South West Lakes Trust Coarse fisheries Jennetts Reservoir and Lower Tamar Lakes are both producing fine carp of over twenty pounds. Barry and Liam Lonsdale had a cracking session at Lower Tamar landing fourteen carp using sticky baits Manilla Boilies. Biggest was a 23lb 2oz common carp to Liam. Barry best was a stunning 21lb fully scaled mirror carp.
Chad Savage has been hauling the 20’s from Jennetts in the last couple of months. This 22lb 3oz common is one of fourteen different 20lb+ fish that he has banked in just eight short sessions.
The coming weekend sees South West Lakes Trust host a carp fishing pairs competition running from Friday to Sunday see home page events for full details.
After recent spates both the Taw and Torridge are fining down nicely and reports are trickling in of salmon. I fished a middle river beat on the Torridge and conditions were as close to perfect for salmon and sea trout as it would seem possible.I fished through the known lies with care, searching with the fly swimming across the current. The occasional trout hit the fly and gave a brief moment of excitement. It was good to be on the river immersed in the surroundings as birds swooped over the water and the occasional mayfly lifted into the warm evening. Despite this there was also frustration that despite ideal conditions success was elusive.
I was very pleased to hear today of a fresh run 12lb salmon to the rod of Russell Crisp on a middle Torridge beat. It is often the case that the salmon are more willing to take a fly as they settle into their lies and can be reluctant to take as they run the river. It is perhaps the unpredictability of the salmon that make them so alluring.
I hope to bring more news from the rivers in the coming days. The solitary nature of salmon fishing and private inclination of its participants sometimes means that news is not as forthcoming as in other branches of the sport. I would encourage game anglers to send me their catches and pictures I will not divulge location of capture unless encouraged to do so.
Kevin Shears secured victory in Bideford & District Angling Clubs mid week evening match at their home water Tarka Swims with a net of predominantly carp scaling 34lb 3oz. In runner up spot was John Lovell with 31lb 11oz and third Matt Cross with 7lb 13oz. In forth place was Martin Turner with 5lb 8oz.
It’s hard to believe that the longest day has passed us by already and the days are starting to recede in that ever revolving circle of time. I met South West Lakes Trust Ranger Danny Ford on June 20th at Wistlandpound just before 6.00pm with fours hours of fishing ahead of us, if only these summer days would last. I had fished earlier in the year when Wistlandpound had opened as brown trout fishery a new era in its development as North Devon’s largest trout water. Since those early season days a further stocking of brown trout have been introduced ensuring a healthy population of both stock fish and existing wild fish.
The evening was overcast with occasional glimpses of the sun and a light breeze. Ideal conditions I thought. We were using Wistlandpound Fly-fishing Clubs boat paired up with an electric outboard that gave us ease of maneuverability and was certainly easier than rowing. Danny suggested we try the deep water at the dam end of the lake as he had landed several trout from this location on his last visit a week before. A fast sink line, a black tadpole on the point of the leader and brightly coloured blob on the dropper was Dan’s suggestion. An erratic retrieve and the occasional pause allowing the fly to hang motionless in the water was the tactic to employ. Success came first to Danny, a handsomely marked brown of around 12oz. A few follows but no more hook ups called for a move and a change of tactics.
Putting the boat within casting range of the West bank we began a drift. With the occasional fish rising we both set up with floating lines. Danny using a dry fly whilst I opted for a bead headed pheasant tail on the point with a cormorant on the dropper. After a couple of drifts honors were even with trout falling to both dry fly and nymph.
I had heard that there were a few quality rudd being caught so I persuaded Danny to put us on a few rudd. Drifting close into the weedy margins soon brought success with these pretty golden flanked red finned coarse fish. The rudd proved a pleasing distraction for a short period with a double shot bringing a pleasing opportunity to capture the variance in the hues of these fish. There are those who curse the rudd that do not give a good account of themselves. But as they tend to congregate in certain areas it’s not too big an issue; though it is undoubtedly more difficult for the bank angler to avoid them.
