing with Steve for many years a skipper who has provided us with some exciting fishing trips over the decades.
On this day we had six anglers on board two of which are good friends who kindly came along filling vacant places left by club members who could not make the trip.
The forecast for once promised calm seas, light winds and perhaps a little sunshine!
The boat was due to sail from the harbour at 10:30am so a rendezvous at the Minehead Witherspoon’s was arranged at 9:00am. This proved an unwise move in some ways as discussing the days fishing prospects over a full English was difficult as it appeared that Butlins stags had invaded in numbers. Alcohol in quantity at 9:00am certainly fuelled the volume making hearing a little challenging for those of us who have impaired hearing. Like many anglers we are getting on a bit!
And so we climbed onto Osprey all pleased to be leaving the raucous delights of Minehead to the young Butlin brigade.
Steve welcomed us with an ever cheery greeting and we set off for familiar fishing grounds to the West of Minehead. The tide was ebbing as Steve dropped anchor at the first mark. The steep wooded cliffs were lush and green. The sea a pleasing calm beneath a blue sky interspersed with light white cotton wool clouds.
Fishing talk flowed freely with a bit of local politics, reminisce and fishy tales thrown into the mix.
I think I was lucky to catch the first fish a small smoothound. Dogfish were to prove a menace throughout the day snaffling baits intended for more worthy fish.
Jack Phillips caught a smoothound of perhaps seven pounds that gave a good account and was the first of several caught throughout the day. The best a fish of around ten pounds to my good friend Bruce Elston his first of the species and a welcome catch adding to his impressive tally of species across salt and freshwater.
Ray were the main target and several small eyed ray were tempted at this first mark of the day.
Jack hooked a very good fish that put a healthy bend in his rod before severing the 60lb b.s hook length after a ten minute tussle in a strong tide.
As the tide eased towards low water. Steve up anchored and steamed further west to a renowned area for ray.
I decided to drop down my down-tider for the first time having concentrated on Up-tiding for the first couple of hours. A mackerel head and flappers was devoured within a few moments of it hitting the seabed. A large huss of just over 10lb appeared on the murky water surface and I was pleased when it slid safely into the net. They have an annoying habit of spitting out the bait on the surface.
A steady succession of hounds and ray were brought to the boat. Steve kept us fully hydrated with tea and coffee throughout. Friendly banter flowed and the sun shone down.
As the tide flooded we made a couple more moves to new areas based upon Steve’s extensive knowledge of this spectacular stretch of Somerset coastline.
Our last mark was close to where we had started and after a quiet start gave a frantic last hour with several small-eyed nudging double figures and a stunning thornback to Peter Robinson.
I lost a good fish that slipped the hook just a few yards from the boat. A good smoothound or a big bass? I will never know.
After close to nine hours at sea Steve called last orders and we steamed back to Minehead. The sun was sinking in the west as we washed down the boat. It had been a great day typical of a day out of Minehead its murky waters home to an array of ray and other species. All within a very short steam of the port.
Steve and his family have three charter boats and Speed-bait operating out of Minehead. Check links below:-
https://www.charterboats-uk.co.uk/osprey-minehead/
https://www.teddieboycharters.co.uk
Last year was one of the post succesful competitions so far with large numbrers of fish brought to the scales. See link below :-
1st Andrew Clements Wrasse 4lb 4 1/2oz 95.138%
2nd Stephen Found Wrasse 4lb 2 1/4oz 92.013%
3rd Andrew Clements Wrasse 3lb 9 3/4oz 80.207%
4th Paul Ackland Dog 2lb 4oz 75%
Close to a dozen Combe Martin SAC members arrived at Ilfracombe Pier to fish in the club’s latest pop-up fun and species fishing event. They were greeted by a cool and uninviting North East breeze that surprisingly failed to dent the enthusiastic vibe of those taking part.
Ilfracombe Aquarium had expressed an interest in species acquisition and had given me a short list of desirables for their tanks. After the first half an hour things were going slowly and when Dan from the aquarium appeared with a bucket I was disappointed that we had nothing to offer other than a small ballan wrasse that they have an abundance of anyway.
As the tide dropped and the wind eased a few fish started to show with plenty of small wrasse. This was very much an LRF type event though there were no purists using lures only.
Several members embarked upon exploring the rockpools around the pier whilst Ross Stanway headed for a rocky shoreline and reports came back of a large ballan wrasse he had hooked but lost on lure fishing tactics. Daniel Welch added a rare montagus blenny to his species tally that puts him equal second to Ross Stanway on the leader board for the year so far with 23 species. Toby Basset is top with 27 species.
Nick joined me for a chat on the top of the old pier and was rather perplexed when he realised I was actually fishing in the tiny rock pool he was standing beside. I had already extracted a tiny blenny from the pool and was hoping for one of these rare montagus but with a size 14 hook I was probably fishing far too heavy as size 20 hooks are more appropriate.
The cool breeze eased off and the sun broke through from time to time. As low water approached the water getting got increasingly murky and fish became harder to find. I caught two small pollock on ragworm which were welcomed by the aquarium.
The monthly raffle was drawn out and number 18 young Lenny Lake was the winner, adding to his prize for the longest fish caught during April. The competition for May is once again the best picture. many thanks to High Street Tackle for their kind sponsorship.
The next pop up fish will be on Thursday evening in June as we have decided to alternate between Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings.
Combe Martin SAC members ventured to Portishead Marina in search of the large mullet that reside within the sheltered waters. The day commenced with heavy rain falling and a bitterly cold North wind that ensured that breakfast the first item on the days agenda.
Fortified with full English and hot coffees members explored the confines of the marina. The mullet proved elusive with John Shapland securing the only fish of the day a superb specimen of 4lb 2oz.
