20 Mar 2023

CASTS IN HOPE

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Hard to believe that three weeks of the 2023 salmon season have passed already. The first few days of the season saw rivers running low and clear with numerous kelt’s tempted by anglers fishing the lower Taw. There were rumoured to be a couple of fresh springers tempted but I have not actually seen any pictures of such fish.

Heavy spells of rain have brought the Taw and Torridge up and a couple of weeks have seen both rivers virtually unfishable. I set out today for my first visit to the Middle Torridge.

The river was running higher than ideal but clarity was good with a perfect tinge of colour. If any salmon were present I felt there would be a chance. Salmon are scarce these days and expectation is not as heightened as it once was. Despite this we fish on in hope and drift flies across those old lies where the line has tightened in the past.

After a couple of drifts across the river the line zipped tight and it was good to feel life pulsing through the rod and line. A pleasing brown trout of close to 1lb had siezed the salmon fly.

Steady rain was falling as I reacquainted myself with the river. It was good to be back once again on the river bank. The yellow splash of colour from primrose and daffodil telling that spring was here. Catkins and pussy willow decorated the riverside trees.

Pheasants broke cover occasionally startling me as they fled, mallards flew up from the river and buzzards mewed high above the trees.

All seemed as it should yet I couldn’t help but reflect on the depressing words of the ghillie who spoke of the dying river Wye on the BBCs Country file. The Wye that borders England was once one of the country’s greatest salmon rivers, today it is dying as a result of pollution and climate change.

The Taw, Torridge and most South West rivers are suffering a similar fate. It is sad that we could be the last generation to enjoy the privilege of fishing for the Atlantic salmon.

With this in mind I savour each cast hopeful that I might once again connect with that iconic silver bar.

22 Jan 2023

Fishing New Waters – Cheddar

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

FISHING A NEW WATER – Cheddar

Tackle shops can often be the start of angling adventures as was the case when I was chatting with Mark Potter of Quay Sports. When Cheddar Reservoir popped up in a conversation about pike fishing Mark asked if I had ever fished the venue. I hadn’t but said it was a venue I have often wanted to try.

A few weeks later I started the car as the temperature read -3.5 degrees. After clearing icy windows I traversed the slippery roads to meet up at Quay Sports where Mark Potter, Mark Frith ( Lakebed leads) and I loaded the van with our tackle for the day.

We arrived at Cheddar reservoir as the sun slowly illuminated the frosty landscape. We met up with Ryan turner a good friend of Marks who had caught pike from the reservoir on previous trips.

Cheddar Reservoir is a manmade concrete bowl completed in 1937 with a surface area of 260 acres. It is one of Bristol Waters reservoirs with the fishing managed by Cheddar Angling Club.

We were targeting the venues pike and headed for a deep area of the reservoir known to produce pike on a regular basis. Rod pods are essential for fishing from the concrete steps that surround the water and were coated with ice as we set up.

Dead-baits were the chosen tactic with some of us opting for legered baits others choosing the pleasing crimson of a pike float upon the water. Popped up baits are considered a good option on this water that has extensive areas of weed.

After casting an array of bait’s, we sat back to enjoy the view as the sun slowly rose in the sky. The Somerset levels stretched out to the South and East and the Mendip Hills and the famous Cheddar Gorge to the North. The vast sheet of water twinkled in the morning sun and large flocks of water birds floated upon the calm surface.

Ryan Turner said that it was very much a morning water and we were all full of optimism for the day ahead. Any moment an alarm would surely sing out the question was how big would the pike be? On checking my set up I was slightly concerned to find the line frozen solid in the rod rings! A quick tug on the line every five minutes ensured that it was kept free until the rising sun brought the temperature above freezing.

As the sun rose the dog walkers, strollers and joggers came out in good numbers circum-navigating the lake and glancing at the camouflaged guys sat expectantly behind their rods.

We chatted of fish, fishing venues of tactics and of past glories. Mark Frith has fished North Devon waters for many years and has many reflections on past days beside the water and the potential to catch a wide range of species. Modern days focus upon carp fishing has resulted in many of today’s generation overlooking the chance to catch specimen perch, eels and bream.

As the morning ebbed away it became obvious that the pike were not actively seeking a meal. Our hopes refocused upon a late in the day feeding spell as the light began to fade.

Baits were changed from time to time and relocated within our swims. We had decided on a sit and wait approach confident that pike would be present. At around 4.00pm Mark Friths alarm sounded and a small jack came to the net. Perhaps this would signal the start of a feeding spell?

