Kyle Bishop recieves his well deserved Merit award from club secretary Nick Phillips.
Combe Martin SAC held their AGM and presentation night at the White Lion Inn Braunton on Friday January 26th. The club had enjoyed a successful year in 2023 with members registering a good number of specimen fish. The club are introducing a predator award next season for the member registering the best tope, conger, bull huss and spurdog specimen rating total. The winner will receive a megladon sharks tooth for 12 months from club member Daniel Welch.
Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop set a new club record when he caught a rare blue skate from the North Devon shoreline. The fish weighing 13lb 8oz beats the existing club record of 8lb 3oz caught in 2020 by Jamie Steward. Skate are a very rare catch from North Devon waters. These fish can grow to well over 200lb and were once common in the Bristol Channel with fish recorded from numerous North Devon ports in the Victorian era.
Kyle has also added specimen tope of 36lb 15oz and a spurdog of 10lb 5oz to his New Year tally following on from last season when he knotched up a very impressive list of specimen captures.
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their Christmas Competition at Bulldog Trout Fishery with the club’s entire membership of eight competing.
The grey overcast mild conditions seemed ideal for a good day’s winter sport as members spread out around the lake to cast out into the cool clear water.
I put out a line on the water near the inlet to the lake were I have enjoyed success on previous visits. On the first two casts good sized rainbow could be seen following my fly to turn away at the last minute. I watched other anglers around the lake and noticed a couple of bent rods as is often the case at the start of the day.
After half an hour with no contact I decided upon a move to a fresh spot. I was using an olive damsel on the point and a small drab diawl bach on a dropper with an intermediate line. The move proved to be a wise one as the line soon tightened as a hard fighting rainbow seized the dropper. This was followed a few minutes later by another rainbow of close to 3lb. It seemed that I had either located the fish or they had come on the feed for within five minutes I added a 3lb 12oz rainbow to complete my three fish bag.
I spent the next half an hour chatting to fellow club members and capturing a few action shots as they too connected with the lakes hard fighting rainbows.
Andre Muxworthy with a fine Bulldog Rainbow
Fishery owner Nigel Early and his son Tom arrived at the water’s edge with delicious burgers and warming toddy, hot coffee and a tray of mince pies. Convivial chatter and Christmas cheer filled the grey winters day as we chatted of the club’s future and plans for 2024.
The enlarged trout lake has the capacity for a dozen or more anglers to fish in comfort. The clear waters offer exciting sport with rainbows presently stocked up to 8lb plus with some large browns to be introduced in the New Year.
I left the lake at lunch time with Christmas preparations pending at home. Most members had caught their three fish but a few had yet to finish.
Colin Combe with a good rainbow
Nigel Bird with a 3lb plus rainbow
David Richards with the biggest rainbow of the day at around 4lb
David Richards won with three trout for 10lb 5oz. Andre Muxworthy and Dave Mock were runners up with three fish for 9lb and myself fourth with three fish for 8lb 2oz. Colin Combe banked three for 7lb 14oz.
..in memory of Teddy New Stephen Williams and Kevin Stanley Bridson.
Congratulation to Nick Braunton who helped to organise this brilliant competition that attracted a a large number of local anglers.
1st Nobby Jefferys 1lb 9ozswinning £250
2nd Dick Talbot 1lb 8ozs
3rd Paul Burslem 1lb 7.1/2ozs
4th Tony Gooch1lb 7.1/4oz
5th Johnny Weeks 1lb 6ozs
6th Matt Horsham 1lb 4.1/2oz
7th Mark Jordan 1lb 4.1/4oz
8th Graham Parsons 1lb 4ozs
9th Paul Simmons 1lb 3.1/2
10th James Mayhew and Matt cleverly 1lb 3 1/4oz
59 seniors fished
The result of the juniors was
1st place Barnaby Raymont 1lb 5ozs
2nd Bailey Phipps 1lb 4ozs
16 juniors fished in total 75 fished the event..Tony Gooch and Dick Talbot won the blind pairs with a total of 3lb 5ozs..Great day but with minus 5 degrees it took some fishing..
Every junior won a prize donated by Summerlands Tackle, Angler’s Heaven, Quay sports and Sakuma Fishing & Bullet Bait.
Over £800 of cash prizes paid out and £706 raised for the Pollyfield Bar Refurbishment.
