Seth Tuson and Toby Craven enjoyed a super session at Jennets Reservoir banking 13 carp between them. The biggest was a stunning 30lb 3oz common carp.
Thirty Pound Jennett’s Carp
Angela Harding – Book Release at The Arundell
On September 25th The Arundell are hosting an evening with Angela Harding celebrating the release of her new book ‘Still Waters and Wild Waves’. A book that will undoubtedly connect with many anglers and those who love the waters edge.
https://www.thearundell.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Angela-Harding-25th-Sept.pdf
The rivers have cooled with some welcome, refreshing rain and the grayling are now coming into the peak of condition. The Arundell are running specialist grayling nymphing courses on the weekends of the 5th/6th and 12th/13th October.
This course will take you through tightline nymphing, indicator fishing and the duo method. The course also includes 2hrs hours of fly tying, constructing tungsten beaded jig flies, weighted shrimps and caddis flies. After the fly tying, we’ll look at tackle set up, tapered leaders, tippet, indicators, fly size and fly weigh.
For more details please go to the link in our bio or email [email protected]
Dan Miles Redmore Memorial Competition
The flounder fishing season traditionally gets underway at the time of Barnstaple Fair and plenty of these obliging flatfish should be present in the estuary for the Dan Miles Redmore Memorial Competition that is to be held on October 13th. The event is sponsored by Barnstaple Bait and Tackle and Bullet Baits. Entry forms are available at Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.
B.D.A.C. Rod and Reel match results date 22.9.24 at Tarka.
B.D.A.C. Rod and Reel match results date 22.9.24 at Tarka.
Today was a very wet day with fishing very slow at times for some anglers,15 anglers fished the match today and all caught fish. Today winner was Antony Bentley on peg 10 with a fine bag of fish for 44lbs 6oz, second place was Keith Mountjoy on peg 9 with 30lbs 7oz, 3rd place was Warren Thornton on peg 22 with a nice mixed bag of fish for 22lbs 3oz and 4th place today went to Darren polden on peg 21 with a mixes bag of fish for 21lbs. The next Rod and Reel match will be on the 27.10.24 at Tarka. Well done on your win today Antony Bentley.
Predator 2 – Species Competition Heat 2
Many thanks to Daniel Welch of Predator 2 for this excellent report on the second heat of their species competition.
We left harbour at 0800 with a group of friends on board for a species hunt, on this occasion we headed down channel fishing various reefs, banks and deeper water marks. The intention was to move around a lot and fish both at anchor and on the drift. The target was to try and beat the previous species day total of 16.
Various tactics were used including floats, lures, and different types of bottom rigs running ledgers and patenosters. Tactics also included different coloured beads and weights various sized hooks and baits.
Baits used during the day included squid, harbour rag, lug, mackerel, scad, prawns, spider crabs, shore crabs and small fresh bait fish caught during the day.
It was a very close run competition with Ross Stanway taking an early lead but everyone was in with a chance to take the win. With an hour to go Ross and Toby were tied at the top on with the lead changing regularly until they got to 20 points with 30 minutes to go. Both had very realistic target species to take the win. However by observing successful tactics of others Toby changed baits and took the win by catching two black bream sneaking ahead of Ross for the win and a £70 voucher for future use on predator.
During the day we caught a respectable 20 different species Toby Basset won the day with a total of 23 points consisting of 13 different species, Ross Stanway came a close second place with 20 points but actually had 14 different species.
The 20 different species landed on the boat during the day were tub gurnard, mackerel, pollack, scad, Bull Huss, tope, conger, black bream, smooth hound, ballan wrasse, goldsinny wrasse, corkwing wrasse, blond ray, smalleye ray, dragonet, bass, pouting, poor cod, dogfish and Tom pot blenny.
A great day was had by all this is not something we usually do but it makes a nice change especially with the friendly competitive banter all day.
Big Bass wins Bideford Competition
Jon Stevens won Bideford Angling Clubs forty-eight hour rover with a fine specimen bass scaling 11lb 1oz. Stephen Found was second and third with smoothound of 13lb 11oz and 13lb 8oz.
Jon kindly sent me this account of his successful evening on a local storm beach.
The session started with a stunning Autumn sunset!
