I joined South Molton Angling Club for a trip out of Ilfracombe aboard Bluefins skippered by John Barbeary. On assembling on the boat we discussed our options for the day. We could head out to Lundy and target tope and pollock or perhaps fish closer to our own coast targeting bass, tope, huss and conger. It was one of the biggest tides of the year and the big tides had coloured the water raising a question mark over the likelihood of good lure fishing for bass,
After a short discussion we decided to fish closer inshore hoping for tope in Woolacombe Bay followed by a session after bass over a reef and then to anchor at various marks for some general bottom fishing.
It was one the club members first boat fishing trips so even a dogfish brought a broad smile to the face of George Belcher-Truss as he swung it aboard. A few huss followed with Andy Gray and Ed Rands boating huss of close to 10lb.
As the tide eased away we moved a couple of times and at each mark enjoyed sport with huss and small conger.
A move to fish a reef saw several scad brought to the boat but no bass. The scad were welcome as fresh bait to tempt tope on our next session at anchor.
Stephen Edmunds swings in a string full of scad.
The next mark at anchor saw Richard Power boat a pleasing tope of around 25lb that gave a good account of itself. Several other fish were hooked at this mark but managed to shake the hook free.
As the tide pull increased John suggested a quick drift over a wreck where he had received reports of pollock. This proved to be unproductive.
John was undoubtedly frustrated at the lack of fish in numbers and tried several marks in an attempt to locate feeding fish.A few more huss were tempted over rough ground close to the rugged and spectacular More Point.
John Barbeary ponders another move.
With warm sunshine and a calming sea it was good to be afloat off the spectacular North Devon Coast, a Coast that can at times be challenging with fish hard to find. Fishing is often unpredictable with each season different. I chatted with John about this summers season and John told of a good summer with large numbers of mackerel in June and July bringing back memories of the good old days. The next couple of month offer the chance of good tope, bass and constant good numbers of Bull Huss.
It’s sometimes good to rekindle visits to old ports and a trip to Plymouth chasing blue shark was an opportunity I relished. After an early start I met up with Jeff Pearce, Mark Underhill, James Coggan and Wayne Webb at Plymouth Hoe. The morning sun was glowing behind Sutton Harbour and the National Marine Aquarium as thundery clouds hung low as the heatwave of recent days faded with the onset of a low pressure system.
We jumped aboard Dave Uren’s Mirage www.miragecharters.co.uk and steamed out into Plymouth Sound after picking up Dave’s Crewman Tony from the East side of the harbour.
The familiar sites of Plymouth slowly faded into the distance as we headed for waters beyond the Eddystone Lighthouse thirteen miles off the coast.
Far out here the sea was a deeper clearer blue; storm petrels swooped low over the water as huge cargo boats travelled the shipping lanes. The dense clouds of earlier in the day had burnt away with light fluffy cumulus clouds populating a blue summer sky.
Tony the crewman had worked hard as we bounced across the waves preparing a good sized tub of rubby-dubby made from mashed up fish and the skippers own secret ingredients. This was placed into large onion sacks and tied to the boat rails and lowered into the water where the motion of the waves released a steady trickle of oil scent and particles.
As the shark rods were carefully prepared by Tony we had a draw to determine the sequence of run taking. I was fortunate to draw number one, Jeff was number two, James three, Wayne four and Mark five.
I always relish this part of the day. Rods set, floats bobbing in an oily slick the day ahead a blank canvas of adventure and possibility.
After a short while a reel was screaming its harsh staccato warning. I picked up the rod and felt for the pull of the fish that appeared to have dropped the bait. I reeled in a few yards and waited for a few moments fearing my chance had gone. As I went to put the rod down the reel once again screamed and I tightened the drag winding to take up tension and allow the circle hook to gain a hold. After a spirited battle a blue of around 70lb appeared boat-side where it was released in a flurry of spray.
The rods were reset and the drift continued. Whilst waiting bottom baits were sent down to the sea bed where whiting and small gurnard seized the baited feathers. Some of the whiting were used as shark baits the gurnard were returned and swam briskly down into the depths from whence they had come.