3rd joint Andrew Clements & Stephen Found Flounder 1lb 13 1/2 92.187%
Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Sea Rover Results
15 members fished the November Rover today.
Some challenging conditions both at sea and In the rivers but most anglers managed to find a few fish. Reports of a lot of tiny bass pinching the baits for the people targetting Flounders and several flounders caught around the 1lb mark.
Best Flounder weighed in was 1lb 10 1/2ozs which wasn’t quite big enough to place.
Winner today was Josh Atkinson with a Bull Huss of 9lb 8ozs. Josh also managed to take 2nd place with another Huss of 9lb 3 3/4ozs.
Andrew Atkinson picked up the final place also with a Bull Huss of 8lb 9 1/4ozs.
Barnstaple Triple Hook Club Open Flounder – Result
Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs Open competition generously sponsored by Quay Sports was won by Daniel Welch who landed three blonde ray scaling 8lb 11oz, 8lb 6oz and 7lb 9oz to take first, second and fourth place. Third was taken by myself with a grey mullet of 2lb 14oz. Competitors also caught conger, dogfish and rockling.
Notice is hereby given that the 2023 AGM will be held at the Bideford Conservative Club on Friday 17th November 19:30 – 20:00 sharp.
Please note that all proposals for changes to our rule’s or applications to join the committee need to be received by our secretary before midnight on Friday 27/10/2023.
Rule changes need a seconder.
Proposals for committee membership must have the agreement of the person, with a proposer and a seconder in writing.
All proposals must be with the secretary via email at [email protected]
I will be hosting the film Riverwoods with the National Trust at Loxhore Village Hall on Friday. October 6th at 7.00pm. Tbe film will be followed by presentations and discussion on rivers salmon and wildlfe. A very relevant evening in light of the latest news highlighting the dramatic declines in nature. I look forward to catching up with a few of you on the night. Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be provided.
We had been looking forward to our trip on Reel Deal targeting Porbeagle shark for months and with the weather set fair I climbed out of bed eagerly at 5.00am. It was still dark when I set off to pick up fellow sharker Peter Robinson. I had offered to pick up Peter so that we could share the extortionate cost of parking on Ilfracombe Pier for the day. A £15.00 charge to park for a day during the summer season is likely to deter visitors and adds a significant cost to a day’s boat fishing.
We arrived at the harbourside and greeted Bruce who had booked the trip over twelve months ago following on from a successful excursion after the shark last Autumn when Bruce and James had brought shark boat-side between 100lb and 175lb.
In addition, Dan Hawkins skipper of Reel Deal had just recorded the first two blue fin tuna to be caught from the Bristol Channel. They had also caught a fine porbeagle estimated at over 200lb. In addition, earlier in the season several thresher shark had been caught and it was likely that these could still be present in the rich feeding grounds at the mouth of the Bristol Channel.
The weather forecast gave light winds of less than 10mph. I was slightly concerned as I felt a chill breeze as I stepped out of the car. There was also white water visible opposite the pier as a large swell pounded the rocks.
We greeted Dan quayside who seemed confident that all would be well with the wind forecast to drop later in the day. We were joined by three other anglers and we set off out of the harbour heading West towards the sharking grounds that are situated an hour or so steam beyond Hartland Point.
It was immediately obvious that the wind was brisker than forecast and it was more than a little lumpy as we bounced across the tide race off Morte Point. A good number of gannets could be seen diving into the turbulent waters a clear indication that mackerel and bass were present.
Dan eased off the power and gave us a bad prognosis. The wind was far stronger than forecast and images of Bude via surf cams showed a wall of white water. Sharking would be unpleasant and very likely unproductive. It was up to us but Dan thought we would be wasting our money and suggested we abort. He left us to ponder for a few moments and after a short debate we decided that the skipper generally knows best.
And so rather deflated in spirit we bounced back on the waves to Ilfracombe. Bruce and I started to think of plan B. Lure fishing off the shore could be worth a go with plenty of bass in the estuary?
On arrival back in Ilfracombe we clambered off the boat and within minutes Dan told us there were a couple of places on the Charter-boat Carrick Lee fishing locally. There were a few trigger fish being caught. Bruce had never caught a trigger fish so within minutes we were buying fresh king ragworm from the harbour Kiosk and handing over cash for a day on Carrick Lee. We said our goodbyes to Peter who was going to catch the bus home to Barnstaple. Pete had endured a very slow days boat-fishing a few days previous and wasn’t keen for a repeat.
