15 Mar 2017

Trout Fishing starts on local rivers

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March 15th sees the start of the trout fishing season on running water and we are fortunate to have miles of wild brown trout fishing here in North Devon. What these trout lack in size they make up for in their beauty and tenacity giving a spirited fight on light tackle. Perhaps the real joy of wild trout fishing is the being beside our rivers as spring unwinds all around with wild flowers and birdsong reverberating through the air.

I could not resist a few casts today and tempted a beautifully marked brown trout with a just a few flicks into the fast flowing river. A small gold headed nymph will generally work well at this time with sparsely tied spider patterns also productive.

14 Mar 2017

First Salmon of the season

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I can report that  Andy Nixon has landed the first reported salmon of the River Torridge season whilst fishing a lower River Beat controlled by the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash. The fresh run 8lb salmon was sea liced and is great news and will undoubtedly encourage more to venture forth and cast a line for one of angling greatest prizes.

I drove over both the Taw and Torridge yesterday and both rivers looked to be in perfect trim. Below is the Taw at Newbridge running a little high but as each day passes it will become easier to fish and those spring run fish will start to settle into their spring lies.

 

 

14 Mar 2017

Wistlandpound Opening 2017

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Wistlandpound Opens for fishing on March 15th after an initial stocking that was witnessed by Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club Secretary Steve Edmunds :-

Torre Trout put in the stocking yesterday. The initial stocking of 685 brown trout was as follows:

450 trout between 7″ and 10″
140 trout weighing 1lb,
80 weighing 1lb 8oz
15 weighing 2lb.

They put in 2000 last year and only a couple of hundred were shown on catch returns. Even allowing for a few anglers forgetting to put in returns and the cormorants having a few, we should have about 1600 from last year plus 685 this year so about 2300 stocked plus naturals. I also understand that S W Lakes intend putting some more in around June.

Wistlandpound Information – From SWLT

Two stocking of Brown trout. One stocking a few days before the season starts on 15th March and one in early May.
· Season is 15th March to 12th October in line with EA byelaws for brown trout fishing
· Less fish than last year but some larger size
· Majority of fish still 8-10 inch but a good number of fish at 1lb and 1.5lbs with a scattering of 2lb fish.
·  The fishery is only in its second season as a Brown trout fishery –the idea is to build stock levels the first couple of seasons and depending on progress and interest in the fishing we would then alter the stocking accordingly moving forwards with larger fish etc. This is still the plan local support is vital to achieve this and continue to move forwards sustainability.

Prices are the same as last season £15.50 for full day, £13.50 for concession day, £5 for children, £195 for season ticket, £160 for concession season.
· Boat price is £10 per day for members
· Volunteers and WFFC members, Dave Bocock and Steve Edmunds will help with permit checking, managing boat bookings and asking dog owners to comply with the regulations (dogs on leads and out of the water)
· New swims have been opened up and will be maintained by new SWLT warden Chris Eyles with assistance from volunteers Dave and Steve
· SWLT are keen for more volunteers to assist with bailiffing / practical sessions – please contact me: [email protected]
· Day Permit agents are the same as before (including Challacombe Post Office, Calvert Trust reception etc)

14 Mar 2017

Great Carp sport at Stafford Moor

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The mild conditions have really brought the carp on the feed at Stafford Moor where anglers are enjoying success on both Beatties and recently reopened Lodge Lake.

(Above)Jack Lord with his 25lb 3oz catch from Beatties lake on the inlet swim using Mainline Cell boilies.
(Above)Matt Luscombe  had a new personal best of 27lb 6oz from the dam wall on Beatties Lake Matt had 2 fish out in 24 hours using good old Mainline Cell boilies.

(Above)Simon Jones who comes fishing here with friend Jon Osman. They fished up on the dam wall on lodge lake at the weekend had 6 fish out up to 22lb using Mainline cell pop ups .

Natasha Harrison with her 11lb catch from the spit on lodge lake using sticky Baits Manila boilies. Natasha had blanked at other fisheries for the last 7 times she has gone fishing so was pleased to just catch even if it wasn’t the biggest she still caught !

Steve Pinn “The BIvvy Tramp” sent me this report from the recently reopened Lodge Lake.