A handsome gurnard
A gannet appeared boat side scrounging for scraps, unusual behaviour for a bird that normally thrills as it plummets from the sky to feast upon its prey. Dave commented that numerous dead gannets have been sighted floating upon the sea. Likely casualties of a bird flu pandemic that is decimating sea bird populations around the UK.
The sight of broken water several hundred yards from the boat caught our eyes. We all gasped in wonder as a huge tuna leapt high above the water to crash back and rejoin a feeding frenzy hidden beneath the waves.
We chatted of fish, fishing and life as the boat drifted. Anticipation slowly waned as the floats remained frustratingly buoyant. I quoted a previous skipper who had suggested the best time for shark is at around 2.00pm.
A reel screamed promptly at my prediction and Jeff grabbed the rod and set the hook. The shark battled gamely and all other tackles were removed from the water. As we peered into the clear water the large sleek blue shape of another shark appeared and approached the suspended dubby bags. Dave shouted for the bags to be lifted away from the shark for the breaking of the bags would break the all-important scent trail. The large shark circled majestically in the clear water.
Jeffs shark was unhooked boat side and a fresh whiting bait dropped in front of the shark that nudged the bait before devouring it. After a few tugs on the line the shark took off for the deeps as James Goggan enjoyed his first thrilling encounter with a blue shark.
James the owner of Fowey Aquarium http://www.foweyaquarium.co.uk had been chatting with me earlier in the day admonishing writers who waxed lyrical about shark ripping into rubby dubby bags in a feeding frenzy. After securing his prize James conceded that those angling writer’s tales were true. The next two shark came within a short time and it was almost time to head back to Plymouth with all onboard successfully having hooked and played blues estimated from 25lb to 90lb.
Just one bait remained suspended on a short line beneath the boat. To my delight the reel screamed and it was once again my turn to do battle. After a spirited tussle a blue of around 40lb was unhooked boat side. A pleasing end to our days fishing.
We steamed two hours back to Plymouth, chatting and planning further trips. The Eddystone stood on the horizon a familiar symbol of man’s long relationship with the English Channel as it meets the mighty Atlantic.
We all climbed from ‘Mirage’ just a stone’s throw from the insignificant Mayflower Steps from whence the Pilgrim Fathers had sailed to New England in 1620, over four hundred years ago.
Combe Martin SAC member Mark Jones fished from his own private boat off the North Devon Coast and hooked a huge porbeagle shark estimated at 280lb. The fish gave Mark a long and brutal battle before being brought boat-side where it was carefully measured and released.
Young Solly Welch aged 8 fished with his father Daniel from their Private boat and caught three fine bass on lures bought from High Street Tackle. The bass of 57cm and two of 58cm put Solly into second place in Combe Martin SAC’s lure fishing competition sponsored by High Street Tackle.
It was good to once again stand upon the pebbly foreshore at Beer with five fellow anglers awaiting the arrival of our skipper. It was 7.00am and we had all made an early start to reach this unique East Devon beach. This was my second boat fishing trip to Beer in search of Black Bream and I was looking forward to our day afloat.
I don’t think any of my fellow anglers had fished out of Beer before and I’m sure they all felt that sense of anticipation especially relishing the very special launching protocol on this steep beach. The boats are launched from the beach using a combination of tractors, wooden rollers (logs) winch wires and gravity!
I fished from Orca last October enjoying a fabulous day and was confident that Stuart Pike our skipper would find us a few fish and share a wealth of information gained during his many years at sea.
Stuart greeted us all warmly and helped us to load our abundance of gear onto the boat prior to launching. The morning sun was just rising over the white cliffs, a calm sea awaiting us. Those heat wave days already seemed a distant memory, I was sure I felt a slight chill in the morning air those golden days of autumn awaiting on life’s horizon.
We watched the boat and skipper crash into the calm waters before climbing aboard from the mobile pontoon.
First stop was to try and feather up a few fresh mackerel for bait. The mackerel proved hard to find with just a few succumbing from various marks despite good numbers showing on the fish finder.
We had plenty of frozen mackerel and squid for the bream fishing so Stuart suggested we get out on the bream grounds and catch the tide. The fishing grounds are not too far out and are reached in less than half an hour.
We all had light tackle set ups with only light leads required to send the baits down. Rigs were simple two hook paternoster rigs. I was using size 4 Sakuma Kong Hooks that are sharp, strong and reliable.
