The postman delivered the latest offering from the Little Egret Press a pleasing collection of writings by Christopher Yates. Whilst I have only just started reading Reel Time Volume Two I have no doubt that it will become one of my favourites as are all of Chris’s books. It is difficult to describe how Chris is able to convey the magic of angling so fluently. His writing is easy to read and has a delightful simplicity that manages to ooze tales from the water’s edge in an evocative flowing style that takes you there.
The book is illustrated with fine artwork by North Devon based David Blackaller and David Cowdry.
I was privileged to interview Chris several years ago for Angling Heritage and it was an enjoyable and enlightening experience that I treasure.
My own book “I Caught A Glimpse”. Was published by the Little Egret Press in 2019.
Back in March 4 Cadets from Great Torrington Detachment, Devon Army Cadet Force and 1 pupil from Marland Secondary School, Barnstaple took on the challenge to learn Fly Fishing for the Skills section of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Sgt Oscar Beer, L/Cpl George Batten, L/Cpl Koby Sheppard, Cdt Ted Symons and Miles Holland from Marland School.
During the course they learnt all the elements needed to become confident still water anglers such as types of lines, leaders, tippets, flies, role cast, false cast & retrieve.
The course also consisted of a day’s Fly Tying; this enabled the lads to tie a selection of flies for the 2 lake days of the course.
Special thanks to Paul Cozens at Simpson’s Valley Trout and Course fishery for his continued support on our first lake day 22/06/24, although we didn’t catch any trout the lads had a great day, it also proved how difficult trout can be some times (all good practice) but one of the lads did manage to catch and land a 7lb Pike on a small nymph pattern.
Special thanks also to Tom and Nigel at Bulldog Fisheries for their support on our second lake day 13/07/24 and providing a great end to the course.
Unfortunately, 2 of the lads couldn’t make the day due to other commitments but the 3 that attended had another great day and all caught hard fighting fish that were in superb condition, Nigel kindly rounded of the day for us with a detailed tour around the stock ponds giving the lads an insight into how a trout fishery is run.
2 of the lads were so impressed they said they will be returning with their parent for another session.
Special thanks also to Colonel Ashley Fulford for supporting me and providing first aid cover.
Last year I put an ask on Facebook to anyone that had fly tying materials or equipment that was surplus to requirements, the response was incredibly and although I thanked everyone personally at the time I just wanted to say thank you on here for your support, the materials, rods and reels have all been put to good use and helps use teach theseyoungsters at no cost.
Thanks to Geoff Mitchell, Claire Gilbert, Molly Vince and another gentleman that lives at Century Corner, sorry couldn’t remember your name, thank you all so much for you support.
All in all, a very successful coarse, thanks to everyone involved.
Ilfracombe harbour once again ready to depart for a day aboard John Barbeary’s boat ‘Blue Fin’ with members of South Molton and District Angling Club. It doesn’t really feel like a July morning with a cool North East breeze blowing into the harbour. The predominantly grey sky seemingly typical of the summer of 2024 so far.
The sea is not too rough however and the forecast gives the wind easing throughout the day and with good fishing enjoyed on another Ilfracombe Boat last week I am optimistic for the day ahead. We all climb from the harbour steps and greet John and his deckhand Ted. Club members today include Edward Rands, Dave Hathaway, Nick Stringer, Chris Allin, Steve Edmonds and myself.
South Molton Angling Club has been established for over fifty years and has several miles of trout fishing on local rivers. Its membership of around fifty are mostly game fishers with a segment of occasional sea anglers. The club has a healthy social side with trips most months of the year with trophies awarded to recognized members achievements. All in all a friendly easy going club without a serious competitive streak.
The prospect of a slightly turbulent sea raised a few concerns about the sea anglers curse of mal-de-mer that were to prove found less. All concerned members had taken Stugeron tablets as a precaution. Discussion around previous unpleasant trips were recounted with lessons such as abstaining from alcohol the previous night recalled from observations of past excursions.