“These are the best of last week’s catches on Lodge lake which has been closed for most of Jan and Feb for maintenance work. We were rewarded as the first on there for some time with 21 fish between myself and ‘The Captain’ Keith Maker. I think Keith had more fish but I was delighted to get a cracking fish for Lodge lake and a pb for that lake at 25Ib 14oz plus the beautiful ‘apple slice’ mirror at 17Ib 4oz – a perfect example of how size doesn’t matter when they are that attractive. I also caught the scaley fish during that wonderful purple dawn.  Bivvy Tramp.

12 Mar 2017

Spring mullet on the coast

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Several thick lipped grey mullet have been caught along the coast and have also been seen in local estuary’s. Combe Martin SAC member Graham Snow landed a fine specimen of 4lb 13.5 oz and I landed a hard fighting of fish of 3lb 4oz.

Grey mullet were once considered to be fish of the summer months but recent seasons have seen local anglers land mullet throughout the year.

12 Mar 2017

Bideford and District Coarse Section Monthly Competition Highampton Lake

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Bideford and District Coarse Section Monthly Competition Highampton Lake

Results

1st John Lovell 53lb 12oz

2nd Colin Gorman 21lb 3oz

3rd Martin Turner 18lb 4oz

4th John Lisle 16lb 2oz

Blustery conditions proved tricky John found some large carp willing to feed in the margins on double corn, Colin fished with prawn bait on a feeder.

 

12 Mar 2017

Triple Hook Enjoy Blakewell sport

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Dennis Toleman and John Vaughan are well pleased with their brace of Blakewell browns.

Triple Hook Club members enjoyed good sport at Blakewell landing both brown and rainbow trout. Dennis Toleman won the competition with a four fish bag totalling 10lb 4oz. Runner up was John Vaughan with four for 9lb 12oz. The biggest trout caught was a rainbow trout of 3lb 2oz to the rod of Bernie Scoines.

 

12 Mar 2017

Stunning Bratton Browns for Wistlandpound Club

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Danny Fords winning bag of four trout for 13lb 3oz

 

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club members enjoyed quality trout fishing at Bratton Water with some impressive bags of brown trout. Danny Ford won the D & D Cup competition with four trout for 13lb 3oz. Danny caught his fish using small buzzer patterns and spent time after bagging up sharing his knowledge with other club members.

(Below) Danny Ford with brown trout each weighing 4lb 1oz

Runner up in the competition was David Richards who landed  four trout topped by a fine specimen of 5lb 5oz that was winning the biggest trout of the day until David Eldred secured the biggest trout of the day prize with yet another stunning brown of 5lb 8oz. David Eldred secured third place with a four fish bag for 11lb 3oz and I took forth with an 11lb 2oz bag that included a fin perfect brown of 4lb 14oz.

[Above) David Richards with a beautiful 5lb 5oz brown trout
(Above) This 4lb 14oz brown trout is probably the best looking trout I have ever caught.

Fishing at Bratton Water was enhanced by the onset of spring with daffodils and primroses in full bloom and toads spawning in the lakes margins. Fishery owner Mike Williams spotted two house martins on the morning of the competition a sure sign that Spring has truly arrived.

 

 

10 Mar 2017

Trout-masters at Exe Valley

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Exe Valley Trout Fishery hosted their  Troutmasters fish off at the end of February. This year was a very hotly contested match with 63 fish weighing 233lb 6oz caught by a total field of 15 anglers. That’s a 3.9 rod average with an average weight of 3lb 7oz!

Nick Hart Reports:-

Well done to Devon based rod builder Alan Riddell who caught his limit with 2 hours to spare winning with a total of 6 fish for 24lb 12oz including a 2lb bonus. Meanwhile special mention has to go to the juniors James & Alfie. Both stuck it out but once again James took his 2nd junior win in a row and if he hadn’t lost 4 fish during the match including one that was a definite double he may have won the match! He did manage to beat his Dad with 4 fish for 14lb and also caught a tagged Trout so went home £10 richer.

Thanks to all who took part in such good spirit and well done to Keith Ratcliffe & Alan Jukes who both bagged potential monthly Troutmasters awards by both landing Trout of 8lb 8oz Good luck in the finals Alan & James!

Junior angler James Mockridge into an early first Trout

10 Mar 2017

Clawford Day ticket water springs to life

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Neilsen Jeffery and John Forster enjoyed an afternoon  session on Fletchers, one of the day ticket lakes right next to the car park at Clawford Fisheries. With warm sunshine raising the water temperature they landed plenty of carp to 10 lb and plenty of nice fat pasties, lovely days fishing.  Neilsen gave many thanks to fishery owners John Ray and Wanda Ray. http://www.clawford.co.uk/