Thirteen members of Combe Martin Sea Angling Club set forth to fish as an icy cold North Easterly Wind lashed the coast. Fishing was hard going for most but Colin Emery and Liam Stevens consulted Google Maps to find a sheltered mark where they found some sport. Colin secured the top three spots with a specimen bull huss scaling 10lb 12oz and a plump dogfish of 3lb 2oz and a conger of 17lb 4oz.
Members of Combe Martin SAC had a trip on Steve Webber’s Osprey off Minehead and found some quality fish topped by cod of 18lb 4oz to the rod of Matt Jeffery and 15lb 3oz to Rob Scoines.
In addition to the cod Jonathon Stanway landed a boat club record haddock of 2lb 7oz and several ray were also landed including double figure blondes to John Shapland and Chris Bond.
My friend Danny Ford dropped a me a Facebook message to say he was visiting Bratton Water; would I like to join him. Whilst I had not got time to fish I had got time to pop down for a chat and a catch up. On arrival the lake was mirror calm with the trees and reeds casting reflections across the still-water that was punctuated by the pleasing rings of feeding trout.
Danny was casting a line from the Dam and fishing a team of small buzzers very slowly watching the tip of the line intently for any movement that could indicate the deception of a wily trout. Danny pulled a fine prize from his trout bag a stunning brown trout of around 6lb. Its flanks were decorated in crimson spots. its tail was full, a perfect brown trout that would please any angler.
We chatted about fish, waters and prospects for the coming year. I told Danny I wanted some action shots and for a while he struggled to get a take. This is so often the way with trout in small still waters, Danny had caught three trout within his first hour and had taken a short rest to find that the fish had stopped feeding. Eventually after half an hour of varied retrieves the line drew tight and Danny played a beautifully marked brown trout to the net.
Danny undoubtedly went on to catch his final fish of a five fish limit bag. We talked briefly of flies and concluded that one of the most important aspects of fly is that the angler has confidence in it. Danny carries a small selection of flies on most outings and has total confidence that he can catch on all but the hardest days.
Holsworthy Sea Anglers had a great day out with John Barbeary on Bluefin off Ilfracombe. They started off with the obligatory lesser spotted dogfish with plenty of them showing their faces throughout the day, a quick move and Andrew Braunton and Tom Marshall started to find the spurdog and a lonely smoothound for Paul Cozens. Another move further out and bingo plenty of spurdogs from high singles to mid doubles along with bullhuss for a bit of variety and also a solitary tope which released itself at the surface. Steve did manage a conger at the end for a 6 species total.
Many thanks to Paul Cozens for the write up and images. Great to sea smiling faces out at sea!
Stuart Hutchings and his dad Brian fished the dam on Lodge lake Stuart was fishing with essential cell crushed in a PVA mesh bag. a 22mm boilies with goo squirted in the centre also using CC Moore northern special as hook bait. Brian was fishing with Sticky Baits Manilla boilies and Manilla 12mm pop ups , they had 12 fish out up to 19lb 14oz in a day session.
Clawford Christmas match saw anglers greeted by the hardest frost of the year so far, “bloody freezing”. Still 34 anglers had a days fishing as surprisingly there was only a bit of light ice at the ends of the lake.
Always gong to be a testing match but well done to Martin Turner who managed the top weight from peg 23 on JRs 34lb 6oz. second was Nick Jones with 24.15 from peg 9 on Fletcher’s and third was Thomas Downing with 21lb 4oz from peg 4 on Chris Boulton picked up the silver fish pool.
Nielsen Jeffery who organized the match would like everyone who turned up and supported the day, and thanks to all for great company.
Thank you to John, Wanda Ray and Michelle Jeffery for their hospitality and help with the breakfasts.
Combe Martin SAC – Chay Boggis landed a fine spurdog on a recent shore fishing session weighing 10lb.
Shore fishing is proving sporadic with a few good fish being caught amongst a lot of small fish. Triple Hook Club members fished their Hangover Rover Mixed brace match and failed to find a brace of fish worthy of the scales. Club member Steve Luxton fished over the Christmas period and hooked a conger of 17lb.
The estuary flounder fishing seems to have slowed up though there should still be every chance of big flattie; it could well be worth trying the lower estuary at Crow Point.
Up Channel anglers are finding a few quality cod including this specimen of 12lb 11oz to the rod of CMSAC Club member Stuart Taylor.
Simpson’s Valley is a fishery nestled in a valley near Holsworthy and has several lakes catering for carp anglers and pike anglers. There are also Fly Fishing Lakes and LRF trout fishing options.
(Above) Gary Ireland landed this stunning big ghost common from Upper Fuzzy at a weight of 29lb 8oz.
A fine double figure pike caught by Andrew Braunton from Upper Fuzzy Lake.
Eighteen club members fished in Combe Martin SAC’s Christmas Rover and it was a grey mullet caught by Daniel Welch that took top spot.
A few years ago few would have considered fishing for grey mullet at the end of December but times are changing and five members targetted the species. Dan’s mullet of 3lb 7oz was the only one landed though despite several bites.
The local rock marks produced a variety of species including whiting, pollock, dogfish, huss and conger. Larger species were hard to find though and it was Rob Scoines who took runner up spot with a rockling of 1lb 6oz. In third was Dan Spearman with a bull huss of 7lb 10oz and in forth Rob Scoines with a bass of 3lb 15oz.
Mild winter weather is ideal for the winter carp anglers with every chance of the carp feeding at some point during the day.
TONY KINGDON Reports:-
Adam Seaward banked an absolute belter yesterday in the shape of Martin’s Mirror at 28.14 the fish are all well up in weight as this one is normally 26!!!!! Nice one mate on a cracking fish