*Mark’s dog Scruff watches the pike swim away.*

News that an angler fishing the far bank had caught three pike increased our hopes. He was using a bait boat and was placing his bait at long range. Perhaps the fish were too far out for us to reach?

The sun slowly sank to the horizon and the surroundings were illuminated by a golden glow. Large numbers of silver fish dimpled the surface with occasional large swirls indicating the likely presence of feeding predators. Hope lingered as the temperature began to drop along with the light.

We packed away as darkness fell another day done. Ancient oaks were silhouetted against the embers of the day and the first stars blinked as night descended. The call of owls drifted across the fields and we headed for home. Despite a blank day for most of us our spirits were high as we discussed plans for the coming year and opportunities that would surely come our way.

2 Jan 2023

Combe Martin SAC – Festive Competition

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

Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs Get some Fresh Air Festive Fish saw members fish marks across North Devon with a wide variety of species registered. Whilst no 100% plus species were caught several good fish were registered. Species caught included rockling, dogfish, spotted ray, small eyed ray, conger, thick lipped grey mullet, Bull Huss, pollock, spurdog and tope.

Results : –

1st Wayne Thomas – Thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 2oz 97.059%

2nd Kevin Legge – Conger – 18lb 90%

3rd Kevin Legge – Tope – 26lb 14oz – 89.583%

4th John Avery – Thick Lipped grey mullet – 83.824%

5th – Daniel Welch – dogfish – 2lb 7oz – 81.250%

6th – Kevin Legge – Spurdog – 7lb 14oz – 78.750%

7th – Ross Stanway – Bull Huss – 7lb 13oz – 78.125%

8th – Wayne Thomas – Thick Lipped Grey Mullet 3lb 2oz – 73.529%

9th – Jonathon Stanway – conger – 13lb 11oz – 68.437%

*John Avery – thick lipped grey mullet – 3lb 9oz*

6 Dec 2022

Depressing Statistics

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

We all know that statistics can be misleading but the facts above are pretty depressing taken at face value. The catch return data relates to the 2021 season so this year’s drought hit season will undoubtedly be even worse.

A 50% reduction in salmon caught is in itself a startling figure that is of course to some extent related to the reduction in angling effort as a result of the COVID epidemic. The vast majority of salmon and sea trout caught are now released in an effort to safeguard stocks that have tumbled in recent decades.

When I started fishing for salmon in the early 1980’s stocks were recovering from the blight of UDN a disease that decimated stocks across the UK. The number of salmon caught then was still far higher than today. On the River Lyn some individual local anglers caught in excess of one hundred salmon in a season. They reflected on times when salmon packed the pools like sardines. I suspect this season’s total catch will total less than 25 for the Lyn and little more for the Rivers Taw and Torridge combined.

The reasons for this catastrophic collapse are complex and many. Climate change is undoubtedly a big player along with historic overfishing by commercial fleets. There is also a complex imbalance of the natural eco-system with predators such as seals, cormorants, mergansers and otters taking large numbers of salmon throughout their incredible migration.

A relatively recent impact upon the salmon stocks of the West of Scotland has been salmon farming a toxic industry.

Pete Tyjas a well-known Local Fly Fishing enthusiast and editor of Fly Culture Magazine has launched a campaign to raise awareness surrounding the toxic nature of salmon farming and its devastating impact on wild fish stocks. Pete writes “Please DON’T EAT FARMED SALMON – Here’s Why – Huge and unnatural swarms of parasites (sea lice) that attack penned fish and kill young migrating wild salmon and sea trout. Serious pollution of the sea bed and coastal waters from chemicals, antibiotics and tons of fish faeces that smothers and kills sea life. Worldwide devastation of fish stocks, super trawlers to provide feed for fish farms that is destroying the life of coastal communities.”

Salmon have been migrating into the Rivers of the UK for many thousands perhaps millions of years. The last ice age ended around 25,000 years ago and at some point after this salmon the king of fish established a thriving population forging upriver in abundance. A couple of hundred years ago these fish were harvested and eaten in large numbers but it was not until Victorian times that the salmon was recognised as the king of fish sought after for sport by the wealthy upper classes.

During the early twentieth century salmon populations were able to support both a commercial fishery and a healthy sporting industry that supported many hotels, tackle shops and country estates. It still does in parts of the Scottish East coast where mighty Rivers like the Spey and Tay still have large runs of fish.

