Combe Martin SAC hosted an LRF float fishing social on Ilfracombe Pier where several species of fish were landed including black bream, wrasse, pollock, bass and garfish. 
(Above)Jake Moule fished Ilfracombe after dark to land a 10lb 12oz conger. Several spotted ray have been tempted from the pier on sandeel bait.
The building of Hinkley Point Power Station will undoubtedly have an adverse effect upon the Environment but as with all things there is a bigger picture and I am not qualified to know whether nuclear power is better overall than alternative sources of energy production. The financial cost is undoubtedly enormous. I read in The Times on Saturday how it is predicted that the cooling water intake could kill many thousands of fish each day potentially decimating fish stocks. This is obviously extremely worrying not only from an angling perspective but also from a conservation angle.
In addition to the many species of sea fish within the area there are also migratory fish that pass this point including threatened species including, salmon, shad, lamprey and eels. I am sure that measures can be put in place to minimise the impact on fish but it would seem that cost cutting could sacrifice these measures. The Short term savings could lead to the long term extinction of some species with irreparable damage to the marine eco-system.
Below are links to the EA consultation documents. I urge those who care to take a look and respond.
Tope and bass are providing sport of Ilfracombe with Wild Frontier delivering for this angler.
“A beautiful Valley, a charming old Inn, and a rugged cove that can provide plenty of sport for the shore angler.” From Sea Fishing in Cornwall” By Hugh Stoker. Angling Times Publication 3’6. Published in1960.
Hugh Stoker was a Sea Angler who wrote several books and a series of guide books on fishing in the West Country. I have the editions relating to North Devon, South Devon and Cornwall and have over the years visited many of the marks mentioned. In some cases, the marks have changed whilst in other cases much seems to have remained the same.
We were due to head off Penzance in search of blue shark but the weather did not play ball and we were forced to seek alternative sport from the shore. We had planned to do a little shore fishing on the Thursday anyway with sharking planned for the Friday.
Lamorna Cove sounded an appealing place and a little research proved encouraging if one ignored the extensive rants about the car parking prices and the company that enforces the rules.
On the way we called into West Cornwall Tackle in Penzance where we were given plenty of useful advice on where we could use our ragworm and a few bits of tackle.
We were pleased to arrive after the three hour jaunt from North Devon and set off enthusiastically along the rugged coastal path, littered with granite boulders and perilous sheer drops to the sea below. After a ten minute walk we arrived at an impressive rock stack and set up our tackles.
I elected to float fish with king ragworm whilst James used soft plastics and Rob ragworm fished on jig heads. James was soon in action with a wrasse of a pound or more and Rob soon followed with a succession of wrasse. Eventually my float plunged beneath the surface and I was briefly connected to a powerful fish that dived for cover with the hook length parting, probably against a sharp granite boulder.
We spent the next couple of hours searching the rocky headland with numerous wrasse succumbing to our baits. Particularly Rob whose jig head tactics seemed to work well.
As evening approached and high water passed, we decided to head back to Penzance for food and to book into our hotel. As we descended into the cove the clear water erupted as sand eel’s scattered as they were pursued by launce and a large bass glimpsed by Rob.
We hurriedly assembled our lure rods commencing a search of the bay. My slim metal lure was soon seized and a hard fighting mackerel was swung onto the old granite quay. Over the next half an hour I added a couple more sizeable mackerel, a small bass and a few small pollock. Rob and James spotted several fish in the clear water at the base of the quay wall and enjoyed hectic sport with colourful wrasse.
The evening sun illuminated the honey coloured granite and the Atlantic gently caressed the rugged shoreline. Youngsters swam in calm waters of the cove. We didn’t catch anything big but that hour in Lamorna Cove will probably sit high on my list of memories of the year.
James drove the van up through the beautiful valley passing a charming old Inn where patrons were eating and drinking on this warm summer night. I really must visit more of Hugh Stokers old haunts.
1st Simon Maunder 49lb 12oz
2nd Nielsen Jeffery 42lb 1oz
3rd Pete Slade 39lb 5oz
4th Martin Turner 34lb 5oz
5th John Lacy 27lb 11oz
6th James Grogan 24lb 1oz
14 fished , Simon Maunder drew peg 2 on the point and fished a short pole shallow using dead reds he has fed groundbait corn and maggots to win today with a terrific weight of bream and roach. Neilsen Jeffery was drawn on the first bank on peg 12 he also fished shallow but on a whip for net of 200 plus roach and skimmers for second. Third place went to Pete Slade on peg 14 fishing full depth for 300 plus fish.
Julian Stainer took top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs twenty four hour rover with a specimen bull huss of 11lb. Antony Smith was runner up with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 15oz. Third was Graham Snow with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 81/2oz.
This weeks Angling Times has a excellent feature on Stafford Moor’s Lodge Lake well worth checking this out and keeping for reference.
(Above) Russell Bromley and dad who fished on swim 1 up on lodge lake and had 12 fish out between them up to 26lb 5oz all caught on C C Moore live system boilies most fish were caught in the open water.
(Above) Harry Burston & Aaron Merry who had 19 fish out between them in 24 hours on the inlet swim on Beatties lake up to 25lb. All fish were caught on Sticky Baits Krill boilies.
(Above) Stephan Knight who had 3 fish out up to 24lb 2oz from the summer hut swim on Beatties lake yesterday. All caught on Sticky Baits Krill and Sticky Baits pellets with Sticky Baits Salmon oil.
Find below excellent report as always from Martin Turner. Always a bit depressing to see that the summer evening league has come to an end, where is this summer going!!!!!
Final Evening Match Results @ Tarka Swims , George’s Lake.
1st David Bailey 21lb 15oz
2nd Martin Turner 10lb 7oz
3rd Richard Jefferies 7lb 8oz
4th Reg Sutton 7lb 4oz
5th Kevin Shears 5lb 11oz .
The final match in our 10 match evening series, was fished by 14 anglers. The winner on the night was David Bailey on peg P he has fished a great match on a straight lead with sweetcorn for a net of bream and one good carp. Second on the night and winner of the league was Martin Turner on peg H with a net of mainly roach on pole fished caster , Richard Jefferies arrived late to take his place on peg R and landed a good carp on shallow pole fished maggot, this ensured his 2nd place in the league. Reg landed 2 carp on peg B on pellets for 4th spot.
Aaron Bunning has had a cracking session on Upper Tamar lake near Bude. Aaron caught 7 carp in a 24 hour session with the best being a common of 28lb 8oz. Aaron also had a 21.14 Mirror and 3 other fish over 17lbs along with two at 14lbs. All fish fell to 20mm Scopex Squid cultured boilie hookbaits over a bed of 18mm freebies.
