Steve Dawe enjoyed a successful first boat trip of 2020 catching loads of Spurs to 15lb+, 4 Bull Huss, 3 Congers and a bonus 35lb Male Tope. Many thanks John Barbeary on Bluefin for some great skippering. Most of the fish were tempted ion fresh herring baits.
Sea anglers have been having a difficult time recently with specimen fish hard to find despite good conditions. There has been a good bit of variety however with bass, codling and ray amongst catches. One of Sea Anglings greatest attributes is undoubtedly the unknown highlighted by the 3lb 2.5oz ling caught by Jon Stevens in Bideford Angling Clubs Rover
1st Terry Dymond Flounder 1lb 10oz 1/4 82.031%
2nd Antony Smith Thornback Ray 6lb 9oz 72.916%
3rd Jon Stevens ling 3lb 2 1/2oz 70.138%
4th Nathan Clements Thornback Ray 5lb 15 1/2oz 66.319%
1st – Andrew Atkinson Flounder 2lb 5 1/2oz
2nd – Josh Atkinson Flounder 2lb 2 1/4oz
3rd – Graham Fisher Flounder 1lb 15 1/2oz
Spurdog to 18lb and double figure bull huss are featuring in catches off Ilfracombe with John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’ taking anglers to the proven marks.
Combe Martin SAC Boat Trip
Many thanks to Matt Jeffery for his report on CMSAC’s latest boat trip out of Minehead.
Osprey trip..30/12/19
Spirits were high as we pulled out of the harbour today with Steve Webber at the helm , all of us busily making our rigs and hoping to trick that big one into snaffling it up off the sea bed .
I for one was very pleased to be greeted by a calm morning as we pulled out of the harbour, and i wondered to myself was today the day ?.
with the usual teas and coffees made by young William Webber and also the cooking of bacon and sausages by Steve Webber it was a pleasent day
Unfortunately it wasnt to be today and it wasnt for the lack of trying either might i add ….
a few decent fish were caught through the masses of conger eels to 15lb…….
Louis Rooke managed a nice blonde
Peter Robinson had a spotted ray of 3lb 2oz
many thanks to Steve Webber for trying his best to get us on the fish ,and good on the club members for never giving up with those big cod baits ……
Combe Martin SAC members Jonathon Stanway and Ross Stanway got their New Year off to a great start catching a variety of fish from a North Devon Rock Mark. Ross’ landed smoothound of 8lb 6oz a catch that would have been considered a summer species a decade ago. This ponders the question is it an early hound or a late hound?
Calm weather has enabled John Barbeary to take anglers off Ilfracombe to enjoy some frantic sport with spurdog and bull huss. Each winter huge packs of spurdog prowl the Bristol Channel hunting for whiting, herring and sprats. The commercial ban on fishing for these members of the shark family has resulted in a population explosion that is generally welcomed by anglers who return the fish to the water.
Shore Fishing has been difficult along the North Devon Shoreline with those big fish hard to find. Fish those prime marks with big baits and heavy tackle and the results will eventually come its just a case of being in the right place at the right time.
Nathan Clements ended 2019 with this fine conger of 26lb 9.5oz tempted from a North Devon Rock Mark.
Stefan Jones caught this specimen bull Huss of 12lb 10oz whilst fishing a North Devon Rock Mark
Mark Jones secured first place in Combe Martin SAC’s Breath Of Fresh Air Winter Rover landing a specimen small eyed ray of 11lb 1oz.
Runner was Dan Miles Redmore with a spurdog of 8lb 8oz.
Wayne Thomas was third with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz and Dan Welch forth with a thornback ray of 6lb 15oz. Jack Phillips was fifth with dogfish of 1lb 12oz and Mark Jones 6th with a codling of 5lb 13oz.
The fourteen members fished marks covering a wide area from Somerset down to Bideford Bay. Fishing was generally hard going with dogfish and small conger prolific in some areas.
I fished a local mark and the highlight of the trip was a visit from a hungry shag that was so tame it took bits of bait straight from the hand. Whilst cormorants cause a great deal of damage inland and on rivers I delight in seeing them on the coast where they belong. Gannets were also swooping over the water indicating food fish potentially close to the surface.
Triple Hook Clubs Annual Christmas Turkey Competition was plagued by raging flood waters that made fishing conditions challenging. Despite this several good fish were brought to the scales by the thirty-seven competitors ensuring turkeys for the successful anglers. John Passmore won the competition with a flounder scaling 1lb 91/8oz. In runner up spot was Julian Stainer with a flounder of 1lb 81/32oz.Third was Junior angler Ian Cairns with a flounder of 1lb 71/4oz and in forth Antony Smith with flounder of 1lb 41/2oz. In fifth was Tarrant Wotton with a flattie of 1lb 43/4oz and in sixth Mark Beer with a flounder of 1lb 31/4oz.
Shore sport along the North Devon coast has been slower than expected with the water coloured following recent winter storms I expected to be swamped with pictures of specimen fish. CMSAC member Dan Spearman caught this blonde ray of 12lb 11oz. James Gubb Fradgley caught a pleasing whiting of 1lb 8oz. This weekend see CMSAC and Triple Hook Club holding competitions it will be interesting to see what is tempted.
Dan Spearman
The rough weather has encouraged a few ray to move close inshore with small eyed ray, spotted ray and blonde ray tempted.
