28 Dec 2018

Offshore sport with spurs and huss

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Cameron Atkinson, Thomas Atkinson, James Mayhew and David Atkinson Cracking enjoyed a splendid days boat fishing from a Private boat the boat  catching around 50 spurdog with the biggest weighing 15lb to Thomas.Camerons biggest went 14lb 12oz. They also had a few decent huss with the biggest weighing 13lb 8oz caught by  David Atkinson along with a few eels to around 20lb and a small eyed weighing 5lb 7oz, they also lost a few other decent fish either spitting the bait half way up or on the surface near the boat. The fish were tempted on a range of fish baits including, mackerel, squid and pouting.

28 Dec 2018

Anglers Earn their spurs

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Kyle Blackmore and Andrew Proudfoot headed out onto the North Devon shoreline and earned this brace of spurdog. Andrews scaled 11lb 2oz and Kyles 9lb 3oz the fish were tempted using triple sandeel baits. Spurdog can be tempted on a wide range of fish baits presented on a wire trace to combat their fierce dentistry. L:ook for deep water adjacent to a decent tide run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26 Dec 2018

Christmas day – Smoothound an Xmas Eve huss and a few thoughts.

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Kyle Blackmore took advantage of the quiet shores on Christmas Day to tempt this smoothound. Not a large specimen but a thought provoking fish at this time of year. Catching fish outside of their recognised seasons has always happened but my gut feeling is that it is happening far more these days. There are many factors that impact upon fish and fish migration  climate is just one of these and as anglers we play our game on natures chess board casting our lines into ever changing waters.

At Christmas and the New Year we often indulge in looking back and forth in time and social media has introduced an instant world that undoubtedly has its up and down sides. It is a fact that social media reflects good and bad in people so rather than condemn it as the new evil best to accept it as it is; taking the good with the bad as we always have in life.

On North Devon Angling News I try to report in a positive way to promote angling and the enjoyment of angling. I started the website back in 2016 when I saw that traditional papers were in decline ( The North Devon Journal stopped rewarding their angling columnist), I still write the column in the Journal because I want angling to have its place in North Devon News but feel that most people get their news on line these days. I hope readers enjoy what I try to do on this site and I welcome any features on local angling that you may be inspired to write. Please keep sending the news and images I do not reveal marks unless they are large easy access ones as I know this is a contentious area for sea anglers.

Fish conservation and habitat are all factors that impact upon anglers and I try to promote good practice within my pages on this site. In many instances anglers are at the forefront of conservation efforts espeicially on our rivers with grace concerns regarding salmon and sea trout stocks.

As I type this a latest report has just come in from Ian Laird ( Below) who landed this 9lb 8oz bull huss from a North Devon Rock Mark. One observation on recent months is that I am getting good numbers of qaulity pictures from anglers fishing the shore line during day light hours. I have fished plenty of after dark sessions to be plaged by small dogfish and strap eels.

If you would like to advertise/sponsor North Devon Angling News please get in touch. I try to give good value to all my sponsors. In the next few weeks my Intention is to add a few new features to the site giving more information on venues and whats on offer to anglers visiting North Devon.

 

 

 

25 Dec 2018

Exe Valley Offers Fine Festive sport

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Exe Valley Fishery is fishing well in this mild December weather with catch and release options ensuring anglers get the opportunity to enjoy superb value. Throughout the year the trout can be tempted using small immitative patterns the fact that the trout are sometimes slightly more discerning could well be because of tne catch and release policy. One of the joys of these small still waters is that they allow anglers of all ages to enjoy time beside the water as in the case of 81 year old Jim Hattin pictured further diown the page.

WINTER PERMIT OFFER – Buy 4 permits and have your 5th outing on Exe valley!

Don’t forget our Winter Permit Offer starts on the 27th December 2018

We are pleased to be able to announce a Winter Fishing Permit Offer *(subject to T&Cs) to those of you who would like to support the fishery when the fishing is great … but the weather isn’t the most pleasant!

From Thursday 27th December 2018 to Sunday 31st March 2019 inclusive BUY 4 PERMITS & GET THE 5th PERMIT – FREE!!! You are free to choose whatever 5th permit you like … the deal is you must visit and pay for 4 full price permits within the allotted time published above, that’s it!

* Terms & Conditions 1) Pre-paid gift voucher permits DO NOT qualify for this offer. 2) All permits MUST be completed in full to register as a visit. 3) Return slips MUST be completed at the end of each session to register as a visit. 4) A permit purchased and not matched to a return slip will not be counted. 5) ONE FREE PERMIT of the anglers choice (C&R, 2, 3, 4 or 5 fish) will be issued after 4 full price visits subject to the T&Cs 6) The FREE permit will be valid for one visit only which must be taken by 30th April 2019 7) This offer can be enjoyed more than once between 27/12/18 & 31/03/19 – e.g. Fish 8 times and receive 2 FREE PERMITS 8) The FREE permit is non-transferable and has no cash value.

(Above) Blair Woodlland with a cracker taken on Saturday 22nd, December . He and his 3 mates caught and returned 40 fish between them including several on dries!

 

 

(Right)Steve Edmonds took part in our Christmas prize draw and was first out of the hat, having fished with the South Molton club a couple of weeks ago. He went home with a hamper worth £50. Well done Steve, we hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Below)  Eighty-one year old Jim Hatim  was undergoing surgery just last week and yet a few days later he was enjoying the mild December weather and looking very pleased with these three prime rainbows.

 

 

 

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24 Dec 2018

Shore Fishing Opportunities for the festive angler

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The festive holiday will give many anglers the opportunity to visit the shoreline where there is a variety of species worth targeting. Bull huss,. spurdog and tope will be top of the wish list for many with codling also worth targeting epiecially up channel around Minehead and beyond. Harbours are well worth a try using light tackle tactics for grey mullet a species that are now present all year around.

(Above) Shuan Quartly landed this bull huss of 11lb 6oz on recent trip to a North Devon Rock Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) Mark Jones visited a beach in the Minehead area to land five codling to 4lb in a short session over low water.

(Above) John Shapland targetted grey mullet with success landing this sliver flanked specimen from a North Devon harbour.

 

(Above) James Grigg with an 11lb 1oz spurdog caught from a local rock mark on a whole whiting bait.

 

 

23 Dec 2018

Stafford Moor Christmas Match

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Stafford Moors Christmas Match on Tanners and Woodpecker lakestook place on a miserable grey day for anglers but not too bad for fishing I suspect. The winner of the Christmas Match 2018 was Mr Andy Dare who bagged himself 107lb 9oz from peg 1 on Tanners lake well done Andy! In second place was Mark Cullerton with 81lb 10oz from peg 20 on Woodpecker lake. In third place was Tom Downing peg 10 on Tanners with 99lb 5oz. In forth place was Nathan Underwood with 62lb 9oz from peg 16 on Woodpecker lake.