Liam Loveday tempted this stunning 13lb bass from a North Devon surf beach. The fish took a peeler crab bait presented on a 4/0 Chinu hook cast 30yards into the surf an hour before high water. The fish gave a strong account for close to ten minutes before being beached safely.The fish measured 87cm.
This is an encouraging catch from the surf early in the season.
Combe Martin SAC member David Brooke caught this 11lb 8oz specimen bull huss on a recent trip to the shoreline.
Combe Martin SAC Member Shane Hookway fished a North Devon Rock mark to tempt this smoothound of 9lb 7oz.
Combe Martin SAC members Ollie Passmore and Kody Chugg fished the Somerset coastline to tempt ray and smoothound. A smoothound scaling 13lb 5oz a new personal best for Ollie.
Many thanks to Kody Chugg and Ollie Passmore for sending me this account of their recent trip to Cornwall in search of wrasse.
Got up early hours of the morning, and set off down to Cornwall. Sun shining and a favoured wind in search of a big ballan wrasse. Several marks ventured, fishing crystal clear water. Lots of little taps with baits getting stripped by little wrasse. Last mark we went to we were fishing over low. Missing some really good runs from hook pulls. We both managed to catch a good few fish together.
Fish care with wrasse is vital. These are fragile fish that need to be taken care of, unhooking carefully and resting in pools. Wrasse definitely are in decline compared to years gone by, due to commercial fishing, and taken to Scottish salmon farms. Wrasse are so valuable for the seas Eco system and keeping reefs and corals etc healthy. Great fun fishing and each one being so different and remarkable colours. Crab and hermits doing the business. All on running ledger rigs with 1/0 circle hooks. All in all a great day fishing!
Footnote :- Reading Ollie and Kody’s article takes me back to a trip I enjoyed to the South Cornish coast almost forty years ago with Combe Martin SAC secretary Nick Phillips. A couple of days were spent exploring the rugged coastline where we landed several specimen wrasse the best If my memory serves me correct pulled the scales to 6lb 8oz a fish that is still my PB. Wrasse of over 5lb were comparatively common back then both in Cornwall and along the North Devon coast where I landed fish to 5lb 15oz. I mention this as it highlights how fishing for wrasse has declined over four decades.
The winner will receive a £25 bait voucher and a box of bakes from
Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop made the long trek to Scotland in search of the huge skate that reside in the deep waters. He enjoyed success from the rocky shoreline bring two huge specimens to the shore estimated at 189lb and 187lb.
Bideford May Rover Results
1st Nathan Clements Thin Lipped Mullet 5lb 1oz 126.562%
2nd Julien Stainer Dog Fish 2lb 6 1/2oz 80.208%
3rd Paul Downing Thornback Ray 5lb 11oz 63.194%
4th Dick Talbot Rockling 15oz 62.5%
Combe Martin SAC member Dan Spearman fished a Bristol Channel Shore mark (English side) to tempt this fine specimen blonde ray scaling 16lb 6oz.
Paul Grisley sent me this report on his trip to Somerset to fish on Charter Boat Lorna Doone.
Amazing day on Lorna Doone brilliant weather and company, low point 34 dogfish but 3 blondes 13.5 to 15lb,2spotty rays 1 just under and 1 just over 4lb,2 thornbacks 9 and 12.5lb,2 smothounds 9 and 12lb and a 9lb huss blown away Tommo is some skipper ! mostly on squid and mackerel but some crab cart and bluey thrown in for a change. even honours between up and down tide.
