Sea Angling Results

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Smoothound took the top 3 places in Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover
Andrew Atkinson took the top 2 places with one of 12lb 3 3/4ozs and the next 11lb 9 3/4ozs. 3rd was Michael Hammett with his Smoothound weighing 11lb 4 1/2ozs.

Bideford Angling Club Monthly rover results 11 angler’s fished 

3 fish weighed

1st Antony Smith Smoothhound 10lb 11 1/2oz 107.187%

2nd Andrew Clements Small Eyed Ray 9lb 10oz 106.994%

3rd Jon Stevens Small Eyed Ray 8lb 12 1/2oz  97.569%

Kyle Bishop won Combe Martin Saa Angling Clubs fish of the the season for Spring with a fine bull huss of 13lb 9oz.

David Jenkins was runner up with a gilthead bream of 3lb 9oz.

Putsborough Open Competition –

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Combe Martin SAC host their annual Putsborough Open on Saturday, June 11th. The club would like to give a special thank you to the sponsors Sakuma Tackle, Quay Sports, High Street Tackle and Braunton Baits. Their generosity has ensured a superb prize table with prizes for the top 15 to register fish on the night. If less than 15 fish are registered prizes will be split accordingly. The club are hoping to see a great turn out for this event after a couple of strange years.

The event is a catch and release event with fish to be weighed witnessed and photographed before being returned to the water.

FISH

MIN SIZE

SPECIMEN lbs

Small-eyed ray

16”

10lb

Blonde ray

16”

12lb

Spotted ray

16”

4lb 8oz

Lesser-spotted dogfish

680g/1.5lb

3lb 8oz

Bull Huss

2266g/5lb

10lb

Bass

18”

8lb

Conger

2266g/5lb

20lb

Tope

20lb

30lb

Turbot

14”

5lb

Brill

14”

3lb

Plaice

11”

2lb

Mackerel

12”

1.5lb

Garfish

15”

1.25lb

Scad

10”

1.25lb

Whiting

11”

1.5lb

Smoothound (common/starry)

1360g/3lb

10lb

Coalfish

12”

3.5lb

Pouting

9”

1.5lb

Pollack

12”

5lb

Dab

9.5”

1lb

Flounder

11”

2lb

Sole

10”

2lb

Rockling, all species

8”

1.75lb

All rays minimum 16-inches across the wings. Mini species do not count. Some commonsense weights have been applied to species such as dogfish or conger.
In the unlikely event of any other species being caught CMSAC sizes apply. If need be, retain fish in water and seek a member of club. Wayne Thomas mobile 07818 631 811 for photos.

For the purpose of this competition two rods and four hooks may be used, with a pennell rig counting as two hooks. CMSAC size limits apply. Please leave a space of approximately 20 yards between yourself and the next angler, it’s a large beach. When you catch a fish, please have this witnessed by a member or steward, complete the capture form and bring the form back to the weigh in, this is a catch and release competition. Fish may be brought back to the weigh in, but only up to two fish per species.

Please respect the beach and do not leave litter, discard line or old tackle behind and do not start fires. The Clubs decision is final. All complaints must be in writing to organisers before the scales close.

The winner of the competition will receive £100 Cash and a choice from the prize table. Runner up will recieve £50 plus a prize from the prize table.

 

 

 

Mullet on the Fly -Trying …Very !

Over the past couple of years, I have been trying to catch grey mullet on the fly without success. On my latest excursion I joined fellow Combe Martin SAC member and mullet enthusiast John Shapland.

John took me to a mark in the Taw estuary where he has enjoyed some success recently using traditional mullet tactics. John had noted that the mullet were feasting on small sand shrimps and had corresponded with the fly fishing for mullet maestro Colin McCloud whose excellent book “Mullet On The Fly” has inspired many fluff chucker’s to target the wily mullet. With a bright blue sky and not a breath of wind it was a joy to be at the waters edge.

            John and I arrived just as the tide started to push. We set up our tackles and watched the water for signs of mullet. As the tide gained momentum swirls on the surface showed the presence of good sized fish. I put out a line with two shrimp imitations and allowed it to drift with the current giving the occasional twitch to impart life.

            The numbers of fish increased and my optimism grew as these fish were undoubtedly feeding. I missed a couple of pulls that raised expectation further. Suddenly the line zipped tight and I connected. The rod hooped over and I glimpsed a silver flank. Disappointingly  It was a bass of around 1lb that saved a blank and was added to later in the session with a second bass slightly smaller.

            The mullet were undoubtedly feeding on the sand shrimps and could be seen slurping them off the surface like nymphing trout. I feel I had a few near misses with the frustrating grey ghosts. I will be back again. It was good to fish with John as he fished traditional bread bait tactics and also blanked on the mullet. If I had fished alone with the fly I would probably have though I would catch if I had been using bait.

            Catching fish on the fly can be seen as an elitist tactic it can also be an extremely effective method in its own right adding another string to the angler’s repertoire.

Shallow water bass

It is always good when that first bass of the season hits the lure! I have not invested much time in lure fishing for bass so far this year as I have been focussing on other species. My first session after bass a couple of weeks ago was thwarted by dense weed that made fishing the shallow ground I enjoy fishing virtually impossible. The latest session saw clear water and a gentle wave hitting the shoreline. I love this visual fishing in very shallow boulder strewn water bringing a soft plastic through very shallow water. The bass will move in with water just covering their backs and when they hit the lure there is a flurry of spray as the fish fight hard on a tight line clearly visible as they struggle before being brought to the shoreline.


