21 Jun 2021

Bideford & District Angling Club – Junior Competition Round 2 Result

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All credit to Bideford Angling Club in organising this fabulous competition for the clubs Junior members. many thanks to Martin Turner for the report.

   BDAC Junior Competition No2 held today at Tarka swims .

Results:Over 14s

1st Tyler Scott 11lb 10oz

2nd Thomas Scott 10lb 12oz

3rd Joe Westcott 5lb 13oz

4th Adam Wheeler  1lb 10oz

Under 14’s

1st Brodie Allin 9lb 10oz

2nd Thomas Conibear 2lb 15oz

3rd Harry Mounce 2lb.

Lovely afternoon for this 3 hour event held on the shallower pegs on Georges lake , the Scott brothers shared the top spots again , with Tyler coming out best this time on peg 25 , a nice bag of tench crucians and rudd topped off with a 5lb carp. Thomas was second with mainly skimmers on peg 5. Star of the show was 6 year old Brodie on his first match, winning the under 14’s off peg 2 with a great net of fish all caught on a short pole .We must again thank Summerlands and Bait Tek for their kind support with prizes.

5 Jun 2021

Bideford Angling Club – Junior Event

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Bideford Angling Club held the first of their Summer fishing events at Tarka Swims. Great to see a good number of juniors coming into fishing. Well done to Bideford for such a sterling effort.
Today’s first Junior Event Tarka Swims , Results: Over 14’s
1st Tom Scott  9lb 15oz
2nd Tyler Scoot   6lb 12oz
3rd   Adam Wheeler 6lb 6oz
4th Joe Westcott 3lb 9oz
Under 14’s
1st Charlie H 4lb 6oz
2nd Tom G 2lb 1oz.
Our junior members enjoyed the 3 hour afternoon event on the shallower pegs, conditions were warm and overcast.Tom landed a late carp on peg 22 to secure victory, older brother Tyler had a good mixed net on peg 23 for second, just pipping Adam in to third. Many thanks to our helpers and a special thank you to Tom Downing for securing a fine box of prizes from BaitTech also thanks to Summerlands of Westward Ho!
4 Apr 2021

Young ZAINE CATCHES A MONSTER

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Zenia Gregorek reports :-
Our Son has only gone and caught a personal best 40lb Catfish!! He fought it like a little legend (poor boy, as he was fighting it, couldn’t stop saying, my arms hurt, my arms hurt!!!)
But he won the battle and has even beat his Mummy’s PB now!!!
Caught using a Dynamite Baits 20mm Squid & Octopus Hard Hookbait
topped with a Pineapple & Banana pop up glugged in Squid & Octopus Liquid Attractant
Anglers Paradise
8 Feb 2021

A FINE BIRTHDAY PRESENT – Ten Year old Zaine banks carp brace

by | posted in: Carp Fishing, Young At Heart | 0

Proud parents Joe and Zenia Drury Gregorek sent me this heartwarming  report from Anglers Paradise.

Zaine Drury-Gregorek who knows how to celebrate his 10th birthday and that was to go fishing! Zaine had a few hours on Anglers Eldorado’s Cat and Carp Lake 1 and caught a stunning Mirror and a lovely Common! Needless to say it was the best Birthday ever and he didn’t want to leave! Zaine caught the Carp using Munchbaits Citrus Blend Pop Ups.

Anglers Paradise
13 Sep 2020

Angling Generations

by | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Norman Bird was a founder member of Combe Martin Sea Angling Club and I was fortunate to join the club ten years after his son Nigel who joined the club in 1963. Nigel and I fished together with the club on many occasions during the seventies and early eighties and now fish together from time to time with the Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club. I was pleased fo receive this picture from Nigel showing his grandson George enjoying his first fishing trip with his grandad at Bratton Water where they enjoyed catching a fine bag of rainbow and brown trout.

It is great to see the generations as they discover the joys of angling. For many years I enjoyed trips out of Combe Martin on George Eastmans boat Star of Scillionia PW265.  and was also privileged to help out from time to time hauling lobster pots and taking trips around the bay. Those glorious summer days were greatly enhanced by Georges great grandad George Eastman of whom I have many fond memories . Much has changed over the years but I still feel a sense of belonging when I stroll upon the foreshore at Combe Martin reminiscing upon a lifetime of encounters within the bay.

Footnote – Nigel traced Star of Scillionia PW265 around the West Country over the years from the Isles of Scilly to the Helford Passage were she was finally decommissioned and broken up.

16 Aug 2020

Day Ticket Catfish at Anglers Paradise

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One of angling greatest joys is introducing your children to the joys of angling. Damion Babb took his daughter Imogen to Anglers Paradise Day ticket Eldorado catfish lake where she caught a fine cat of 20lb 12oz. “Wow my girl with her cat that she wanted 20lb 12oz & she had a right old fight with it so proud of her”.

The fish won Imogen the complexes Fish off the Month Competition!

Bruce Elston and John Hughes enjoyed success with the catfish at Anglers Paradise’s day ticket Eldorado Catfish Lake.