After the rudd interlude we headed back out into deeper water and targeted the trout that were rising frequently. Danny and I both enjoyed success before the rise petered out. I picked up the sinking line once again and employed a fast retrieve with the occasional pause. This brought quick success in the shape of a brown of over 1lb. For the next twenty minutes or so we had several follows and a couple more stunningly marked browns.
As the battery was running low and the light fading we headed back to the dam end where I landed one more trout. The water surface became becalmed as dusk set in and what wind there was died away. The occasional trout punctuated the surface with a telling ripple. The sun sank behind the trees, the crimson sky reflecting through the trees onto the lake like a burning fire. Owls hooted in the trees and blackbirds cries echoed across the still water. It was time to go the longest day was as all days do ending.
We had ended the session with five browns each to around 1lb 8oz and five rudd each. The fishing is comparable to wild brown trout fishing savoured by many on upland tarns and lochs in the North of the country. Fascinated fishing in beautiful surroundings and at a very reasonable cost.
The latest result from Stafford Moor was reported to me by the enthusiastic owner Joanne Combes
Tanners and Woodpecker lakes had a field of 39 fishing in Stafford Moor’s Sunday Open on June 19th.
Weather conditions: rain all day!
1st Chris Davis Woodpecker peg 17 with 176lb 7oz( fishing 8mm into the bank)
2nd Ricky Johnston Tanners peg 36 with 131lb 2oz ( fishing 8mm on the lead)
3rd John Heath Woodpecker peg 34 with 86lb 15oz (fishing 8mm on the lead)
4th Mark Hayman Tanners peg 18 with 113lb 1oz (fishing 8mm pellet waggler)
5th Phil Hardwick Woodpecker peg with 86lb 2oz ( fishing down the edge)
6th Mike Kempson Tanners peg 1 with 100lb 5oz
Silvers winners:
Dave Panny Tanners peg 34 with 20lb 3oz
Bruce Hunt Woodpecker peg 16 with 28lb 9oz
Section winners :
Lee Hicking Woodpecker peg 3 with 69lb 7oz
Dave Stockton Woodpecker peg 22 with 82lb 11
John Traynor Tanners peg 3 with 97lb 5oz
Dave Vigus Tanners peg 20 with 59lb 13oz
Martin Turner earned victory in North Devon Match Groups Championship heat on Upper Tamar Lakes’s Cornish Bank compiling a fine net of fish scaling 34lb 6oz. Christoper Morris was runner up with 30lb 4oz and Wayne Michell third with 26lb 9oz. Competitors landed some quality perch and bream from this prolific water run by South West Lakes Trust.
Dan Hawkins Charter Boat Reel Deal arrived in Ilfracombe early this summer and after much effort made the headlines with the boating of a huge porbeagle estimated at 450lb. Since then the shark have proved elusive and a move to deeper water resulted in a blue shark estimated at 80lb being brought to the side of the boat.
Dan informed me that the general fishing has now improved with the arrival of mackerel in greater numbers. Fishing marks off the North Devon coast has resulted in turbot, gurnard, whiting, haddock, codling, tope, smoothound, huss and of course the ever plentiful dogfish.
After an exceptionally dry April and May local rivers have been at uncomfortably low levels with migratory fish reluctant or unable to progress upriver. As a result both salmon and sea trout fishing had virtually ground to a halt. The recent rainfall though often very localized brought a significant rise to the River Torridge that has brought several salmon into the system with salmon caught from beats throughout the river. Richard Jewell was among those successful landing a fresh run grilse with sea liced flanks. I fished a mid river Beat of the Torridge and whilst I failed to connect with a salmon I did catch a pleasing brown trout of almost around 1lb.
Taw regular Len Francis was one of the first to benefit from a slight rise in the Taw landing a salmon from a mid river beat. Heavy rain is falling as I type this so hopefully the rivers will rise further bringing a good run of fish over coming days.
Chrissy Waring and husband Geoff Waring 2 of the ‘Carp busters’ landed 50 fish up to 30lb 6oz in 48 hours ! They used the ever popular frozen mainline cell from the beach swim on Stafford Moor’s Beattie’s Lake. The cooler damp weather should ensure good sport over the coming days.