Keen alround angler John Shapland fished Anglers Paradise with his good friend Dan Spearman targetting catfish and carp from the day ticket catfish lake they enjoyed success using large boilies with John landing a carp and a personal best catfish of 19lb 5oz.
Anglers Paradise has the largest density of catfish in North Devon with fish to over 70lb. These fish give a very strong fight and will feed until cooler weather descends as autumn approaches.
John Forster enjoyed a session on Gregorys Lake at the Clawford Fisheries, the session was by kind permission of the Lakes owner John Ray. The lake is normally residents only and is well stocked with bream, tench and rudd. John landed a fine brace of bream totaling 11lb 11oz and several quality tench along with numerous golden rudd.
Johns tactics were to fish 2 lines. With Andy Seerys micros dampened down with Corn over the top of Groundbait with corn over the top Depth 4ft, fished slightly over-depth with 0.5 float 0.15 main0.13 bottom 16 B911 hook
There are plenty of opportunities for day ticket anglers at Clawford that boasts over a dozen lakes totalling 40 acres nestled in a tranquil valley estate covering 78 acres. www.clawford.co.uk
See link to my visit to the fishery last year.
Neil Edworthy with his children Taylor and Charlie-Marie who had 14 Fish out in 20 hours on the dam wall on Beatties using mainline cell boilie’s.
Barrie Christian and friend Dave James fished Stafford Moor’s Lodge lake landing several fine carp up to 22lb 15oz using CC Moore live system boilie’s .
Alexander McDonald ( Below) who had 8 fish up to 23lb 10oz in a 24hour session from Beatties lake using DNA Baits .
Sunday September 4th
1.00pm until 4.00pm
Special Guests: –
Libby Ross – IFCA
Safe Fishing – With the coastguard
Fun Fishing Competition
Sponsored by
When the weather permits private boat anglers are enjoying some fine sport off the North Devon Coast with tope the main target species. Recent rough weather has clouded the water encouraging some species to feed hard with lower light levels. Stefan Jones headed to a mark off Woolacombe in his Private boat and enjoyed a great days sport landing nine small eyed ray between 5lb and 7lb plus smoothound and bull huss. The successful bait was Ammo sandeel wrapped in squid.
August is often a poor month for trout fishing with high water temperatures making the trout reluctant to feed. Excessive weed growth also impacts on many of the regions smaller still-water’s resulting in temporary closure. Blakewell Fishery is presently closed for maintenance and is due to reopen in early September as is Exe Valley near Dulverton. I will post here when both of these excellent fisheries reopen and may well pay a visit to them both myself. It is unfortunate that these conditions coincide with the busy time for tourism as fishery’s stand to lose income as a result of closure. Perhaps it would make sense to have a short close season each summer to allow for weed clearance with the fisheries reopening in early September as temperatures drop and the trout resume their feeding in earnest. Trout anglers would return to the lakes full of enthusiasm after the short break. Keen Fly Fishers can always find sport in the estuary along the coastline targetting bass and grey mullet. On the rivers they can target salmon and sea trout when conditions allow. There are also many miles of river to explore with a light weight fly rod, wild brown trout are beautiful fish that give great sport in beautiful surroundings.
Extracts from South West Lakes Trust Latest news update.
General:
The warm, dry weather continued throughout most of the month with a few very hot sunny days. Water levels are dropping and water temperatures rising (to over 20 ºc), resulting in many of the fish moving out to sheltered, cooler deeper water.
Fishing:
Wimbleball – Boat fishing over the open, deeper, cooler water, particularly nearer the dam, has proved to be the most productive, particularly on the drift, while bank anglers have struggled to locate feeding fish. Weekly rod averages varied between 1 and 2.5 fish per rod. Evenings have been the best time to fish on or near the surface when dry Daddies, Claret
Hoppers, Bobs Bits and Ant patterns have caught fish. Nymphs (Diawl Bachs, Buzzers, Hares Ears and Pheasant Tails) fished on the washing line method, while Orange Blobs and
Boobies on sinking lines have caught the deeper fish. The best fish of the month was a 4lb 3oz Rainbow caught by Mr Ormston, while Paul Grisley caught a full bag of fish up to 3lb. Water level is 67% full.
Roadford – Roadford exploded into life at the end of July and has fished brilliantly all month. Regulars Duncan Kier and Andy Birkett have both had red letter days fishing by boat over the ‘boils’ (aeration pipes near the tower). Duncan managed 56 Brownies in one day up to 3lb 4oz with Andy catching 30 fish the following day up to 3lb. Duncan has returned to take 9 fish followed by a further 32 fish in separate sessions. Successful flies have been a Squinky, Muddler and Leach on the drift over the boils. Boats and engines are available on 01409 211507.
Ollie Passmore – bass 7lb 1oz
Ollie Passmore enjoyed a session on Ilfracombe Pier landing a fine bass of 7lb 1oz that was carefully returned to the water after a quick photo. The fish was tempted using a large mackerel bait. The water clarity is reduced along the coast now and as a result bait anglers are enjoying improved sport with mackerel squid or crab baits best.
When the water clears lure anglers will start to catch again. I visited High Street tackle recently and was impressed with their wide selection of bass lures both soft and hard plastics from top brands.
Melbury Reservoir is situated between Bideford and Bradworthy and contains some fine carp along with a good head of other coarse species. During the late eighties and early nineties it produced several specimen perch over four pounds along with eels close to 5lb and brown trout of over 5lb.
Rich Shaw paid a recent visit to Melbury Reservoir with a relative on a visit from Norway.This his account of the successful session.
“Weather was rather wet but the general fishing was exceptional plenty of good Roach,
Skimmers and Bream on the float and feeder. I managed the one carp that’s
weight certainly didn’t do justice to its frame, a touch over 19llb and
lovely condition a credit to any fishery. A lot of bait manipulating went
on between downpours but this one tripped up on two 10mm Crave Squabs and a
Bloodworm and Maggot crush.
Tony Welch enjoyed a cracking session at Upper Tamar recently with his friend catching a dozen fish between them to 18lbs in just 14 hours fishing. 9 commons and three mirrors made up the bag all falling to Mainline baits over Essential Cell hook baits.