Combe Martin SAC – Presentation Night

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Combe Martin SAC held their presentation night at The White Lion Inn, Braunton on May 21st
 The event was enjoyed by those who attended with many tales swapped of fishing and beyond. Many thanks to the White Lion for the use of the function room and excellent buffet. The attendance of less than a dozen members was a  reflection on the changing habits of these days when social events are to some extent less popular than they once were. This is a trend repeated with attendance at presentation nights a fraction of past times.   The recent Wyvern region Presentation night at Exeter attracted half the numbers of previous years.
Combe Martin Sea Angling Club will focus on the future and look at how to reward anglers for the fish they catch in a way that fits the modern world. It is very apparent that trophies and no longer valued by many. I believe that many anglers consider a good image of the captor and fish to be  the best momento to keep the memory alive. As you will see from the below list some absolutely stunning fish landed during 2020/21. Congratulations to all.
The club are holding the popular Putsborough Open Match on June 11th.
Cod Trophy
Mark Jones cod 5lb 13oz S
Bass Trophy
Kevin Legge bass 10lb 12oz S
Mullet Cup
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 5lb 1oz 119.118 S
Conger Cup
David Brooke conger 26lb 10oz S
Flatfish Cup
David Jenkins Flounder 2lb 6oz
Shore Shield
Kyle Bishop spurdog 18lb 1oz 180.625 S
Medway Cup
Daniel Welch tope 70lb 175 B
Mark Jones porbeagle 310lb 177.142 B
Ray Shield
Mark Jones small eyed ray 13lb 15oz 139.375 S
Burgess Trophy
Solly Welch thick lipped grey mullet 3lb 9oz 83.824 S
Wrasse Trophy
Alex Mcleish ballan wrasse 6lb 2oz 136.111 S
Scouse Shield
Gilthead bream – gilt bream 3lb 1oz
D Kyte Award
Top six mullet –
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 3oz 98.529 S
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 3lb 13oz 89.706 S
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 5lb 1oz 119.118 S
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 94.11 S
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 3oz 98.529 S
Daniel Welch thick lipped grey mullet 3lb 13oz 89.706 S
589.698
Out Of Limits
Kyle Bishop skate 189lb Scotland Out Of limits
Merit Award – ? Kyle Bishop – Scottish Skate 189lb 179lb shore caught!
Plus welsh ray including – blonde ray – 16lb 6oz
Six fish Specimen total – Of 795%
Special mention for Daniel Welch 70lb tope, Mark Jones a bass on the lure each month of the year and a 310lb porbeagle, John Shapland 100 plus mullet in a season.
Top Six Shore
Kyle Bishop spurdog 18lb 1oz 180.625 S
conger 22lb 110 S
bull huss 12lb 10oz 126.125 S
tope 49lb 122.5 S
smoothound 13lb 8oz 135 S
blonde ray 14lb 9oz 121.354 S
795.604
Dan Spearman bull huss 11lb 7oz 114.375 S
spurdog 11lb 4oz 112.5 S
thornback ray 15lb 2oz 137.5 S
blonde ray 16lb 6oz 136.458 S
small eyed ray 11lb 4oz 112.5 S
smoothound 13lb 8oz 135 S
748.333
Jamie Steward bull huss 10lb 2oz 101.25 S
smoothound 13lb 2oz 131.25 S
blonde ray 13lb 9oz 113.921 S
gilthead bream 3lb 1oz 102.083 S
ballan wrasse 3lb 10oz 80.856 S
bass 7lb 12oz 96.975 S
610.852
Daniel Welch pollock 9lb 5oz 93.125
tope 70lb 175
smoothound 11lb 7oz 76.25
bass 9lb 4oz 115.625
460
Thornback Cup
Dan Spearman thornback ray 15lb 2oz 137.5 S
Club Records
Jamie Steward Skate 8lb 5oz S
Kyle Bishop spurdog 18lb 1oz 180.625 S
Dan Spearman thornback ray 15lb 2oz 137.5 S
Daniel Welch tope 70lb B
Mark Jones Porbeagle shark 310lb boat
Mark Jones small eyed ay 13lb 15oz
Mark Jones Sunfish 52lb Boat
FISH OF THE SEASON £25.00
Winter 20/21
Kyle Bishop spurdog 18lb 1oz 180.625 S
Spring
Dan Spearman thornback ray 15lb 2oz 137.5 S
Summer
Mark Jones porbeagle 310lb 177.142 B
Autumn
Kyle Bishop tope 49lb 122.5 S

It’s Bass on the Lure Season!

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Combe Martin SAC member Jack Philips got his lure fishing season underway with this 48cm bass that was tempted on a  5 ” Megabass spindle worm.

Conditions are good and the water is warming up so CMSAC members will start to register fish for their Summer long lure fishing competition sponsored by High Street Tackle.

The New Patchinko 125 Colours Are Arriving…..

After a very long wait the latest new Xorus colours are now available in the Patchinko 125 – we expect them to arrive here around 11th May…there is only a limited number available and they are available now to pre order…..

The stock pictures do not do proper justice to them in reality so I have taken this picture above using models we already have in the shop in the relevant colours, as follows from the top – Spring Minnow, French Wakasagi and Metal Ayu.