Summer boat sport is on the up Off Ilfracombe where Dan Welch and Ross Stanway enjoyed some superb fishing relishing the calm conditions with North Devons spectacular coastline as a backdrop. Many thanks to Dan for sharing these stunning images.
Tope are starting to show in increasing numbers offshore. To target these hard fighting fish book a trip aboard Reel Deal as Chidgy did recently when he boated this hard fighting tope.
Ali Laird landed this superb small eyed ray weighing 9lb 7oz on a recent trip over the border to Somerset.
Nick Phillips and I met with Dr Gill Ainsworth Social Scientist from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology CEH Edinburgh to represent Combe Martin Sea Angling Club in an hour long filmed interview that will form part of a film for the below project that gives Marine stakeholders an opportunity to voice their views on the Marine Environment and what matters to them and their communities.
Cultural values, experiences, identities and capabilities relating to marine ecosystem services
Project introduction: This Community Voice Method (CVM) project is being undertaken in collaboration between the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) as part of the Marine Ecosystems Research Programme (MERP). The project goal is to identify potential management measures for the North Devon Marine Pioneer area and views on the future of the marine environment in the Southwest. We aim to do this by gathering people’s views about the benefits, experiences and capabilities they gain from conducting different activities in the marine environment and how these might be affected by a range of possible future scenarios.
How the Community Voice Method works: This project aims to gather stakeholder views about potential marine management options and enable deliberation on those options. The method involves filming interviews in order to produce a documentary film to be shown during a stakeholder workshop later in the year. This will inform the design of marine management in the Southwest, and ensure different community voices are represented more effectively when policy options are being considered, alongside ecological and economic evidence.
The Marine Pioneer: The Marine Pioneer is an area of the Celtic Seas that joins the existing North Devon Biosphere along the coast and extends to approximately 20 nautical miles beyond Lundy. Defra chose the Marine Pioneer in 2016 as part of its 25 Year Environment Strategy to deliver growth in our natural environment and in the social and economic well-being of the North Devon area.
Who is being interviewed? We are approaching people for interview based on their knowledge or involvement in relevant marine industries or sea user groups as well as trying to ensure that we capture as full a range of views and values as possible. We are intentionally selecting people who we know are engaged in, care about, or are impacted by the marine management process, and who represent a range of views on and interests in marine resource use, management and conservation.
The films will be used later as a focus point at workshops where stakeholders have the opportunity to work together to find a way forward to ensure a marine environment that balances the needs for all involved.
There is every chance of a wide range of species off Ilfracombe with tope amongst the hardest fighting species likely to be caught.
Cameron Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly Rover with a specimen smoothound of 12lb 111/4oz. In runner up spot was David Langbridge with a fine gilthead bream of 4lb 2oz and in third was James Mayhew with a smoothound of 9lb 71/2oz.
Thin lipped grey mullet are providing exciting sport in both the Taw and Torridge estuaries where they are tempted with small spinners tipped with harbour ragworm. As in many methods used in angling I often wonder how the method was discovered. When I used to spin for salmon on the Lower Taw it was not unusual to get thin lipped grey mullet following the spinner to the bank veering away at the last moment. Perhaps anglers witnessed this behavior and added ragworm to the hooks in an attempt to provoke an attack from the mullet? Where did spinning for grey mullet originate? In the 1960 book “Sea Angling With the baited spoon” John P Garrad covers fishing with the baited spoon in great detail for flounder; he also mentions bass. If mullet were widely targetted with the baited spinner pre 1960 I suspect it would have seen a section dedicated to it within this tome. A quick glance through shows no mention of spinning for grey mullet. The latest book on fishing for grey mullet; “Fishing For Ghosts” covers the method spinning for grey mullet; other than this book literature on the method is scarce. I suspect that North Devon anglers were at the forefront of the development of this technique as I know Alan Paddon and Ray White successfully targetted the thin lips using these methods back in the 1970’s. If you know more feel free to share on NDAN facebook page.
Combe Martin SAC member Ian laird enjoyed recent success landing several thin lips to 3lb 3oz.
North Devon Tackle sell purpose made mullet spinners with small single hooks ready to use. Far simpler than modifying Mepps spinners.
The warm weather has seen sea anglers enjoying some fine sport from both beach and estuary with numerous specimen small eyed ray landed from marks in Somerset during daylight hours. In North Devon most ray are caught after dark as a result of water clarity. The waters East of Foreland Point are generally far more turbid encouraging fish to feed more readily in daylight.
The estuary is providing sport with bass and grey mullet. Recent years have seen gilthead bream caught on a regular basis a species that gives an awesome scrap when hooked on light tackle. Small crab and worm baits are favoured.
Dan Miles Redmore fished a Somerset beach to land four small eyed ray weighing 8lb,9lb 2oz,9lb 5oz 10lb 11oz( Pictured).
Cameron Atkinson landed a fine 4lb 5oz gilthead bream when he fished from a boat in the Taw and Torridge estuary.
Shore sport is starting to take off as summer sweeps in with the first really warm days of the year. Numerous smoothound have been caught from regular shore marks and from boats in Bideford Bay. Bideford Club members weighed some fine specimens into their 24 hour rover.
Bideford 24hr rover May results
1st Nathan clements bull Huss 11lb 15 3/4 119.844%
2nd taz wotton smoothound 11lb 8 115%
3rd Antony smith bull Huss 10lb 12 1/2 107.812%
Great fish tonight 5 fish all over 100%
(Above) Smoothound 13lbs 1/2 oz caught from a boat by Jack Pike.
(Above) Ross Stanway and Lee Holden enjoyed sport at Ilfracombe landing a brace of spotted ray each along with the inevitable dogfish.
The coming week should see mackerel shoals all along the coast with big tides and improved water clarity. Mullet will be present in harbours and from rock marks. Bass will also be well worth targetting with both lures and bait. There is the chance of gilthead bream in the estuary with crab and lugworm the favoured baits. After dark the beaches will produce ray and the rock marks bull huss.
Many thanks to Ian Laird for allowing to post his images of a night on the beach.
It will be no surprise if an early tope shows up, a whole mackerel presented on a wire trace could well bring a screaming reel!
Anglers fishing on Reel Deal off Ilfracombe have enjoyed some top rate pollock sport.
Combe Martin SAC member Guy Spriggs landed a fine smoothound of 11lb 4oz on his latest visit to the coast.
After hearing of a few bass in the lower estuary I had a short trip as the tide started to flood and caught a couple of small school bass on a surface lure. The wide expanse of the estuary was a sharp contrast to the intimacy of the river Torridge I fished the previous day.
There have a been a couple of salmon caught on the Torridge with fish from middle river beats. The river is now fining down after a small spate and there is every chance of a fish or two over the next few days.