The plan for the day was to stop off on route to catch bait and then drift a few reefs for bass or pollock before dropping anchor in the hope of tope.
The feathers went down a short distance from port and strings of writhing mackerel were swung on board. Ted the friendly crewman for the day worked hard assisting with unhooking. It was interesting to listen to Ted’s wisdom as he commented upon the effectiveness of different coloured mackerel feathers. A few days previous he had noted how white feathers had proved effective during one tide with blue and silver more effective on another. The mackerel preferences are undoubtedly influenced by many factors including what they are feeding on naturally perhaps combined with light levels, water clarity and tidal state.
It seemed that all our strings of lures were working as be drifted off Ilfracombe’s rocky foreshore. Strings of mackerel were swung on board. John commented that it was like the old days when mackerel were always abundant throughout the summer months. Mackerel numbers seem to vary each year and after several years of poor numbers the last two seasons have been encouraging. It has also been noticeable that mackerel have been present throughout the winter months along with garfish.
Having caught plenty of mackerel we steamed on down channel passing the cragged slate promontory of Morte Point and the treacherous Morte Stone. The promontory of Morte Point pushes out into the Bristol Channel the rock formation running down its spine resembling that of a huge dragon immortalised in grey stone. The resulting tidal race over the Morte reef is a renowned holding place for bass with huge shoals sometimes present harassing mackerel and whitebait as gannets plunge into the resulting melee.
We pushed on down across Woolacombe Bay and its sands of gold to Baggy Point its steep cliffs the haunts of climbers and seabirds. We drifted over a couple of reefs catching a handful of pollock and a few more mackerel. It was perhaps surprising that we did not catch more fish such as bass as the huge number of birds present was a sure indication of bait fish and predators. Fish were undoubtedly present with plenty showing on the boats sounder.
A 4lb pollock for Nick Stringer
This whole job of being a skipper can be very frustrating. Finding the fish is just one part of an incredibly complex puzzle. The experienced skipper will have developed a unique gift of being able to inspire anglers with tales of past successes and explaining the lack of success with a recipe book full of valid excuses. As the tide eased John put us on a mark slightly West of Baggy and dropped the anchor.
The rod tips soon rattled to the pull of dogfish. Ed Rands hooked several bull huss and a few small conger put a bend in members rods.
Ed Rands with a bull huss from a rough ground mark
As the tide eased further towards high water John took us out to deep water , tope were our intended quarry. Once again we settled at a new mark located from Johns extensive log book of carefully jotted coordinates.
Steve Edmonds hooked what was undoubtedly a good tope that bit through his heavy mono hook link after a few minutes.
Steve Edmonds battles a fish that later bit through his trace.
A few moments later it was my turn and a good fish took off taking line from the reel. The battle ebbed and flowed with the fish hanging deep beneath the boat after its initial powerful runs. I exerted pressure and brought the tope to the boat where it was skill-fully netted by John.
The fish was carefully weighed pulling the scales to a respectful 35lb. Five minutes or so later I hooked into another tope that was a few pounds lighter.
Throughout the time at this mark a steady stream of dogfish came to the boat along with a few small huss and strap conger.
As the tidal speed increased I hooked into another fish that powered away using the tide to its advantage. This was undoubtedly a good fish and started to move against the tide a sure indication that it was an above average specimen. Eventually pressure brought the fish within view a sleek tope that hung heavy in the tide causing several anxious moments as it rolled in the leader. Fortunately I had taken the precaution of using a heavy rubbing leader of 150lb b.s mono to protect the braid mainline.
Braid is beneficial in allowing the use of lighter leads and has no stretch ensuring excellent contact with the business end. It is also extremely strong in relation to its thin diameter. Its disadvantage is its poor abrasion resistance and fineness when sorting tangled lines.
The fish was eventually scooped into the net and brought on board where it thrashed wildly before being secured carefully to remove the hook. This fish proved to be the heaviest of the day scaling 41lb. The fish swam away strongly disappearing into the clear waters from whence it had come.
