Summers coming with mackerel and tope coming to Ilfracombe Charter boats.
(Below) Tope caught on Reel Deal
TIME TO BOOK A BOAT OUT OFF ILFRACOMBE!
LYNMOUTH OPEN COMPETITION – First weekend report
Combe Martin SAC’s Open Fishing competition got underway on Saturday and concludes next Saturday night with a presentation at Lynmouth Maritime Regatta. The top cash prize is for the best mixed brace.
Rob Scoines got his campaign off to a good start landing a rockling of 1lb 10oz. Rob also caught a small smoothound.
Matt Jeffery has registered a dogfish of 2lb 7oz.
Both anglers will be trying to add their second fish and with a week of fishing left there is plenty of time.
Big Mackerel!
Joe Toop landed this super specimen mackerel of 1lb 13oz during a recent session at a North Devon Rock mark.
OPEN FISHING COMPETITION – BEST MIXED SPECIMEN BRACE
Big Smoothound and bass catches
Combe Martin SAC member Chay Boggis caught a fine specimen smoothound 0f 15lb 11oz whilst fishing a local rock mark.
(Below)Andrew McKenna followed up success with a gilt head bream with this lure caught bass of 6lb 2oz.
Bideford and Appledore Shipbuilders Rover Results
Small eyed ray have dominated results across this weekends angling competitions with ray taken from both North Devon and Somerset Marks.
Bideford Angling Club Rover Results
1st Jon Stevens small eyed ray 8lb 14oz 98.611%
2nd Tarrant Wotton small eyed ray 8lb 13oz 97.916%
3rd Rob Harris small eyed ray 8lb 11 1/2oz 96.875%
Joint 4th Tarrent + Rob Small eyed ray 8lb 10oz 95.833%
6th Jon Stevens small eyed ray 8lb 5oz 92.708 %
Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover
1st – Josh Atkinson – small eyed ray 10lb 35/8oz
2nd – James Atkinson – small eyed ray – 9lb 153/4oz
3rd – Josh Atkinson -small eyed ray -9lb 41/8oz
Thick and thin lip success for John Shapland
John Shapland is a dedicated mullet angler and spends many hours pursuing both thin and thick lipped grey mullet. His latest session proved very rewarding with John banking a brace of thin lips using ragworm baited spinners both specimens scaling 4lb 8oz and 4lb. later in the day John swapped tactics to tempt a 3lb 7oz thick lip on bread flake.
Ray abundant in Putsborough Open Match
Forty-Nine anglers descended upon Putsborough Beach for Combe Martin SAC’s popular annual Open Match. Conditions were close to perfect with an offshore breeze and a moderate swell pushing onto the beach. As the anglers arrived families were vacating the beach and were intrigued at the number of anglers arriving and asked what we expected to catch. I feel sure that most who visit the beach have no idea what lurks within a hundred yards of the dry sand.
The club had made the popular decision to amend the dogfish specimen size for the competition raising it from 3lb to 3lb 8oz. As it turned out dogfish were scarce on the night with just a handful recorded. The desired small eyed ray turned up in really good numbers with over thirty registered and returned. There were also several bass caught to just under 5lb, smoothound to 7lb 12oz and a few small turbot.
Combe Martin SAC give a huge thank you to the generous sponsors Sakuma, High Street Tackle Ilfracombe and Chillcheater.
The club would also like to thank all the competitors who attended on the night and made the event a resounding success. The owners of Putsborough are thanked for allowing us to host this popular event and I remind anglers fishing the beach that it is a Private Car Park and should be treated with respect at all times giving consideration to those holidaying at the venue. As an organiser I have to admit to a degree of apprehension each year regarding the weather and the logistics. The count up is always a bit stressful with a deluge of fish and a keen-ness to get everything wrapped up correctly without keeping anglers too long; as many have travelled a good distance and want to get home to bed. Apologies from the club for a couple of minor errors, fortunately I think everyone who should have received a prize did and I am sure all will agree that the prize table was excellent with the top fifteen fish securing a prize pack of a considerable value.
Full Results :-
1st – Ian Laird – Small eyed ray – 8lb 8oz
2nd Dan Welch – Smoothound – 7lb 12oz
3rd -Louis Rooke – small eyed ray – 7lb 3oz
4th – Dan Welch- small eyed ray – 7lb 2oz
5th – Jonathon Stanway – small eyed ray – 7lb 1oz
6th – J. Mayhew – small eyed ray – 6lb 15oz
7th – Gary Andrews – small eyed ray – 6lb 14oz
8th – Ian Hooper – small eyed ray – 6lb 8oz
9th – Dan Welch – small eyed ray – 6lb 5oz
= Craig McCloughlin – small eyed ray – 6lb 5oz
10th – Craig McCloughlin – small eyed ray – 6lb 4oz
11th – Matt Jeffery – small eyed ray – 6lb 3oz
12th – Brian Retallick – bass – 4lb 14oz
13th – Dale Kiff – Small eyed ray – 6lb 1oz
The winner of the pool for the best brace was Dan Welch with a smoothound scaling 7lb 12oz and a small eyed ray of 7lb 2oz a total % of 148.906%
Taw Gilt head
Paul Hutchings sent me a report on a good day fishing from a boat in the lower estuary. They landed numerous school bass, a codling the highlight of the trip a gilt head bream caught by Andrew McKenna.
Taw Estuary Mullet
Jordan Choules banked this cracking mullet whilst fishing the Taw estuary having two others slip the hook close to the net. Thin lipped mullet are generally tempted using baited Mepps’ style spinners with king rag segments or harbour ragworm.