We jumped on board ‘Carrick Lee’ to be greeted by the owner and skipper of the boat Paul Simon. There were six of us on board three who were visitors to the area and Paul Lorrimore who I know through Combe Martin SAC and his excellent Bay-side Burger Bar in Ilfracombe. Between us Bruce and I had enough tackle to combine efforts and put suitable rigs down to the sea bed. First stop was to the bay of my home village Combe Martin where we used small hooks and small baits to try and target a range of species with trigger fish high on our wish list.
The calm waters of Combe Martin Bay were certainly more tranquil than the wild waters off Hartland Point. It wasn’t long before Paul was into the first fish of the day a ballan wrasse of perhaps 2lb. There were plenty of gentle raps on the rod tips but fish were hard to find. Paul followed up with a lovely little red mullet a species I have yet to catch. I really need to do a bit more light species fishing this Autumn.
As the tide eased away sport was slow with just a couple of strap eels seizing baits. Skipper Paul pulled up the anchor and we set off for pastures new. After a short stop in the bay beneath Little Hangman we headed out to fish beneath the spectacular towering cliffs beneath Great Hangman. Paul put us on a bit of rough ground off Sherricombe Waterfall a mark I knew to have been productive over the years. Sherricombe Waterfall has a fascinating history. It is said that during the Second World War submariners from German U-Boats visited the craggy shore to collect freshwater during the cover of darkness. Many years ago, there was a path down to the sea near this point where locals would access the foreshore to gather laver. There were also rumours of smuggling activities. This path has long since crumbled along with the memories of those who walked the treacherous path. Mining was carried out deep within the cliff’s and it is still possible to see the remains of shafts on the sheer cliff face.
Towering Little Hangman
Whilst the scenery was spectacular the fishing wasn’t and after a few hours trying various rocky marks at anchor. We also tried drifting the well -known reefs at Copperas Rock. It was apparent that if the fish were present they were not feeding. The boat was buffeted by a strong offshore breeze, reinforcing the knowledge that our shark fishing trip cancellation had been a wise move.
Paul our skipper had tried very hard to find fish but is was undoubtedly a hard task. A return to Combe Martin Bay was welcome and again we hoped for trigger fish. After a couple of moves we eventually found success. Bruce’s rod arched over as he made contact with a hard fighting fish that was safely netted. A fine trigger fish of perhaps 3lb was held up and admired. A fish that always looks so unreal in British waters a visitor from warmer climes that is often linked to climate change. Their numbers fluctuate year on year and any link to climate change is tenuous.
Five minutes later I too added a trigger fish to the days tally.
We hoped for more trigger fish over the remaining couple of hours but they proved elusive. Paul had tried hard throughout the day. We had caught nine species between us, small tope, wrasse, pouting, pollock, strap eels, poor cod, red mullet, scad and trigger fish.
It has been a very mixed season for Ilfracombe Charter boats. Early summer had seen huge numbers of mackerel with calm weather. Occasional calm periods during July had allowed Reel Deal to venture to the shark grounds where several thresher shark were caught along with large porbeagle. During August poor weather and disappearance of the mackerel ruined the opportunity to take tourists on the short fishing trips that can boost the bank balance for charter boat owners in these increasingly difficult times of rising costs. The life of a charter boat skipper may seem like living the dream but it’s a far from easy way of making living.
The River Test in Hampshire is undoubtedly the worlds most revered Chalk Stream its gin clear waters flowing through country estates whose names are steeped in the history of fly fishing. Its waters fished by the likes of F M Halford who penned the classic tomes Floating Flies and How to Dress Them in 1886 followed by Dry Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice in 1889. Halfords Dry Fly Tactics were controversially questioned when G E M Skues published his books Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream and The Way of the Trout with the Fly.
A century later Fly Fishing rules on the River Test still reflect the tactics employed by Halford and Skues. In truth these codes of conduct ensure that a degree of sportsmanship and etiquette are practiced on a River that is trout fishing equivalent to Crickets Lords or Tennis’s Wimbledon.
So, what is it like to fish the River Test? I was privileged to be invited for a day’s fishing on a beat a few miles below Stockbridge in the heart of the Test Valley.
