Combe Martin SAC Member Jack Phillips boated this fine thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 15oz whilst fishing from the families moored boat. The fish was tempted using good old bread flake.
Fifty pound plus shore tope
Tarrant Wotton fished a North Devon Rock mark to tempt a fine tope of 52lb 11oz. The huge fish was landed with assistance from his good friend Julian Stainer as a heavy swell made conditions difficult. The tope was returned alive after carefully weighing and photographing.
“No words can say when I pulled this bootiful girl out the water, had some epic battles in my time but the swell made her a nightmare to land but quick photos and weighing with me old mate Julien Stainer made it a pleasure to watch her swim off”
12lb Pollock off Combe Martin
Will West caught this superb 12lb pollock whilst fishing the coast off Combe Martin
Its looking like a good bass season
It’s been a good season for bass fishing so far with both bait and lure anglers enjoying success. There have been good numbest of quality fish too with plenty of fish in four to six pound range. As the summer moves towards autumn bigger bass normally show with double figure fish expected. Big mackerel baits anchored out in the surf are often successful.
Kody Chugg enjoyed success with bass tempting three bass over 4lb the best 6lb 4oz during the past week. All taken on large fresh mackerel baits. . He also tempted a small eyed ray off k]just under 8lb from an up channel mark.
Dan Welch enjoyed an action packed lure fishing session in rough water conditions bringing nine fish up to 55cm ( Approx 5lb) to the shore.
Bass on the lure
With a boat trip off Ilfracombe cancelled due to a brisk wind I decided upon a short session with the lure rod in the hope of a bass. I timed my arrival at the mark two hours after low water as the flooding tide pushed over the shallow boulder strewn shoreline. The shallow water was a little murky with more suspended weed than I would like but if the lure can be presented I felt sure bass would be there. I had a Megabass spindle worm clipped the end of my line from the previous trip in similar conditions. This lure is weedless and can be fished nice and slowly in the snaggiest of water without fear of losing tackle.
I started searching the water close in where weed was not so prevalent and after a couple of casts there was a swirl and knock as a bass snatched at the lure. The next ten minutes were non eventful as I peached the mark carefully. A cast to an area of slightly clearer water brought a big swirl and an all too brief encounter.
My confidence was now high and as the tide pushed in my confidence grew. I followed the edge of the tide up and was rewarded as a bass hit the lure with thump. Line was ripped from the reel and the thin braid burnt my finger as I applied heavy pressure as the fish thrashed about in the weed. After a spirited tussle the bass was secured and at around 5lb despatched to take home for tea. I only take the occasional fish for the table returning any fish over 7lb and any under 4lb. Pan fried bass fillets are delicious!
I continued to search the shallow water and enjoyed another spited tussle with another bass of identical size that was slipped back into the shallow water. The fish swam strongly away and I hope to encounter the fish again in ten years time when it will perhaps be a double.
Stunning Images of Summer Sea Angling
Combe Martin SAC member Dan Welch has been enjoying some superb fishing from both the boat and shore. Early morning images, bass, mackerel are all the essence of summer sport on our beautiful and rugged coastline. Many thanks to Dan for letting me publish his stunning images.
“loads of mackerel tonight haven’t had mackerel like that for 10-20 years” Dan told me
Hard Fighting Grey Mullet
Mullet enthusiast John Shapland tempted this fine thick lipped grey mullet on his latest trip to a North Devon estuary mark. The fish came close to emptying Johns reel of line!
https://www.facebook.com/The-Braunton-Bait-Box-563693007044873
REEL DEAL – Shark
Dan Hawkins continues to put anglers amongst the bigger predators on his boat Reel Deal, The latest trip in choppy conditions saw four shark brought to the boat including both blue shark and porbeagles.
Brace of big mullet secure victory in Bideford Rover
Bidefords 24 hour results
Andrew Clements landed superb brace of mullet to secure victory in Bideford & District Angling Clubs 24 hour rover.
1st Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 2.25oz 128.516%
2nd Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 0.5oz 127.344%
3rd Nathan Clements – smooth hound 9lb 13 98.125%
CMSAC – Where have the mullet gone?
During the writing of my book “ I Caught A Glimpse” recorded the memories of several anglers and one particular place that had a big impact on many anglers lives was the bend at Bishops Tawton. I wrote a piece on this a while back ; https://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/2016/08/27/the-bend/
I returned to this location once again with members of the Combe Martin SAC in search of thin lipped grey mullet. On this very pleasant and sunny summers day it was good to cast a line once again into familiar waters. This was the one of the clubs first events since lockdown and only a handful of us were present.
Strangely the entire estuary from Rock Park up past Bishops Tawton seemed devoid of mullet with not a swirl or glimpse to be seen. A couple of small bass succumbed to our baited spinners and solitary flounder. Plenty of mullet had been caught from the estuary back in June but they have disappeared since. Where have they gone? There is no legal netting in the estuary so I can only assume they have migrated elsewhere.
On the big bend I was intrigued to find an angler in a bivvy. It turned out to be an angler who has been fishing the river for several years trying to unlock its secrets and see if those ancestors of those big roach still dwell.
Walking the riverside patch beside Venn Stream to the river there is a sense of timelessness with the gurgling waters and the resting tombstones in the churchyard.