A 41lb tope
With the tide now at full strength mid tide we headed back inshore to drift a few more reefs. This proved unproductive and with the tide easing John headed back up channel and anchored at another deep water mark where tope were again the intended species. A couple of small conger, small huss and plenty of dogfish rattled the rod tips. Dave Hathaway hooked a very powerful fish that put a good bend in the rod ripping several yards of line from his reel. Sadly the fish bit through the heavy mono trace of 150lb b.s after a short battle leaving Dave to ponder on what could have been.
Ed Rands with a string of mackerel
By now it was time to head back and John agreed to stop off for a few fresh mackerel close to Ilfracombe. Fortunately the mackerel were still there and we all caught enough for a delicious evening snack when we got home. Is there a better fish fresh from the sea?
Reflecting upon the day I was obviously pleased to have boated three good tope and cannot help but ponder upon my luck. It is said that luck can be cultivated and there is some truth in this. I was fortunate to secure a prime position at the stern of the boat enabling a bit more freedom as to the weight selection. The anglers at the stern can use lighter weights and trot the bait out ensuring that the fish attracted by the baits scent intercept these baits first. I chose to use larger mackerel flappers that stopped the pesky dogfish devouring the bait before the tope found it. I also opted to use a heavy duty wire trace to ensure I did not get bitten off. There is some debate regarding the pro’s and cons of wire versus heavy mono. An option is perhaps to use circle hooks that tend to hook fish in the scissors of the jaw. Used in conjunction with heavy fluorocarbon they might be an option but for me its heavy duty wire until I am convinced otherwise.
Choice of tackle when boat fishing is very much a matter of personal preference. There is balance to found between using tackle strong enough to subdue most fish hooked in a reasonable time without detracting from the joy of bringing the fish to the boat.
Combe Martin SAC member Graham Snow has enjoyed success with thin lipped grey mullet tempting specimens of 4lb 15.5oz and 4lb 10.5oz on recent trips to the local estuaries.
July and August are generally difficult months for the Stillwater Trout angler so I did not have high expectations when I joined half a dozen members of Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club at Wimbleball Reservoir. It is however always a delight to get out on the water at Wimbleball with its tree shrouded banks, rolling pasture and abundant wildflowers.
The lake was mirror calm when we arrived at the boat pontoon with light white clouds drifting across the summer sky. My boat partner for the day was Andre Muxworthy a long time member of the club.
We set off from the pontoon at around 9:00am and headed for the deep water off the dam an area that tends to hold fish during the summer doldrums as the fish seek the deep cool water.
I set up a fast sinking Snowbee Spectre Fly Line and fished a yellow damsel on the point with bright blob on the dropper. Andre used similar tactics as we set about exploring the deep water.
After twenty minutes or so Andre was first to connect bringing a nice rainbow of around 4lb to the net. The occasional fish was rising but I felt that most fish were likely to be deep.
I cast out allowing the flies to sink for 30 seconds or so before commencing a pacy retrieve. The hardest part of any days trout fishing is getting that first take. It took another twenty minutes before the line zipped tight as a good sized rainbow smashed into the fly. After a good battle a 5lb rainbow was safely in the net.
This proved to be the smallest of the three rainbows I brought to the boat during the day. The biggest a fine fish of 5lb 15oz with another of 5lb 5oz. All fish fought hard with the best fish taking me well past the backing. I also got broken by one fish that hit the fly hard leaping out of the water several times after breaking free. Other members also lost fish despite using 8lb b.s tippets! Two other fish came off and I glimpsed one absolute beast of a fish following the fly to the side of the boat.
Andre caught consistently throughout the day boating four trout and losing a couple.
Andre brings another rainbow to the net.
As always the fishing time ended all too soon and we headed back to the boat launching area for the competition weigh in. The full result below.
An excellent days fishing not easy but it seldom is during the months of July and August when fishing early and late is probably the best bet. The quality of the fish is outstanding as my winning weight testified with three fish for 16lb 5oz.
Ross Stanway has established a healthy lead in Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing league being the first member to register the required five fish. His total length for five bass is 273cms the best three bass all 56cm.