It is tragic that we have allowed wild salmon to decline to such an extent that they could be extinct across the South West within a generation. An iconic fish that has forged into rivers for thousands of years threatened with extinction largely due to mankinds failure to support and nurture natures complex system. If we had taken care of salmon and the oceans then surely we could have continued a sustainable harvest. Short sighted greed and failure to appreciate natures worth is a lesson that is only slowly starting to sink in.

Table 15: South West salmon rod catches

River	Salmon caught	Salmon released	Percentage released
Avon Devon	12	11	92%
Avon Hants	88	88	100%
Axe	0	0	0%
Camel	42	42	100%
Dart	5	5	100%
Erme	4	4	100%
Exe	108	98	91%
Fowey	94	92	98%
Frome	42	42	100%
Lyn	44	43	98%
Lynher	63	61	97%
Plym	3	2	67%
Tamar	178	162	91%
Tavy	30	27	90%
Taw	59	57	97%
Teign	33	30	91%
Torridge	18	17	94%
Yealm	0	0	0%
Other	0	0	0%
Total	823	781	95%

11 Oct 2022

Mullet Dominate CMSAC Competition

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

Daniel Welch dominated Combe Martin SAC’s Lyn Fish competition taking the top three places with grey Mullet of 5lb 5oz, 3lb 8oz and 3lb 2oz. His son Solly also enjoyed success tempting a mullet of around 2lb.

Ten anglers fished the competition with Open coast fishing for heavyweight species proving difficult with just a few dogfish caught on baits intended for ray, bass and huss.

22 Sep 2022

A Glimpse of what we have lost

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

I spotted this on the Lyn Valley History groups Facebook Page a common skate caught off Lynmouth in 1922. I wrote of the capture of skate off Lynmouth in my book “I Caught A Glimpse” published in 2019. There are a limited number left with the publishers if you would like to purchase a copy.

Looking back at the potential of fishing off North Devon 100 years ago can be depressing for in this relatively short chapter in natures book we have lost a huge amount due to mankind’s irresponsible disregard for the natural world and its complex ecosystems This was the general theme of a talk I attended with our son James last weekend. The complex issues facing the world today were highlighted in a fascinating and at times humorous talk by my good friend Dr Mark Everard. His book “Rebuilding the Earth” is well worth reading.

The River East Lyn one hundred years ago would have been full of salmon and sea trout in numbers that seem unbelievable today. In the past 50 years the salmon runs have crashed to an all time low. This exceptionally long dry summer has resulted in salmon waiting in the bay for a summer spate where they have been prey to seals. Some have succumbed to disease and have been feasted upon by seagulls.

There are perhaps glimmers of hope as nature struggles on and at times species recover or move into waters where a change in the food chain opens a window of opportunity. After a commercial ban porbeagle shark seem to be recovering and there are even good numbers of tuna visiting the waters off the South West. Pioneering local skipper Dan Hawkins has been searching for these huge fish from Ilfracombe travelling to the fringes of the Atlantic with considerable success with shark. If fishery’s are sustainably managed fish stocks and eco-systems can recover.

*A porbeagle boatside in September 2022*

*Skate off Lynmouth photo credit to Ashley Clarke*

I purchased a book on the history of Lynton and Lynmouth by John Travis shortly before commencing this book. Contained within its pages is a chapter on “Holiday Pleasures” and within this section a reference to “Monsters from the Deep”. An old photograph shows a multiple catch of huge common skate. Reading through this fascinating narrative it becomes apparent that these huge fish were once a common feature of boat angling trips off Lynmouth in and around 1900. Cecil Bevan a local hotelier took angling parties out in his boat Kingfisher. On December 1^st 1908 he set a record catch of 675lb that included 35 conger, two skate, four cod fish and a pollock. The book contains a fascinating account of a day on the boat written by a local journalist.

Within this account he tells of a skate caught that weighed 196lb.

A friend found further evidence of the skate and porbeagle fishing in the book, “Saltwater Game Fishes of the World and Illustrated history”. Within the pages of this tome are a couple of pictures from the “Fishing Gazette” July 4^th 1896 that show a huge skate and a catch of large cod and conger.

Local angler Bob Harrop fished over the sandbanks off Lynmouth in the 1970’s and tells me that he hooked a couple of large skate that he estimated to weigh around 50lb. During this time and in the years running up to this he tells me that the banks were much bigger. Heavy dredging for building sand is believed to be a major factor in the reduction of the banks. It is told that at one time the banks became exposed at low water to such an extent that a cricket match was once played upon the sands!

The banks can at times provide exciting bass fishing during late autumn. Ray can also be caught from the banks with blonde, spotted and small eyed regularly hooked. Large skate are probably a feature of the past but who knows perhaps they will return.

