Nick Job fished a well known North Devon rock mark to land this fine spotted ray. Its weight is unknown as Nick had no scales with him. Thge ray was tempted using sandeel on a pulley rig.
South Molton Angling Club – Adventures at the waters edge
South Molton Angling Club hold bank clearing sessions generally focussed early in the fishing season. I arrived at the River Bray an hour before the working party were due to meet and wandered down below the bridge with a rod to flick a heavy nymph and a spider pattern into a couple of deeper runs. It’s always interesting to take note of the signs at the water’s edge telling of previous visitors. I noted the likely prints of an otter and a Heron that had enjoyed an early morning fishing session before my arrival.
They would undoubtedly have been far better fishers than I as I smiled at my early season incompetence when I snagged my fly in the river bottom and gave it a tug. The fly came loose and was catapulted into the tree branch above, I then managed to knock my cap off into the river giving it a drenching.
As I walked back to the car and the work party I glimpsed a big brown trout in a deep pool and marked its location down for another day.
I met up with fellow club members and we headed off upriver where we carried out some minor pruning to improve casting access. We also removed several large trees from favoured fishing pools dragging them to the bankside where we hoped they would prevent further bank erosion.
We all headed off to our homes and families after a good mornings work beside the river as signs of spring were bursting forth all round.
Details of South Molton & District Angling Club can be found below :-
https://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/category/club-page/
SMAC had a good day on Charter boat Susie B out of Lyme Regis the fishing was slow at times but we had some good fish
Pollack to 7lb and huss to 12lb, mackerel, plaice, cuckoo wrasse, pouting, poor cod, conger and dogfish.
Shawn, our skipper was very helpful with advice, good gear, tackle, bait, tea and even filleted our fish for us. The consensus was we’d go again.
Lower Slade Lake Record
Nick Galley fished Lower Slade Reservoir and tempted a new personal best landing a fine mirror carp scaling 31lb 2oz. The fish is I believe a new lake record improving on its weight when last captured at just over 29lb.
Shore Specimen tope and ray
Shore caught specimen fish have been scarce for the past couple of months. Combe Martin SAC member Jamie Steward made the effort to get out and registered a fine tope of 36lb 10oz and small eyed ray of 12lb 13oz. Jamie has been busy raising funds for the Ilfracombe RNLI and has orgnanised two superb raffles for North Devon’s anglers. The second raffle for sea anglers will be announced shortly. The first sold out raffle raised over £250.
Most of our friends and family are aware that Jamie almost lost his life recently (15/10/2022) to the sea whilst out fishing.
If not for the efforts of RNLI Ilfracombe and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter Jamie would not be here today.
We can not express how thankful we are, and to show our gratitude we will be raising funds for RNLI Ilfracombe by participating in The Lake District 100km Ulitmate challenge on the 10th and 11th June 2023.
We will be walking 100km continuously.
In order to raise as much as possible towards alongside of our challenge we will be doing some fishing related raffles.
The RNLI risk their lives to save ours, please help us raise some money to support them too.
For those not wishing to participate in the raffles but who would like to sponsor us, our just giving page has been added to this fb page.
All proceeds from all raffles will be going to our RNLI just giving page and proof of this will be provided when the money is transferred.
Thank you again RNLI Ilfracombe from the bottom of my heart for saving Jamie, because of you, my children still have their Father, I still have my husband, his brother still has his brother and his parents still have their son
Appledore Shipbuilders – Boat Competition – bull huss dominate
Three boats fished Appledore Shipbuilders the First boat Competition of the year.
Thomas Atkinson was victorious with a fine Bull Huss of 14lb 7ozs.
Second Place went to David Atkinson with another big Huss of 14lb 2ozs.
Michael Hammett secured third with another Specimen Huss of 13lb 2ozs.
Newbridge Spring Newsletter – April 2023
Newbridge Spring Newsletter – April 2023
The season opened with a flourish but after two days of catching many well repaired kelts we agreed a cessation to give these precious fish a chance to get away to sea. The river has been in spate for nearly six weeks since and any fresh arrivals are well upriver by now. It is good for the fish to get up to safety but not so good if you’re hoping to catch one on the club water. The rain should back off now and the beat would be expected to fish well for a while.
Our working parties have been busy creating a new shelter and it is now ready for use. We do intend to tidy up the muddy floor but hopefully we have a place to sit, eat, chat and enjoy company as the river slides by. There was a lot of history attached to the old club hut and maybe now we can create new history of our own! We intend to have a club meeting there later in the year to celebrate the revival of such an asset and will post it when the time comes. Meanwhile work continues and the next step is to create a crossing for the stream and to strim a route up through the woods to give access to the dump car park. This will save having to go back out to the lane to access lower sections of the beat.
Member Nick Mcmurtrie has graciously been helping with refurbishment of the club cups and we now have more to offer at the AGM. We have a refurbished Mullet cup and a Bass cup to offer as well as the salmon and sea trout cups so sea fish, any method, are welcome on your catch return this year. We also are looking at the course cups ‘ found’ and trying to identify them for use. We now have a “junior best fish” cup too and would encourage any one with a young angler in the family, or knows of a keen youngster ,to engage with the club as they are our future and would be more than welcome.
I’ve had an Email from P.C. Lucy Robinson who is a local police officer, wild life trained and involved in stopping rural crime including poaching and antisocial behaviour. She has supported us in various issues in the past and has asked that we call in untoward activity on the river. It’s really good to have such support locally. Also continue to report to the E.A. incident line when you feel it’s appropriate, Particularly regarding poaching and pollution. Please reference the club if you do. They don’t always respond but it is all logged and the more we call it in the more chance of action. We have been told the E.A. are recruiting more Bailiffs which is good news
Hopefully the summer newsletter will have interim catch reports so we wish you a good season.
Tight lines
Don Hearn
A Spring Trout at Wistlandpound
A short session at Wistlandpound brought reward in the shape of a fin perfect brown trout. A bitter cold Easterly wind was blowing down the lake as I enjoyed a short morning session. The sunshine occasionally broke through a grey sky illuminating the lush green growth of early spring. Sand martins swooped low over the water and I thought of the epic journey they had just made from Africa. What a chill welcome they were getting as our spring stutters towards the warmth of late spring and summer.
I did my normal routine walk around the reservoir casting into familiar spots that had proved successful over the years. I chose to use three flies, a black lure on the point with a black pennel and black spider on two droppers. There were no fish rising and very little sign of insect life. After numerous casts I changed the point fly for a beaded PTN and adopted a very slow retrieve.
After a further searching the line momentarily tightened giving that encouraging injection of hope. A few casts later the line zipped properly tight and the rod absorbed the plunges of a hard fighting brown. I admired its spotted flanks and delighted in its return to the cold spring waters.
TROUT IN PARADISE
Bruce Elston and his friend enjoyed a great day on Anglers Paradise’s Catch and release trout lake.
Stafford Moor – Voted one of the best !
Stafford Moor fishery has recently been voted one of the best carp fishing venues in the UK coming sixth in Angling Times recent poll
Dan Gunn and his friend Adrian fished on the double swim 1 up on lodge lake they banked 7 fish up to 26lb. The guys were using Krill 20mm boilies glugged & Mainline Hybrid wafters.
( Below) Scott Allan who fished from swim 2 on lodge lake and had 11 fish out up to 27lb , all fish were caught on Mainline cell boilies.
STAFFORD MOOR – STUNNING MATCH WEIGHTS
Some stunning match weights at Stafford Moor where Lee Werrett won the latest match with 288lb 10oz. Runner up was Ben Evendon with 201lb 2oz and third Pete Horton with 179lb 2oz.