19 Feb 2023

Bideford Angling Club – Presentation Night

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Bideford and District Angling Clubs annual presentation night was held at the Conservative Club where members enjoyed an evening filled with good humoured banter and a celebration of a succesful years angling.
A big well done to all the winners of 2022 who have all been recognised and celebrated at the clubs annual presentation night.  Guests Wayne Thomas, Simon McCarthy, and Chris Connaughton for presented the trophies and awards.

Club man of the year was Nathan Clements who does a sterling job running the clubs shore fishing section.

COARSE FISHING AWARD WINNERS

Monthly Competition Champion : Nathan Underwood

Runner-up Craig Lamey

Third Keith Mountjoy

Midweek Series: Winner Nathan Underwood Runner up Martin Turner

Best bag in competition Richard Jefferies

Pairs winners Nathan Underwood and Darren Polden Junior series winner Imogen Babb Runner up Hope Polden.

SEA ANGLING AWARDS

Valentine bowl – most points in the Monthly Rover.

Andrew Clements  54 points

Keira short trophy – most points in 48 hour rover.

Julien Stainer + Andrew Clements  13 points

Stephanie Vanstone  – Best specimen caught from the shore.

Stephen Found thick-lipped mullet 7lb 175% 5th August

Jason Talbot memorial plate – Best specimen ray caught from the shore.

Antony Smith Thornback Ray 12lb 8 138.888% 2nd October

Snake Plate – best specimen Conger caught from the shore.

Richard Jefferies Conger eel 22lb 8 112.5% 21st August

Best round fish from the shore

Stephen Found thick-lipped mullet 7lb 175% 5th August

Best specimen flat fish caught from the shore ( no ray)

Stephen Found Flounder  1lb 11 ¼  86.156%

Best specimen shark from the shore.

Andrew Clements Bull Huss  15lb 11 ¼ 157.041% 29th March

Winner of end of season competition

Stephen Found spur 14lb 1 ½ 140.937%  29th January 2023

Big Mike Memorial vase

Nathan Clements bass 4lb 27th August

GAMES FISHING SECTION – Competition League

1st- John McCulham 34pts

2nd- Dan Lock 32pts

16 Feb 2023

South Molton and District Angling Club AGM

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I joined fifteen members of South Molton and District Angling Club at the Coaching Inn South Molton for their AGM. As always the event ran smoothly thanks to the sterling work undertaken by the club’s officers. Club Chairman Eddie Rands and Secretary/Treasurer Roger Bray gave their reports to the membership reflecting upon a year plagued by low water levels. The environment and river health were top of the agenda throughout with grave concerns regarding pollution from agriculture and South West Waters numerous sewage treatment works.

South Molton Club is a small friendly club that welcomes new members at a very reasonable cost offering superb wild brown trout fishing on five miles of the river Bray. The club also organise forays to the coast with both boat and shore fishing events.

https://www.southmoltonanglingclub.co.uk

(Below) The cup winners for 2022.
From left to right
Richard Power 30lb tope, Wayne Thomas bass just under 10lb,Steve Bendle 5lb rainbow and Steve Edmonds 7lb pollack.

After the  meeting I was priveleged to deliver a talk on my fishing and the variuos paths it has taken me on.

15 Feb 2023

Spurdog Specimens

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Combe Martin SAC members Martin Huntingdon and Stef Jones enjoyed some exciting spurdog fishing on a Private boat off the North Devon Coast. The best at 16lb 8oz fell to Stef with Martins best scaling 15lb 8oz.

Stefan also enjoyed some excellant pollock sport off Beer aboard Orca Charters boating a pollock of 9lb 2oz.

10 Feb 2023

Rare Bluemouth Caught by Combe Martin SAC member

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Combe Martin SAC member Shaun Quartly fished a beach in Somerset targetting ray and was surpised when he reeled in a small red coloured fish that swallowed the hooks down deep. The fish is believed to be a bluemouth a rare visitor to English waters. The fish weighed 6oz and is the first one ever recorded by a club member.

Shaun also landed a spotted ray and a dogfish.

10 Feb 2023

ESTUARY BASS

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Lee Mutter fished the Taw estuary offering worm baits purchased at Quay Sports. He was delighted to catch and return a fine bass of close to 6lb.

Bass are present in the estuary throughout the season but are strictly catch and release until March 1st when two bass per day can be retained.

6 Feb 2023

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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Calmer conditions have resulted in a down turn in sea angling sport with specimen fish hard to find over the past week. Despite this some good fish were recorded by anglers fishing the first week of February a time of year when catches traditionally start to decline. The seasons and the migration of fish in our waters is without doubt under going change with reports of mackerel from Ilfracombe in the past week and the presence of grey mullet throughout the calendar year.

Appledore Shipbuilders

Thirteen Anglers fished the February rover today. It made a change to have nice weather for the rover after the last few competitions.
Although there was an easterly wind!
Kevin Pike was victorious with a fabulous Bull Huss of 11lb 7ozs. James Atkinson was second catching a fine Small Eyed Ray of 7lb 5 1/2ozs and 3rd was Chris Boon with a big Dogfish of 2lb 11 1/2ozs.

Bideford Angling Club  -February Rover Results 

1st Antony Smith Bull Huss 7lb 9oz 75.625%

2nd Andrew Clements Dog 2lb 3oz 72.916%

Combe Martin Sea Angling Club – Winter Rover 2 Results

Club seceretary Nick Phillips won with a specimen whiting scaling 1lb 10oz. Runner up was Wayne Thomas with dogfish of 2lb 8oz.

Whiting, dogfish, spotted ray and conger were also caught by members who fished marks across North Devon.

5 Feb 2023

South Coast foray with wrasse

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Combe Martin SAC member Ollie Passmore enjoyed a foray to South Devon with his fiancé in search of ballan wrasse. They enjoyed some great sport landing numerous beautiful wrasse with personal bests for both Ollie and Natasha. Ollie’s best wrasse scaling 4lb 4oz and Natasha’s 3lb 1oz. Ollie told me that with sport slow on the North Coast a trip down South seemed a good plan.

Specimen ballan wrasse have become increasingly rare on the North Devon coast in recent years which is a mystery as they are not targeted extensively by commercial fishing. Large wrasse are caught from time to time and a concerted effort could well produce some good specimens. Large wrasse are frequently tempted from South coast marks using lure fishing tactics a technique that has not caught on in North Devon even during the summer months when there is good water clarity.