The Lynton and Lynmouth book also contains a picture of a porbeagle shark. These hard fighting predators have been caught off North Devon’s coastline on a regular basis for many years. The top area for these sharks is probably the area off Hartland Point at the mouth of the Bristol Channel.

https://thelittleegretpress.co.uk/product/i-caught-a-glimpse-ltd-edition-hardback/

13 Sep 2022

Salmon Caught on both Taw & Torridge

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Uncategorised | 0

Small rises in the Taw and Torridge brought some hope of salmon with a few reported following the weekend. A twelve pound cock fish was caught by Barry Mills at Little Warham fishery on the River Torridge and two salmon were tempted on the Taw by Simon Hillcox.. It is likely that foul water following these small spates has deterred some fish from entering the rivers. A deluge of rain is required before the seasons end if good numbers of salmon are to be tempted from the rivers. There have been reports of fish leaping in the estuaries.

22 Aug 2022

FUN FISH 2022

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

Combe Martin SAC Fun Fishing event is on September 4th details below. Would be great to see you on the day.

4 Aug 2022

QUAY SPORTS AND DEVON ANGLERS – SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S HOSPICE SOUTH WEST

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar, Uncategorised, Young At Heart | 0

Some of our amazing supporters at Quay Sports in Barnstaple donated money raised at their 1st Anniversary Fundraiser. They raised an impressive £1122 in ONE day and we’d just like to say a massive thank you to Toby, Harrison, Chris and Mark L and the rest of the store team for continuing to fundraise for Children’s Hospice South West.

12 Jul 2022

Heatwave In Paradise

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

I joined a group of friends at Anglers Paradise fishing the Eldorado day Ticket Catfish Lake. We had booked the lake for the weekend ensuring we would have exclusive use throughout our stay.

The weather forecast predicted high temperatures, unbroken sunshine and light winds, perfect for catfish based on Bruce Elston the groups organisers previous experience.

Due to other commitments I could only attend for the first full day of the session which reduced the need for bivvies and associated camping gear.

We met up on the Saturday morning off-loading a mountain of gear and assembling on the lakeside for a discussion on where to set up. This was based around likely location of fish and the focus on enabling a vital social aspect of the fishing.

By the time we had debated where to fish, tackled up and baited swims it was late morning and the sun was beating down from a cloudless sky upon calm waters. Lush summer growth surrounded the lake with many summer flowers in full bloom.

Five anglers two rods each. The wait began with a steady intake of cool water and snacks. Anticipation was high as we soaked up the sun with the England versus India Cricket match results punctuating the day.

The sight of a grass snake crossing the lake was appreciated by all present an indication of the rich diversity of nature provided by the vast complex of lakes nestled deep in the heart of Devon.

Whilst we all shared a deep passion for angling I think we all appreciate the vital role being with nature plays in supporting our mental health during these strange and challenging times.

It was late afternoon when Bruce’s bite indicator sounded the alarm as something moved off with his bait in the far margin. The rod hooped over as Bruce began persuading what was undoubtedly a good sized catfish to the waiting net. Large swirls in the lake raised expectations as Bruce put his tackle to the test. Eventually a large eel like shape emerged from the murky water and was coaxed over the waiting net to a round of congratulations.

The fish was kept in the net for a few moments whilst the unhooking mat and weigh sling were drenched with cool lake water. The scales were checked and zeroed and cameras switched on in readiness with some thought given to where the sun was and its likely impact with shadows etc.

This first cat of the weekend scaled 30lb 12oz and was one of five catfish to be landed by Bruce over the weekend.

Anticipation grew with the capture of this specimen catfish and it was a happy bunch of anglers who wound in their rods to savour a delicious pizza delivered by Bruce’s wife from the local Inn at Halwill Junction. https://www.thejunctioninnhalwill.co.uk/pizzamenu/

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon it was time for me to leave and head for home. The rest of the party remained and I was sure more catfish would grace their nets over the remainder of the weekend.

The following morning, I was delighted to check my phone and find an array of images showing catfish caught by Bruce and John Hughes. The total catch for the weekend was eight catfish. Bruce landing cats of 38lb 10oz, 37lb 10oz, 30lb 12oz, 22lb 5oz and 21lb 12oz. John Hughes banking three cats the best scaling 20lb 8oz and 15lb 4oz.

Bruce with a fine catfish of 38lb 10oz

Despite Mitch, Ben and myself blanking it had been a pleasure to relax in Paradise with good company beneath a cloudless summer sky. Plans are already being made for a return next year or maybe sooner.