FEBRUARY TROUT ACTION at WIMBLEBALL

 

Matt Kingdon and I arrived at Wimbleball Lake for around 8:30am, misty drizzle drifted across the water and surrounding hills driven by a brisk North Westerly breeze. Wimbleball can be a bleak place in early February but the plentiful full tailed hard fighting rainbows draw anglers from across the West Country.

We headed for the picnic bank giving access to deep water; a reliable area especially early in the season when the recently stocked rainbows tend to shoal up. It was good to wade out into the cool clear waters of this vast lake and put a line out across the water. I had tied a small black Wooley bugger on the point with a small black and green nymph on a dropper, this was presented with an intermediate line. These tactics were the same I had used from the boat a couple of weeks  ago with good effect. On each cast I paused for a few moments allowing the flies to sink before commencing a slow erratic retrieve. I often use the analogy of playing with a kitten when describing how to tempt a trout. The movement imparted into the flies or lure can trigger a take as can the pause. Each cast is made with thought, searching the depths and aiming to stimulate a reaction.

I watched Matt to my left employing a speedier retrieve that I thought was more akin to his competitive angling spirit.

Matt Kingdon searchs the water

After a few minutes my line zipped delightfully tight as a rainbow seized the lure erupting from the water in a flurry of spray. Over the next couple of hours another five trout were caught and despatched. All hard fighting full tailed fish between 1lb 12oz and 2lb 8oz. Matt also banked a couple of pleasing rainbows.

Matt in action with a full tailed Wimbleball rainbow

Matts first fish of the day

The relentless brisk cold wind and light rain was not pleasant so despite being where the fish were we decided to  move to a more sheltered bank. With the wind at our backs casting was easier and the fishing more pleasant, there is often a balance to be had when deciding where to fish. The whole thing is after all about enjoyment so whilst catching is important its not always vital to catch as many as possible. Unless of course it’s a competition!

We resumed our quest searching the water in various locations and catching trout in each area we searched. Matt worked hard changing flies and tactics earning himself a full bag of five trout by the time we were ready to head for home shortly after 3.00pm. I soldiered on with the same tactics and caught and released a further three trout ending the day with eight trout. A great days’ trout fishing on a dark dank February day.

A perfect February rainbow

As we packed away we plotted to return on those warmer spring days when the fish would rise freely and a floating line would stretch out on a lake riffled by a gentle breeze. Despite the chill air there were signs of spring all around with frogspawn in the shallows and birdsong drifting in the air. Snowdrops were abundant on the roadsides with daffodils budding in every moorland village along the route.

South Molton and District Angling Club AGM

I joined fifteen members of South Molton and District Angling Club at the Coaching Inn South Molton for their AGM. As always the event ran smoothly thanks to the sterling work undertaken by the club’s officers. Club Chairman Eddie Rands and Secretary/Treasurer Roger Bray gave their reports to the membership reflecting upon a year plagued by low water levels. The environment and river health were top of the agenda throughout with grave concerns regarding pollution from agriculture and South West Waters numerous sewage treatment works.

South Molton Club is a small friendly club that welcomes new members at a very reasonable cost offering superb wild brown trout fishing on five miles of the river Bray. The club also organise forays to the coast with both boat and shore fishing events.

https://www.southmoltonanglingclub.co.uk

(Below) The cup winners for 2022.
From left to right
Richard Power 30lb tope, Wayne Thomas bass just under 10lb,Steve Bendle 5lb rainbow and Steve Edmonds 7lb pollack.

After the  meeting I was priveleged to deliver a talk on my fishing and the variuos paths it has taken me on.

Spurdog Specimens

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Combe Martin SAC members Martin Huntingdon and Stef Jones enjoyed some exciting spurdog fishing on a Private boat off the North Devon Coast. The best at 16lb 8oz fell to Stef with Martins best scaling 15lb 8oz.

Stefan also enjoyed some excellant pollock sport off Beer aboard Orca Charters boating a pollock of 9lb 2oz.