The following 3 hours were very slow, without a single bite registered.
However, the next hour saw the only 2 bites of the night, resulting in 2 fine Bass of 11lb 1oz & 8lb 2oz.
The fish fell to whole joey mackerel, presented on a single hook pulley rig just beyond the surf.
Both fish were nicely lip hooked (single circle hooks employed) & were returned to the water swimming off strongly, following a quick weigh in the sling & a photo.
Time for big bass in CMSAC lure league
Reece Woolgar caught a fine bass of 68cm to put him just 5 cm behind leading club member Wayne Thomas in Combe Martin SAC’s members lure fishing league. The league is sponsored by High Street Tackle
Present standings are five bass total length –
Wayne Thomas – 75, 60, 60, 58, 57. = 310
Reece Woolgar – 68, 62, 59, 58, 58 = 305
Ross Stanway – 67, 58, 56, 56, 56 = 293
Daniel Welch – 63, 55, 54, 50, 48 = 270
There is stiil over a month remaining in the league with every chance of the biggest bass of the season showing.
Salmon caught from Taw and Torridge
A rise in river levels following recent rainfall has encouraged anglers onto the regions rivers in the hope of salmon. James Lewis fished a middle Torridge beat and tempted a fine salmon estimated at 9lb. Another salmon estimated at 13lb was tempted from a middle Taw beat. Several other salmon have been seen migrating up river so there is hope that a few more will be tempted during the last two weeks of the season
I attended the West Country Rivers Trust CSI Volunteer Conference at High Bickington on Saturday September 14th. The event was well attended with enthusiastic volunteers from across the region. It is very encouraging to meet with a wide range of people with a passion for rivers. It is clear that there is a need for more coordination of effort between the many different groups that use the rivers a topic that was explored with future plans explained by speakers at the event. https://wrt.org.uk
Many at the event were not anglers and talking with several at the event my view that we need to work together for the good of the rivers was reinforced. Anglers, Canoeists, Wild Swimmers and conservationists all want clean water so we need to focus on our common goals and put our differences aside.
Catching Late Season Beauty
As Autumn descends and seasons start to transition a trip to the river brings mixed emotions. Recent heavy rain has brought a tinge of colour to the river and there is hope of salmon and sea trout. The lower Taw and Torridge are both coloured and unfishable and so I have headed to a stretch of fishing on a tributary of the Taw.
I have thrown a heavy rod into the back of the car just in case I see a salmon but it’s the wild browns that I am seeking today with my ultra-light Snowbee Classic, a 4 wt thistledown line and a weighted nymph set up.
It is a delight to travel light to river and wander the bank flicking the nymphs into likely runs, pots and pools.
A cool North West Wind is sweeping clouds across the blue sky. Swallows and martins are swooping low over the grass undoubtedly feeding hard in preparation for their incredible migration to warmer climes. Large numbers of pheasants are strutting their stuff in the riverside fields oblivious to the rituals that await in October when the shooting season commences.
I work my way slowly up river and fail to connect over the first section. I change to a smaller nymph and shorten my leader slightly as the heavy nymph is catching the bottom too frequently.
I extend the line casting up and watching the bright orange section of my furled leader. I detect a twitch lift the rod and feel the vibrant life of a small brownie on the line. It comes off after a few seconds but my confidence is boosted and I fish on with renewed positivity.
A few casts later and a spirited trout of perhaps 6” is brought to hand and briefly admired.
Time is ebbing away as I reach my favourite pool and I work my way up working the nymph through the familiar waters. Connection comes as expected as a fine wild brown of perhaps 10” is brought to the net. I extract a further two beautiful wild browns of similar size but each is very different. Their flanks a sublime blend of rich colours, olives, golds, bronze and crimson. Their colours blending with the autumn hues to create a palette to please the most discerning artists eye.
I leave the river determined to return again before the season ends in a couple of weeks. Trouble is there are bass, mullet, tope and maybe a salmon calling from elsewhere. But still that constant beauty of the wild brown trout remains always there a reassuring presence for the past fifty odd years.
Shore Tope
Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop enjoyed success with the big rods at the end of summer landing three tope to 44lb 10oz at a North Devon Shore mark.
