Bideford Angling Club member Dick Talbot landed this fine rockling of 1lb 15.5oz during a recent visit to the rocky shoreline. The fish took a whole joey mackerel. This would be a great fish to catch during Bidefords Open Fishing Festival that started yesterday.
Daniel Welch and family headed out in their Private Boat to enjoy some sport afloat off Ilfracombe. Young Effie was delighted to boat fine tope. Bass, pollock and bull Huss also put in an appearance.
Mark Jones is leading Combe Martin SAC’s lure fishing competition sponsored by Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle with a bass of 64cm. This 60cm beauty is his most recent success for the lure fishing enthusiast who has registered several good fish into the competition. With just over a week of the competition remaining I feel other club members will be trying to oust mark from the top spot and win the top quality lure rod that is up for grabs.
ARTIFISHAL is a thought provoking film that everyone should see that has concern for the natural world.Be Informed :-
Open net fish farms threaten the survival of wild fish including Atlantic salmon, sea trout and Arctic char but governments are not doing enough to address the problems. Instead the industry is set to expand exponentially in the pristine fjords of Iceland and continues to grow at alarming rates around Norway, Scotland and Ireland – using massive open net pens that allow the free flow of disease and pollution into the surrounding environment where wild salmon are struggling to survive. In the last 40 years, the population of Atlantic Salmon has dropped from 10 million to 3 million and if we fail to protect their habitat they could soon become an endangered species.
The film will be introduced by Wayne Thomas and screening will start at 7.45pm the film will be followed by an interactive discussion. Wayne will also give details of his new book on angling in North Devon with the opportunity to purchase signed copies.
Note 50% of profits will be donated to the River Torridge Fishery Association. Tickets £5.00 on the door.
My good friend John Avery caught this stunning bass of 7lb 12oz whilst fishing for thick lipped grey mullet using bread flake presented on a size 8 hook and quiver tip tactics.
I often consider the options for fishing for bass using smaller baits and tactics. Whilst the larger baits work well there are occasions when a more subtle approach can work even for big fish. It is not unusual to catch bass on bread-flake but It is not a first choice bait. Float fishing with live prawn can be very successful and would imagine sea slaters could work. Taming a bass on 8lb b.s line and light float rod is not too difficult and is certainly exciting.
This happy lady tamed this 30lb tope whilst fishing off Ilfracombe on John Barberay’s boat Bluefin.
Lee Dalling fished an Ilfracombe mark and landed this fine 5lb 2oz bass first cast using a pulley rig with a side of bluey.
Rob Scoines had a weekend to remember landing two personal best fish whilst fishing in the clubs pairs match with only one fish counting per angler his second fish did not count in the competition but a thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb 7oz did and combined with my meagre dogfish of 1lb 13oz won us the pairs competition. Rob also secured the individual best fish prize with the mullet.
(Below) Mark Jones landed a fine brace of fish including a smoothound of 9lb 2oz and a thornback of 10lb 6oz.
(Below) David Jenkins enjoyed sport in the estuary landing a brace of bass scaling 3lb 5oz and 3lb 2oz.
( Below) Ali Laird and his brother Ian Laird enjoyed a good session outside of the club match landing bull huss, conger, a codling and a bass. Best fish of the session was a bull huss scaling 10lb 1oz to the rod of Ali Laird.
