Dan Spearman enjoyed a successful session targeting thin-lipped grey mullet banking fish of 4lb 13oz, 4lb 2oz, 3lb 13oz and several other mullet of around 3lb. The session followed on from several blank sessions during the hot weather.
Bideford Angling Club – A warm Tribute to (Art) Arthur
Bideford Angling Club members are saddened at the death of Arthur Johns aged 71 who had been a keen member since joining as a junior in the early sixties. He was a keen sea angler and specialised in catching the wily grey mullet. He was the secretary of the North Devon Sea Angling League for over twenty years and I enjoyed my regular chats with him when collating reports for the NDJ.
Many thanks to Bideford Angling Clubs Pete Skinner who sent me this warm tribute to Arthur.
Arthur (Art) Johns 1949 – 2020 (71) Arthur first joined the club in the 1960s as a junior before joining the merchant navy, he rejoined in the mid 70s and has remained a member ever since. He was a hard worker for the club and held many posts in his time including junior cup organiser, Xmas comp and festival organiser, fish recorder and cup custodian, Chairman , president and Vice President the post he held when he passed away, he also worked hard for the club when we had our clubhouse behind the bar and various other jobs. He was secretary of the North Devon Sea Angling league for over 20 years, a job he was very proud of. Arthur was a keen sea angler, fishing a lot with his great friend Mike Squires, another Angling club stalwart who sadly passed away a short time ago, after which Arthur stopped fishing, he told me once that it wasn’t the same anymore, Arthur liked all types of fishing but he particularly enjoyed the intricacies if mullet fishing at which he excelled, winning many club competitions with specimens of the species. He was a great member of the club, with a keen interest in encouraging youngsters into our sport, he will be sorely missed.
Calm Evenings offer sublime boat fishing experience
Ross Stanway has enjoyed a sublime evening off the North Devons spectacular coastline landing pollock and wrasse on his latest sortie.
The 3lb 3oz Ballan wrasse picture was tempted using a black minnow lure bounced along the bottom and sets a new boat caught Ballan wrasse record for CMSAC
Inshore Boat Sport – Off Ilfracombe
Combe Martin SAC members Daniel Welch and Ross Stanway have enjoyed some great inshore boat sport from their Private Boats fishing out of Ilfracombe boating Pollock and smoothound.
Tope on the boat
Stef Jones enjoyed his first trip of the summer out in his Private Boat to land several smoothound and a fine tope of 41lb.
Dan enjoys thin lipped mullet action
Dan Spearman enjoyed an action packed session spinning for thin lipped grey mullet on a North Devon Estuary.
Ballans on the coast
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway caught this stunning wrasse of 3lb 7.5oz on a recent trip to a North Devon Rock Mark. Big wrasse have become harder to find in recent years. During the 1980’s wrasse of over 5lb were a regular feature in fishing competitions. It is unclear why the population of these beautifully marked fish have declined. They are caught in large numbers and shipped to Scotland for use in fish farms where they control the sea lice that infest the salmon but I am not aware of a large number being taken from the North Devon coast.
Thin Lips providing exciting Estuary sport
David Jenkins banked this thin lipped grey mullet of 3lb 12oz during a recent session on the Taw Estuary. Fellow Combe Martin SAC member Graham Snow banked a thin lip of 3lb 12.5oz.
Stunning Wrasse
Olie Passmore caught this beautifully patterned wrasse of 3lb 3oz from a North Devon Rock Mark. 
Sea Angling Round Up
North Devon’s anglers have been relishing the lifting of lockdown and heading to the water’s edge where social distancing is easy to undertake. Sea anglers have not found the fishing easy with high pressure and north east winds not generally conducive to good fishing. Most anglers have just been glad to once again smell the sea air and be there fishing. Smoothound have provided some exciting sport with Chay Boggis landing a specimen of 13lb 7oz and Kody Chugg a hound of 10lb 6oz.
David Jenkins and Charlie enjoyed a successful beach session landing ray, bass and smoothound.
Several bass have succumbed to lure fishing tactics on the coast and in the estuary.
Wrasse are a fish that always respond to clear water and several have been caught from the kelp strewn gullies of the open coast. Anglers fishing soft plastic lures slowly through rough ground can tempt wrasse a tactic that is often underused on the North Devon coast where bait fishing tactics have traditionally reigned supreme.
Grey mullet are showing from both coast and estuary providing exciting and challenging sport on light tackle.
