Snap shots from the waters edge

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North Devon has a vast range of waters to fish with an abundance of different species to target. Below are a few snap shots from the Water Edge,

The dwindling waters of Wistlandpound on a late spring evening.

A typical Wistlandpound brownie; great fun on a 5 wt.

(Above) An unsuccessful trip to the coast with the lure rod the sea full of suspended weed; but it was still good to breath in the salty air.

 

(Above) A short morning session resulted in this mirror carp at Bideford Clubs Karens Lake.

(Below)

Sometimes its good to get back to basics. James joined me for a session at Jennetts watching a crimson topped float close to the water Lily’s. Watching the float disappear was a delight and resulted in small roach, skimmers and a tackle twisting eel that reminded me of my younger days when these slimy tackle twisters were a common feature of catches.

 

It’s Bass on the Lure Season!

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Combe Martin SAC member Jack Philips got his lure fishing season underway with this 48cm bass that was tempted on a  5 ” Megabass spindle worm.

Conditions are good and the water is warming up so CMSAC members will start to register fish for their Summer long lure fishing competition sponsored by High Street Tackle.

The New Patchinko 125 Colours Are Arriving…..

After a very long wait the latest new Xorus colours are now available in the Patchinko 125 – we expect them to arrive here around 11th May…there is only a limited number available and they are available now to pre order…..

The stock pictures do not do proper justice to them in reality so I have taken this picture above using models we already have in the shop in the relevant colours, as follows from the top – Spring Minnow, French Wakasagi and Metal Ayu.

High Street Tackle Publish New Blog

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High Street Tackle New Blog Post Published…

Read High Street Tackles latest blog post here – https://www.highstreettackle.co.uk/blogs/Match-The-Hatch–Spring for some spring time inspiration/ideas.

Our blog facility is quite new and will be updated as regularly as new products and general information determine. So far we have published some useful articles covering the following subjects

The IMA Sasuke range

Our Custom Boat Lure Bundles

and a couple more specific new product reviews.

As always feel to contact us should you have any queries…..

High Street Tackle

Sexy mackerel lures – To tempt bass and anglers!

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Danny Watson at High Street Tackle love his lures and has a steady stream of lures arriving to tempt both anglers and bass!

Im thinking it won’t be long before a few bass are being tempted from North Devon’s coastline.

IMA Komomo II – Sexy Mackerel….

The IMA Komomo II is by far one of the most popular lures from IMA and has a place in many lure anglers A Team box…

At 110mm weighing 15g it casts extremely well and rated to swim at 10-20cm it will be in amongst the action on many occasions…

Just arrived in the UK is this new version for 2022 – Sexy Mackerel – click either of the pictures to buy yours now…..

The arrival of this colour brings the number of colours currently in stock of just this one model to 16 – from our massive selection of over 150 different IMA lures!

A fish to restore the faith

Eleven years ago on November 6th I was with Kevin Legge when he landed his then British Record tope of 66lb 8oz a  fish that broke his own record tope coincidentally landed on November 6th, 2006. Interestingly in November 1979 Combe Martin SAC member Barry Hill landed a British Record coalfish scaling 18lb. These historic captures were in our minds as Kevin and I set out for a shore fishing session on the anniversary of the capture of that record tope.

Confidence is a vital ingredient in all forms of fishing and whilst the fishing has been difficult recently with catches poor it only takes one fish to lift the spirits and restore the faith.

We arrived at our chosen mark in daylight and were all set up with baits in the water well before high water. It was good to be at the shoreline watching the rods and taking in the ever flowing waters of The Bristol Channel. Bites came from the off with the rod tips rattling as we targeted rockling or pouting to use as bait for larger predators. A succession of rockling and small tackle twisting conger were swung onto the rocks. An hour before high water as darkness descended we both cast out fresh rockling baits and set the rods on a shared tripod.

We continued to catch small conger and rockling leaving the rockling baits anchored out in the tide.High tide came and went and the tide ebbed away. On the welsh coast fireworks lit up the sky at Port Talbot and Swansea.  Two hours after high water Kev’s rockling rod nodded slightly raising hope. We intended to fish until 8:30pm and packed away one rod each at 8:00pm concentrating on the rockling baits that had been out for close to two and a half hours.

At 8:15pm there came a rasping call from my reel as the rod tip pulled over positively. We both thought tope and I picked up the rod with a degree of trepidation. For a moment the run stopped and at that same moment my headlight decided to falter! Kev passed a spare and I held the rod until another strong pull came. I engaged the reel, wound down and lifted the rod.  I felt life on the end of the line then for a moment all was solid as I leant back hard expecting a strong run. There came a sickening moment as something gave way then once again I felt a decent weight as whatever I had hooked swam free from a potential snag. Kev scrambled down the rock with net in hand as a silver flank appeared in the searching beam of the headlights. As the fish came closer its head looked huge as it gills flared.

Safely in the net we admired a fine bass that pulled the scales to 7lb 5oz. After weighing and a quick photo I slipped the bass back and watched it swim strongly away. Not quite a specimen but a reasonable fish and a pleasing catch to restore the faith and renew the drive to get out again.

Kev wound in his rockling to find that a small conger had been hooked.

North Devons top shore mark?

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Ilfracombe Pier is often overlooked as a great shore fishing venue but on its day when conditions are right it can produce the goods. Over the years it has probably produced more species and specimens than any other North Devon mark. Whilst this is in part due to it being easily accessible and heavily fished its is also a good mark offering deep water and mixed ground. Ilfracombe angler Toby Bassett is a frequent visitor  and catches a wide range of species from the mark with tactics ranging from LRF to standard shore tactics.

“Well what an afternoon that was, rocked up to the pier mid day, and normally i just put small baits out for the mini stuff but changed it up today and put a big octopus bait out as far as i could first fish out a lovely little huss, next chuck my biggest bass to date a cracking silver bar knocking the scale between 9 and half 10.. To top it off i caught 3 lobsters as well”

The veterans amongst us remember the days of the old pier when it provided a safe stable fishing platform at all States of the tide.

 

Bass Sport on Bluefin

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Troy Laing and Toby Bassett were amongst anglers to enjoy some great bass sport off Ilfracombe on-board Bluefin. Autumn often provides some of the years best bass fishing over local reefs and this year everything seems to be running a little late so perhaps sport will continue right through the autumn months if weather permits access.

Huss, tope, conger and bass off Ilfracombe

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SOUTH MOLTON ANGLING CLUB
South Molton angling club enjoyed a day off Ilfracombe with John Barbeary on BluefIn. Report from Ed Rands below :-
It was a bit overcast and we had a heavy shower in the afternoon but it didn’t dampen our spirits. 
Often this time of year can be good for bass on the horseshoe so after a couple of drifts on inshore reefs to let the tide ease we went out for the main event which needless to say produced no bass and only a few pollack and scad.
We then moved to another place and anchored up which produced a 20lb tope and a 25lb conger,a 14lb huss and the inevitable dogfish. 
We tried the horseshoe again on our way in, still no bass!
We then finished the day off inshore off Lee bay, more huss, dogs and conger. 
In all we had 25 huss, 10 conger,20 scad,3 pollack a starry smoothound and bjorn caught a mussel and a starfish, but the biggest cheer was for richards 4″ joey mackerel which are getting like hens teeth….how things change 

Below Troy Laing with a nice bass caught on Bluefin. A few days after the South Molton Club trip