Bideford and District Angling Club Coarse Section Monthly Competition

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Bideford and District Angling Club
Coarse section monthly competition
Results:
1st Martin Turner  39lb 7oz
2nd Dave Wood 19lb 5oz
3rd Nathan Underwood 16lb 13oz
4th Paul Elworthy  14lb 12oz
5th Stace N Dazza Polden  13lb 14oz
6th Stve Johnson  10lb 10oz
22 club members fished this, the second round of our year-long series.
Conditions, although dry and bright, were quite chilly in the South south Easterly stiff breeze.
Martin, BDAC. coarse section match secretary, drew the corner peg 13 , and fished a short pole with 6mm bread punch, for victory.
Our new member ,Dave, took second place in his first Bideford match with another short pole catch this time using yellow fuka bait on peg 9.
Mr. Consistent Nathan came in third with a couple of late carp on maggot over groundbait from peg 10.
Tiverton veteran Paul, on peg 17 landed a pole caught net of smaller fish on maggot for a well earned section and 4th spot.

LAKE RECORD CARP 44lb 12oz

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Chris Connaughton who works at Quay Sports has banked a carp known as the bullet at a weight of 44lb 12oz from Hacche Moor Fishery near South Molton. The capture of such a fine carp highlights the journey carp fishing has been on over the past 70 years. In 1952 Richard Walker banked a carp weighing 44lb from the legendary Redmire Pool on the Welsh Borders. The carp made headlines and beat the previous record of 26lb caught by Albert Buckley in 1930. Walker’s record stood until 1980 when Chris Yates caught a carp of 51lb 8oz from the same pool. The record has been broken on numerous occasions since 1980 and I like I suspect many others  have lost track of the carp record. Today’s carp anglers are very fortunate to have carp dwelling across the country that exceed those old milestones in fishing history. In North Devon there are numerous waters that contain carp of over forty pounds. This is a reflection on fishery owners, fish breeders, anglers’ baits and the potentially changing climate.

In North Devon we have several waters that would rival Redmire’s stock of carp.

New Lake Record 
News from Hacche Moor Fishery
“Congratulations to Chris Connaughton on his capture of the “bullet” at a new personal best and lake record of 44.12… Chris has been quietly plugging away this winter and was probably starting to ask himself a few questions, truth be told, as he was yet to have a bite on his winter ticket after several nights angling. This soon changed thou as he opened his account with a lovely fully scaled mirror then the following day he had the bite he was after; the king of the pond at 44.12.. it’s first ever capture during the winter syndicate period too so well done mate.”
Chris is also the owner of Remix bait’s
Can’t believe I’m writing this second fish of my winter campaign on @hacchemoorfishery and I’ve got ‘The Bullet’ which is a new PB and a New lake record caught using ‘Cellnapple’ pop ups. Buzzing!!!

PARADISE CARP CATCH

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Sam Passmore with a beautiful, clean 28lb 3oz Mirror from Nirvana’s Day Ticket Kracking Carp Lake.
Sam caught the Mirror using a hinge stiff rig made up of DSD end tackle and finished with a mad baits boosted wicked white cast to a showing fish.The only show in the 3 days of fishing and the only bite he had, and he landed it!
Sam shared – “Another fish from the lake that’s been so good to me and hopefully I’ll be back to finish the business when the time comes!
Anglers Paradise

Rare Bluemouth Caught by Combe Martin SAC member

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Combe Martin SAC member Shaun Quartly fished a beach in Somerset targetting ray and was surpised when he reeled in a small red coloured fish that swallowed the hooks down deep. The fish is believed to be a bluemouth a rare visitor to English waters. The fish weighed 6oz and is the first one ever recorded by a club member.

Shaun also landed a spotted ray and a dogfish.

ESTUARY BASS

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Lee Mutter fished the Taw estuary offering worm baits purchased at Quay Sports. He was delighted to catch and return a fine bass of close to 6lb.

Bass are present in the estuary throughout the season but are strictly catch and release until March 1st when two bass per day can be retained.