We arrived at the River for a 9.00am start assembling our tackle beside the fishing hut. Fishing beats on the Test invariably have well equipped fishing huts where anglers can share tales of fishing forays, discuss tactics and put this ever changing world to rights.
It is early September and I noticed the onset of early autumn colours as I drove the country roads shrouded in trees. It is the end of a record breaking September week of high temperatures with over 30 degrees recorded for an unprecedented seven consecutive days.
It is exceptionally warm and humid with thunder forecast later in the day.
Talk is that the fishing is going to be hard with the trout uninterested in feeding during the heat. We set off to search the water peering into the gin clear flow, lush water weeds swaying in the current. Its not difficult to spot our quarry if you’re tuned into the task.
I cast a small bead headed hares ear nymph up into the first pool I come too. After a couple of casts, I see a fish rise and change over to a grey Wulf dry fly. First cast the fly disappears in a delightful ring of water. I lift the rod and feel the pulsing of a hard fighting River Test brown trout. I am using a 7ft Snowbee 3/4wt Classic, with a 2/5 WT Thistledown Line, the light rod absorbs the lunges of the trout protecting the gossamer 3.7 lb tippet I am using. At a couple of pounds, it’s a delightful start to a glorious day.
The banks of the Rivers are carefully managed to provide a perfect experience for the angler. A strip of mowed grass provides a delectable fishers path, the rivers edge is buffered with a strip of grass reed and wild flowers. This provides a haven for bees, pollinators and brilliant blue and green damsel flies. In parts the river dissects thick lush growth of reeds trees and bush that are a haven for birds and other wildlife.
When the light is right peering into the gin clear waters is like looking into an aquarium, fry are abundant flitting around in the calmer eddies. The focus for the fly angler is of course the trout a mixture on this beat of wild browns and stocked brown and rainbows fish averaging 2lb with good numbers of fish between three and four pounds.
The river here meanders through a maze of carriers criss-crossed by wooden bridges. It is a delight to stroll the banks spotting the trout that haunt the mesmerising waters. The clarity often disguises the true depth of the water and I need a long leader to ensure my tiny weighted nymphs can reach the trout suspended in ever flowing waters.
After a couple of hours exploring the river we meet up in the fishing hut for a welcome coffee. There is no rush in this haven of tranquil riverside retreat.
The view from the fishing hut
I catch more than my share of fine brown trout returning several to the river after spirited battles. In the afternoon the sun illuminates the river enriching the colours and exposing the shadows of trout resting between swaying fronds of ranuculus. I cast a nymph above a group of good sized brown trout, The biggest of the trout moves and I glimpse the white of its mouth. I lift the rod and the fish lifts in the clear water shaking its head. The light rod hoops over, the reel screams as the trout dashes into weed beds. I put on as much pressure as I dare with the ultra-light tackle, the trout leaps from the water droplets of spray glisten in the hot afternoon sun. The trout’s image is imprinted forever in my mind’s eye a bar of gold and fiery copper leaping from the Tests revered waters. Eventually the big brown trout is almost beaten as I ready the net, it’s mine I think, but as I coax it to the net it gives a last shake of its head and the light tippet parts. The magnificent trout of perhaps five pounds sinks slowly back into its home and I watch it recover before swimming back to its station in the middle of the river.
I sit back and contemplate my loss for a few minutes. The river flows majestically on its never ending journey. I tie on a new nymph and catch a couple more consolation fish the best a shade over 3lb.
Its mid-afternoon and I have a long drive home. I savour a precious few moments sat absorbing the scene. It’s truly a riverside angling heaven, crystal clear waters, hard fighting trout and total peace. Once in a while it’s good to visit these legendary waters casting in the shadows of those who have created a tranquil stage in which to immerse and gather those piscatorial dreams.
Before driving home, I take a short walk with my camera to try and capture the essence of the river. Its good to visit perfection from time to time but is it any more rewarding than those clear waters that tumble from the moors back home in Devon?
As a child I dangled a worm in the tiny river Umber in Combe Martin a lifetime away from casts on the revered Test. Those butter bellied miniature brown trout were every bit as beautiful as those of the Test so sad that their numbers have been allowed to dwindle.
Rivers are the arteries of the land and it is so vital that we care for them by fighting pollution and over abstraction on every stream and river from the revered Test to babbling brook.