Barnstaple Bait and Tackle Opens on Saturday July 13th ensuring that Barnstaple anglers continue to have a well stocked tackle shop to visit for all their needs. I called in to the shop prior to its opening and chatted with Chris who is full of enthusiasm for the new venture. The shop carries on the legacy of Quay Sports where Chris was the manager. A wide range of bait and tackle from well-known brands is stocked. The shop caters for Coarse, Carp, Sea and Fly Fishers. It is essential that anglers use all of our excellent local tackle shops that provide far more than just bait and tackle. Friendly advice, a social meeting hub and convenience add value not found on line.
Chris Connaughton
READY FOR YOU!!
So, after a lot of hard graft from friends and family, we are 99% kitted out, stocked up and ready for your presence at our grand opening on Saturday (13th)!!
You will find us at 6 Queen Street, EX32 8HJ. Currently, the large carpark nearby is closed but you will find a smaller one to the rear of the shop and another, Belle Meadow, just the other side of the bus station.
We should have a full compliment of baits for sea and freshwater, both frozen and live.
The regions rivers are still fairly low despite recent rain with small rises. Each rise brings the hope that a few salmon and sea trout will show but results are disappointing. To some extent of course catches are partially a result of reduced fishing effort and if anglers become disillusioned by a lack of fish and stop fishing then reports of fish dry up compounding the bleak picture.
Paul Carter tempted this superb looking wild brown trout from the River Taw. Paul was hoping for salmon following a small rise in the river following localised heavy rain. The numbers and size of brown trout in our rivers is a beacon of hope for the future showing that many of the problems regarding migratory species is related to survival at sea.
See below report from Don Hearn`
BARNSTAPLE AND DISTRICT ANGLING ASSOCIATION
NEWBRIDGE MID SEASON REPORT 5th July 2024
A difficult start again ,Too much water and now too little has resulted in just a few Salmon caught but more worrying ,hardly any sea trout. A few were caught on lures in March as expected , The Taw always seem to have a good early run of larger fish but It has been very quiet since..The Brown trout fishing is however thriving in lower waters and good fish up to and even over over 2lb have been reported .It seems more anglers are targeting the trout these days as the Salmon fishing becomes harder. It’s never easy anyway but the more you are there the luckier you get! At present the rain and tides have given the river a lift and it seem anything could happen on any visit. A 32” est. 13lb fish was taken by our Bailiff David Winter last week ,2 other smaller fish were caught earlier .and More are showing this week. A few sea trout have been caught and it is picking up but you have to lose your beauty sleep to find them. Interestingly, a few good size roach have been caught on a fly lately and it’s a reminder of the great roach fishing that used to exist on the Taw. The club has engaged again this year with the South West Rivers Trust regarding a Shad survey. This protected species has returned to the Taw after many years absence and has become an item of great interest. Any report of Shad either spawning, caught or found dead would be appreciated. Dead fish found should be retained if possible for collection (freezer) as the trust need evidence of spawning fish. This can add to the rivers status and it all helps in protecting our waterways, which do of course need all the help they can get these days.
Collection of Shad samples can be arrange by calling
Don Hearn on 07779619042
We were expecting support work , rock sacks etc, to be done to the banks alongside the railway swirlpool . This was supposed to start 16th June but apart from a few marking post nothing has happened. I will try and get some dates from the contractors and keep everyone posted as it may be a bit disruptive in that area for 2 weeks while the work progresses.
The club would like to thank you all for the continued support and hope a fish of a lifetime is waiting for you at Newbridge.
Don Hearn
Riverkeeper
Newbridge
I have made very few visits to the river so far this season and when I have visited I have been concerned at the lack of fish showing. The rocks within the river are very slippery and there is considerable sediment present which should clear to some extent when we get a big spate. The river is as always a pleasure to visit and you never know what success a visit will bring.
I was delighted to be invited to join a few friends on Dan Welch’s new boat Predator 2. Dan had spotted a window of opportunity with light winds forecast over the evening high water. Strong winds were forecast to sweep in overnight irradicating any boat fishing trips over the weekend.