Anglers Paradise
20 Apr 2020

Childhood Streams – By Ross Stanway

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Many thanks to Ross Stanway who produced this enchanting piece for North Devon Angling News. I know that there are many who will read this and recall their own days beside childhood streams. The West Country is criss-crossed by these fascinating streams that have seen many hundreds of anglers born. The piece is illustrated with more of Ross’s stunning illustrations available via his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RossStanwayMarineArt/

 

6 Dec 2019

Great Torrington Army Cadet’s Fly Fishing for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award 2019

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This year’s course started on 2nd April 2019 with a basic Introduction into Fly Fishing, over the past 7 months 4 cadets from Great Torrington Detachment have worked hard learning the different elements required to be proficient fly fishermen, these included types of Rods, Reels, Flies, Lines, Leaders & Casting.

On 16th April we had a visit from Paul Carter, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer to talk about his job and Licencing.

As well as Paul we had another visitor, Alan Crawley, River Warden for the Commons Conservators to talk about the work he’s been doing to improve access to the river by installing steps etc.

The Cadets found this evening really interesting.

15th June was our fly tying day where the cadets were instructed in the art of fly tying, this was also an opportunity for them to tie a selection of flies ready for the lake days to follow, all the cadets successfully managed to tie 6 reasonably flies by the end of the day.

13th July was our first Lake day, Simpsons Valley Trout & Course Fishery, near Holsworthy. This day proved to be challenging and despite everyone’s best efforts no fish were caught, but the cadets did get a lot of experience.

27th July should have been our second lake days, Bratton Water Fly Fishery, Barnstaple. Unfortunately due to so much other training happening that weekend which some of the group were involved in, we had to cancel.

30th November was our third lake day, Blakewell Trout Fishery, Barnstaple. This day started with a guided tour around the farm to see and learn about the fish, how water levels, oxygen level and temperatures affect the fish’s growth & wellbeing.

Fishing was challenging with fish following lures and turning away at the last moment, the cadet didn’t let this put them off but persevered in their quest to catch and land their first fish.

By the end of the day the cadets had all caught a fish to take home, best result ever, a perfect end to the course.

The Cadets and Instructors would like to thank the following people for their continued support,

Paul Carter                   Environment Agency Fisheries Officer

Alan Crawley                 River Warden for the Commons Conservators

Paul Cozens                  Simpsons Valley Trout & Course Fishery

Andrew Moores            Simpsons Valley Trout & Course Fishery

Mike Williams               Bratton Water Fly Fishery

Richard Nickell              Blakewell Fishery

John Nickell                  Blakewell Fishery

 

 

 

3 Dec 2019

I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE – A Great Winter Read

by | posted in: Article, Carp Fishing, Casting around North Devon, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE – Fishing In North Devon

            I have been privileged to enjoy over forty years fishing North Devon’s varied waters enjoying both success and failure. The places and the many people I have met along the way have greatly enriched the journey and as the years pass I realise that all we ever get is a fleeting glimpse of a period in angling history.

In this book I tell a few of my own stories of North Devon angling along with recollections from others; some from an earlier generation who enjoyed fishing in those good old days.

I have no favourite species of fish just the one I am fishing for at the time and this book reflects this with every discipline of angling represented. From the small crimson spotted trout of tumbling streams to the huge shark that roam the Atlantic Ocean.

Angling is in essence an attempt to reach into a different dimension. Its fascination has for me never ceased and I always believe that the next cast will be the one that connects, that marvellous moment of completed deception. The anglers I have interviewed in writing this book reflect upon past times when they too glimpsed piscatorial events that they enjoyed recalling. Stories of lost fisheries, big fish, record fish of angler’s their attitudes and love of fishing.

I hope that I manage to share and convey the joys of angling in North Devon and provide a glimpse into a century of marvellous fishing.

 

Just a fleeting glimpse,

Of Memories gone,

A hopeful glimpse of what may come,

 

When its bitter cold outside its often good to settle down by the fire to read a good book.  ” I Caught A Glimpse” has an array of fishing stories from North Devon with all disciplines catered for if your interested check out this review from Dominic Garnett and the comments from my friend Paul French.

https://dgfishing.co.uk/winter-coarse-fishing-and-new-angling-books-reviewed/?fbclid=IwAR1STJpBKb5FDftACxckmT4Gjl9zb5UknO9M0eyvbEQuhmITPgH2TQLF5As

I received this email from my friend Paul French who took the book on a cruise.

“We’ve recently returned from a cruise to Norway which provided me with ample time to read your book and what a thoroughly good read it was too! The passion you undoubtably have for this pastime of ours is embodied in the words on each and every page. The part mix of autobiographical and part historical is I believe a unique blende and certainly not something I’ve seen attempted elsewhere. It couldn’t have been an easy project to undertake and metaphorically reading between the lines the reader may understandably not appreciate the hours and days of research you have put into it. You’ve smashed it, all round my kind of book. 

All we need now is a Glimpse of the next one”.

https://thelittleegretpress.co.uk/product-category/author/wayne-thomas/

Available from The Little Egret Press or drop me a PM via my Facebook Page or North Devon Angling News.