Bulldog Trout on a wet and windy morning

Local Fly Fisher and enthusiastic Fly Tyer  Eddie Tyas spoke with me recently to say how well Bulldog Trout Fishery was fishing with plenty of good quality hard fighting rainbows being caught. Always keen to wet a line I arranged to meet Eddie at the venue. Looking at the weather forecast I half expected a phone call suggesting  we call the trip off. Strong to gale force winds and heavy rain were on the way. On the optimistic side the worst of the weather wasn’t due until 11:00am.

As I pulled into car park at 9:00am large drops of rain were already dropping from a grey leaden sky  a gusty wind ruffling the water.

The water was slightly murky with the river swollen by heavy rain over previous days. After such a long dry summer the rain is of course to be welcomed but on a cold bleak November morning I did question our sanity. Tom Early suggested a bright white lure and this was what I put on after a few casts with my normally reliable olive damsel. Within a few casts a solid thump resulted in a rainbow of close to 3lb soon to be followed by a slightly smaller trout of just over 2lb.

Eddie persisted as heavy rain and wind increased, after a couple of hours Eddie did the sensible thing and called it a day. I was keen to get my last fish so persisted and tied on an even bigger white lure. After a couple of casts a savage pull resulted in my final trout of the day a well conditioned rainbow of just under 2lb. It was one of those rare occasions when I was actually glad to finish fishing for the day.

I hope to join Eddie again when the weather is a little less hostile..

Free Lifejacket Clinic

Are you involved in any type of watersports, including fishing from land?

Come along to our free lifejacket clinic and get advice about your lifejacket – Is it fit for purpose? Are the essential elements in date and in working order? When is it due for its next service? Not got a lifejacket or floatation devise and not sure which type to buy?

Appledore and Clovelly RNLI Water Safety Team are holding a free lifejacket clinic on Saturday 26 November between 10 am and 2 pm at Appledore Lifeboat Station and will provide advice and check over your lifejacket with you – and with the shop open you can buy your RNLI Christmas cards and presents at the same time, and meet the Face to Face Fundraising Team.

Please do not be the one we can’t save – Please come down and have your lifejacket checked.

 

Simon McCarthy of Summerlands Tackle

Weston Outcasts visit the Taw

posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0
Many thanks to Weston Outcast’s for allowing me to use their match report.
Saturday the 19th of November was the Outcasts annual trip to the river Taw in North Devon.
This time of year the flounder fishing can be excellent in the Taw with the right conditions , recent heavy rainfall small neap tide a nice frost giving way to a lovely settled day , it did look very promising.
Match 11 in the league calendar & being the penultimate match it would make for an interesting one with only 4 points separating the top 3 in the league!
A decent peg draw & a good days fishing where on most peoples Christmas list.
A few phone calls to our North Devon branch put us amongst the best bait possible, getting maddies can sometimes be a headache but a must for the flounder fishing in the estuary.
15 members turned out to fish the match & with the clubs prestigious Flounder cup still up for grabs every one was hoping for that bigger fish to take the cup.
Results on the day would be decided by the total aggregate length rather than weight . Recent years have seen large numbers of fish so this makes the results a little easier to work out.
The fishing on the day turned out to be a little patchy. Some pegs where rewarded with better bags of fish where as some struggling to land a single fish. No blanks where recorded so I guess that’s something.
Mainly flounder made up the catches with a few schoolies thrown in the mix .
There was an early flurry of fish as the tide still ebbed, gradually slowing until it switched to the flood . The fishing picked up with the flood as a steady head of flounder was being landed along the section. Top of the tide did bring a few schoolie bass as expected but also a large amount of debris & weed sat in the water which was a pain for some !
The Biggest flounder of the day was landed by Morgan & is currently winning the Flounder Cup with a lovely fish of
1lb 11oz, not massive by river Taw standards but a a decent fish on the day.
1st place on the day was Keith Warren with 17 fish for a total length of 525cm cracking bag of fish Keith as always ever consistent 🙌 Keith’s bag also included the longest fish of the day winning the fish pool with a Bass of 39cm
2nd was our North Devon branch member Kev Legge with 11 fish 355cm
Top angling Kev 🎣
3rd Morgan bagging an impressive 10 fish 334cm from the slower end of the beach , Well done mate superb angling 👍
4th Andy C 7 fish 231cm
5th Nath 7 fish 229cm
6th Jock 7 fish 208cm
7th Bob 3 fish 100cm
8th Jase 3 fish 97cm
9th Dallow 3 fish 86cm
10th Andy s 2 fish 62cm
11th Dave G 1 fish 31cm
12th Dave P 1 fish 30cm & Si 1 fish 30cm
14th Chazz 1 fish 23cm
15th Scott 1 fish 19 cm
So going into the last match things have definitely turned around at the top of the league, which will make for a very interesting final match!
Next & final league match is the 4th December at the mighty Bossington beach , Porlock will be the back up venue if we are blown off
Thanks to all the members who fished today & continuing to support the matches.
Special mention to the team at the Heanton Court Braunton for use of there carpark, also for a very warm welcome after the match where a couple of well earned beers & nibbles went down well while the results were worked out.
Thank you