Five of us climbed onto Predator 2 at 3.30pm. Skipper Dan Welch, Dave Welsh, Derek Stevens, Jonathon Stanway and myself.
The sea was calm and the water clear as we set out from Ilfracombe’s harbour. I relished the familiar scenery of North Devon’s rugged coast and landmarks. It is always refreshing to leave the hustle and bustle of the town to reach the tranquil detachment of the open sea.
We stopped for a drift off the tunnels outfalls catching a few mackerel for bait. We then steamed out to drift over a few reefs for bass. I stuck with the feathers and ensured that we had a full bucket of fresh bait for the main event.
Our intended target was tope over the high water slack. After several drifts without bass Dan suggested we head out and drop anchor. The tide would be running quite hard but would soon ease ensuring that we capitalised on the maximum time for tope action.
I always feel a sense of anticipation as the boat settles at anchor and the engine is cut. A peaceful silence descends, just the gentle slurp of water against the boats hull and the occasional cry of a seagull.
Several manx shearwaters were circling gracefully above the water. I was unsure if they were shearwaters but a quick google as I write this confirmed my identification. I was fascinated to learn that the manx shearwater are long lived birds sometimes living beyond fifty years of age. A fifty year old bird has it is estimated flown over 600,000 miles on migration throughout its life.
Looking up the Bristol Channel the dark towering cliffs of Great Hangman and Holdstone Down were capped with wisps of white mist. The sea was oily calm, thousands of jelly fish drifted past in the clear water. To the West weak sunshine struggled to break through a sky of grey.
I prepared a mackerel flapper and sent it into the depths with 1lb 8oz of lead to combat the strong tide. With all our baits in place we chatted of our appreciation of the evening and the prospects ahead. A couple of dogfish rattled the rod tips and were brought to the surface often just hanging onto the baits letting go at the side of the boat.
Dan was first to hook into a hard fighting tope bringing a fish of perhaps twenty five pounds to the boat after a good tussle in the strong tide.
Jonathon hooked a good fish that came off after a few seconds. I felt a sharp rap on my rod tip and paid out a couple of yards of line. I waited until the rod tip ripped over hard and tightened into a powerful fish that headed off down tide at a rate of knots ripping several yards of line from the reel. I leant back bending the rod, relishing the powerful force at the end of the line.
After the initial powerful runs the fish started to succumb to constant pressure and I pumped a heavy weight to the surface. From time to time there came heavy lunges and I was forced to give a little line. As the fish neared the boat we peered into the depths to catch a glimpse of the sleek shark like creature.
The tope was a good fish and caused a few anxious moments as it thrashed at the surface demolishing Dan’s tailor in the process. Plan B of a large landing net eventually secured the prize.
The fish was carefully weighed in Dan’s capacious weigh sling registering a weight of 36lb. After a quick photo the tope was returned and swam strongly away.
The next couple of hours saw tope caught by all on board most around 25lb. Several fish were also lost as hook holds gave way or in one case the braid was severed as the fish probably rolled in the line.
Jonathon Stanway holds a fine tope
Dave Welch with good tope
Derek Steven’s was thrilled to catch his first tope and told me that he has fished all over the world but still relishes the beauty of the North Devon coast that is undoubtedly his home territory.
Derek Stevens is delighted with his first tope
Weak sunshine broke through the grey sky illuminating the seascape. We chatted making plans for future fishing forays all keen to join with Dan on Predator 2. At present Dan is only doing a few trips for mates with a limited number of short range local charters. In the longer term Dan will expand his Chartering to compliment Ilfracombe’s fleet. Offering exciting options for both local and visiting anglers as Ilfracombe’s reputation as a recreational boat fishing destination grows.
Skipper of Predator 2 Dan Welch
As the tidal flow increased and holding bottom became difficult Dan suggested it was time to head back to port. The boat bounced over the calm water seagulls following in the slipstream as always keen to savour any discarded bait.
