23 Jul 2016

Back From the land of the Midnight Sun

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Home, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Apologies for the lack of updates over the past week normality will return very soon with all the latest news from North Devon plus a summary of a fabulous trip to Havnnes Handelssted in Northern Norway. A blog will also follow. Special thanks to Craig Butler for organizing the trip to all at Havnnes for there kind hospitality and to the group of anglers whose company made it extra special. Thanks also to Jon Patten for a wealth of advice prior to the trip, to Alex McDonald at Sakuma for providing some quality tackle, Veals Mail Order for great service and to St Leger Custom Rods for the use of three quality rods that performed beyond all expectations. Full write up to follow soon when I have sorted the tackle and caught up with all the latest from the North Devon fishing world.

101lb halibut - Craig Butler - Fish of the Week!! — *101lb halibut – Craig Butler – Fish of the Week!!*

*One of several 20lb plus coalfish tamed on a St Leger Renegade Lure Rod*

10 Jul 2016

Impressive Haul for Martin Turner

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Martin Turner won Bideford and District Angling Clubs Monthly coarse section match at Melbury Reservoir with an impressive haul of 32lb. Kevin Shears was second with 25lb 5oz and third Colin Gorman with 8lb. Winning tactics for Martin were caster with long pole for roach and hybrids. Ground-bait feeder for a bag of skimmers took the runner up spot for Kevin Shears.

9 Jul 2016

Ian enjoys a Reel Deal

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Tope continue to provide exciting sport off Ilfracombe as Ian Tyldesley director of Ammo Baits discovered when he traveled up from St Ives to fish aboard Ammo Baits sponsored boat Reel Deal. Dan Hawkins put the anglers on the fish despite breezy conditions that made fishing a little uncomfortable for some of the party. In addition to tope the anglers also landed several bass.

5 Jul 2016

Tope sport off Ilfracombe

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Anglers are enjoying some great tope sport off Ilfracombe with these hard fighting predators now abundant. Tope have been landed up to 37lb with every chance of bigger fish as the season progresses there is even the chance of one of these fish from shore marks if anglers are prepared to set their stall with a big bait and wire trace.

13575589_10157163865140077_1276042765_o — Craig McCloughlin of Braunton Baits with fine tope off Ilfracombe on John Barbeary’s Bluefin

Tope caught on John Barbeary's 'Bluefin' — Tope caught on John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’

13582336_10157037592860858_1661540805_o — *Tope caught on John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’ by Toby Bassett*

Tope caught on .'Reel Deal' off Ilfracombe — *Tope caught on .’Reel Deal’ off Ilfracombe by Toby Bassett*

13582366_10157163865145077_379971369_o — *Craig McCloughlin of Braunton Baits with a 37lb tope caught on John Barbeary’s Bluefin*

Danny from Ilfracombe's High Street Tackle with a tope caught on Bluefin — *Danny from Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle with a tope caught on Bluefin*

29 Jun 2016

Rising Sun for salmon news

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Wednesday night is steak night at The Rising Sun at Umberleigh and an ideal place to catch up on he latest news from the River Taw. Landlord Julian Zealey is a keen angler and is always worth chatting with for the latest news from the river.

At least two salmon were landed from the Taw on June 29th including a 12lb fish from a middle river beat to the rod of Roland Eustace and 10lb salmon to the rod of Trevor Smith from the Mole. Several school peel have also been caught over recent days from beats throughout the river system.

Richard Johns landed a 9lb salmon from the Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the Taw along with a couple of sea trout to 2lb 8oz.

The last Thursday of each month sees a get together of salmon anglers at the monthly soiree with canapés and beers from 5:30.

On the Middle Torridge Stuart Eynon shared a catch of seven salmon from a middle river beat.

26 Jun 2016

TWENTIES FROM TRUSTY WATERS

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Carp Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

South West Lakes Trust Coarse fisheries Jennetts Reservoir and Lower Tamar Lakes are both producing fine carp of over twenty pounds. Barry and Liam Lonsdale had a cracking session at Lower Tamar landing fourteen carp using sticky baits Manilla Boilies. Biggest was a 23lb 2oz common carp to Liam. Barry best was a stunning 21lb fully scaled mirror carp.

Chad Savage has been hauling the 20’s from Jennetts in the last couple of months. This 22lb 3oz common is one of fourteen different 20lb+ fish that he has banked in just eight short sessions.

The coming weekend sees South West Lakes Trust host a carp fishing pairs competition running from Friday to Sunday see home page events for full details.

21 Jun 2016

REEL DEAL MIX IT UP

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Dan Hawkins Charter Boat Reel Deal arrived in Ilfracombe early this summer and after much effort made the headlines with the boating of a huge porbeagle estimated at 450lb. Since then the shark have proved elusive and a move to deeper water resulted in a blue shark estimated at 80lb being brought to the side of the boat.

Dan informed me that the general fishing has now improved with the arrival of mackerel in greater numbers. Fishing marks off the North Devon coast has resulted in turbot, gurnard, whiting, haddock, codling, tope, smoothound, huss and of course the ever plentiful dogfish.

12 Jun 2016

Latest Carp catches from Stafford Moor

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Carp Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Stafford Moor is undoubtedly one of the areas most prolific carp fisheries with a steady stream of twenty pound plus fish reported each week. The latest reports from Joanne Coombes come with plenty of images of captors and their carp.

Richard Mason had a successful session using Whealy fishy baits boilie’s landing 12 fish to 27lb 15oz.

Gareth Simpson landed several carp to 26lb using home made boilie’s.

Donna Blythe and her husband enjoyed success using Sticky baits boilie’s. Donna landing a personal best mirror carp of 19lb 8oz. Her husband Chris landed a carp of 25lb.

Adam Hilton fished the summerhouse swim on Beattie’s lake using home made boilies to land this fine mirror of 23lb 10oz.

12 Jun 2016

FIFTY HOUNDS IN A TIDE

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Dan Spearman, Chay Boggis and Kyle Bishop enjoyed a hectic session at a local rock mark landing an incredible fifty-three smoothounds between low water and high water. The fish were tempted on a mixture of frozen peeler crab and hardback crab.
These hard fighting members of the shark family seem to have increased in numbers over recent years, one of few good news stories regarding fish stocks.

Mackerel numbers have been very patchy so far this year though this can change dramatically at any time. Recent weeks have seen water clarity reduced as a result of the annual may bloom. A few bass are being tempted by lure anglers from marks all along the coast.

8 Jun 2016

OBSERVATION THE KEY TO BIG TROUT AT BLAKEWELL

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Gavin Colwill regularly travels to Blakewell Fishery from his home at Bude and has an intimate knowledge of the fishery. Gavin followed up on his recent 38lb bag of trout landing a brace of double figure trout weighing 18lb 5oz and 13lb. I suspected that catching these big trout on a regular basis was not entirely down to luck and this was confirmed when I spoke to joint fishery owner Richard Nickell.
The key to success is keen observation of the trout in the venues crystal clear water and waiting for that big fish to cruise past before carefully dropping a suitable fly within the fish’s path. It’s then a case of tense anticipation hoping to glimpse the opening and closing of the mouth before setting the hook.