Bideford & District Angling Club

posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0
B.D.A.C. 2nd Rod and Reel match results date 20th November 2022. 6 anglers fished the second match and all caught fish. The weather was very challenging at times with heavy rain and strong winds and a bit of sun at times fishing was hard for all with the fish not wanting to feed.
1st place today went to Keith Copland with 17lbs 11oz with several carp on peg 9 using maggot and micro pellets on the feeder. 2nd place went to Cyril Found with 6lbs 3oz on peg 10 on the feeder and 3rd place went to Anthony Bentley with 5lbs 13oz.

Estuary Flounder Sport – CMSAC & Braunton Small Boats

posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

 

Late Autumn is flounder time in the Taw and Torridge Estuaries with the competition season fully underway. I joined fellow CMSAC members in search of the humble flounder.  Despite plenty of floodwater pushing down fishing proved to be good with pleasing numbers of flounder tempted. The average size was lower than recent seasons but some good fish were found. One of the joys of flounder fishing is that it is great leveller. Eight year old Solly Welch trumped all the clubs senior entrants tempting several flounder including a superb specimen of 2lb. Solly also took runner up spot with a flounder of 1lb 10oz.

Solly Welch with his 2lb flounder

Full results :-

1st – Solly Welch – flounder 2lb

2nd – Solly Welch – flounder – 1lb 10oz

3rd = Solly Welch & Nick Phillips – flounder – 1lb 8oz

4th – James Thomas – flounder- 1lb 7oz

5th – Nick Phillips – flounder – 1lb 6oz

Solly Welch flounder – 1lb 10oz
James Thomas – Flounder 1lb 7oz

The estaury has a special appeal as the sunlight and cloud sweeps across the ever moving landscape and ebbing and flowing waters.

Many thanks to club members, Jack Phillips, James Thomas and Daniel Welch for sharing their images.

 

Braunton Small Boats – Flounder Competition

1st -Nick Phillips 1lb 8oz

2nd – Andy Henderson 14oz

Joint third  Jeremy Long and Jack Phillips flounder 12oz.

 

Please DON’T EAT FARMED SALMON

posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

As Christmas approaches many will be stocking up on culinary delights. I am joining with Pete Tyjas of Fly Culture magazine to raise awareness of the environmental disaster that is salmon farming. Please consider the facts and do not endorse the industry by buying farmed salmon. More information on salmon farming can be found on the Wildfish website see link.  https://wildfish.org/weekly-sea-lice-statistics/?mc_cid=281e974a7d&mc_eid=ebe0241b5b

Click link below for Fly Culture Magazine

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Thirty Nine from Paradise

posted in: Carp Fishing, Sidebar | 0

A massive congratulations to Director of Catch, Steve Manley who beat his previous personal UK best by 14lbs with a 39lber from Nirvana’s Kracking Carp Lake!
Steve shared –
“It’s not every day you are lucky enough to achieve your new UK PB… this was very special, a very tricky venue that doesn’t give up its low stock residents easily. Solid bag via a baiting pole out to the corner of some lilly pads. Reel melted in the early hours and this was the result. The now named ‘Moo Moo’ mirror at 39lbs. Thank you Joe for being there to share in the moment and for hosting at the awesome Anglers Paradise!”
Anglers Paradise

Scottish Skate Haul

posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Combe Martin SAC Club member Kyle Bishop enjoyed a very succesful trip to Scotland. Below is the full account of his trip.

Last minute trip to Scotland weekend checked weather seen a break made fone call next day we was off , crazy 2 days fishing straight in to fish first cast of trip, lost my first skate then my light rod (primo synchro )had out for spurs went over landing pb female of 210lb followed by a pb male of 115lb on same rod , second day first cast 15lb spur followed by 159lb female then ended the trip with another nice male 112lb , had 7 runs landing 4 unreal fishing  and the lads got in to a few as well.