Stuart sent down a bait dropper of chum setting up a scent trail that would hopefully entice black bream to our baits. Bites came within minutes sharp rattles on the rod tips. That brought small pouting, scad, mackerel and bream to the boat. Keith was delighted to boat a grey gurnard his first of the species and another milestone in his quest to catch as many species as possible. This gurnard his 200th from fresh and salt-waters across the world.
Banter flowed freely between all on board as friends were re-united and new friendships forged. I had booked this trip last autumn and the final line up had changed several times over the months as potential participants drifted in and out of the plan. Fortunately, I have many angling friends keen to get afloat.
The cast for today’s adventure came from all over the South West. Keith Armishaw runs River Reads bookshop and River Reads Press with his wife Sandy https://www.riverreads.co.uk . Dr Mark Everard http://www.markeverard.uwclub.net is an author, scientist and broadcaster who has a deep passion for angling and the environment. Peter Robinson is a keen sea angler and fellow member of the Combe Martin Sea Angling Club. Mark Dean travelled down with Mark and is an all-round angler based in Somerset.
Bruce Elston is a keen all-round angler who renovates antique furniture from his work shop, Esox Antiques( The title gives a clue as to his favourite species of fish) in mid Devon.
Bruce Elston with his first black breamDr Mark Everard with a pleasing breamMark Dean with a specimen mackerel
Keith Armishaw is pleased with a black bream
The social aspect of charter boat fishing is a significant part of its charm. The bringing together of anglers into a small often cramped space is a recipe that encourages close cooperation as participants engage in the all to frequent game of knit one pearl one. Fine braided lines, hooks and traces entwining into occasionally challenging puzzles that often prove more fascinating than Rubik Cubes. This challenging team game is spiced up with the addition of twisting congers and a rocking boat. Fortunately, Stuart Pike our patient skipper is an expert in this pastime and assists frequently in addition to offering constant advice in reducing the frequency of the tangling game.
Stuart works hard at unhooking fish and untangling lines
Tangles are of course an inevitable occurrence made worse by our reluctance to fully focus upon one fish species. The fishing grounds host a wide variety of species in addition to the bream that we were targeting with our light tackle. Undulate ray, thornback ray, blonde ray, spotted ray and small eyed ray were all likely along with conger. A second heavier rod and line gave the chance of these larger species. We would of course have been better advised to focus on one rod and fish it well rather than fish two and compromise our chances.
Keith with the only ray of a day
In between marks Stuart spied a vast ball of whitebait breaking the calm sea. We motored over and drifted strings of shining feathers into a shimmering mass. It was mesmerizing to glimpse the tiny fish twisting and turning in the clear waters. The thousands of fry could be heard like rain beating upon the water. We knew that some predator was working below to create this mass. Whilst we suspected mackerel we failed to tempt any number. Stuart suggested that it could be the first tuna of the season and we had our cameras at the ready just in case.
The main mark for the day was a muddy depression set close to a reef. Fishing proved to be steady throughout the day. Bruce added several black bream to his first of the species caught during the morning of the trip. Big channel mackerel gave spirited battles on light tackle. Numerous scad were kept for use as winter pike baits. Conger were frequent visitors to the boat side tempted with large fresh fish baits intended for ray. Keith boated the days only ray a small well marked thornback. The unusual catch of coral frequently referred to as dead man’s fingers providing a glimpse at the wonders of the seabed far below.
The days fishing passed by all too quickly as fishing days tend to do. The sounds of gulls, the sights of soaring gannets. Boats viewed on distant horizons the dark outlines of of the Jurassic coast seemingly sketched as a break between land and sea.
A good at sea
Orca crashed into the shingle of busy Beer Beach. The hustle and bustle of beach life a contrast to the tranquillity of the day afloat. The boat was winched slowly up the steep beach to rest above the tide line. We offloaded and trudged over the pebbles to our cars.
The general vibe was that it had been a good day with all keen to do it again next year.
We assembled for a coffee in the Anchor Inn, a welcome shot of caffeine to keep us awake on the long drive home.
Troy Laing joined a group of friends for a great days fishing with John Barbeary on the Bluefin..Plenty of fish all day long. Plenty of scads. Bass dogs and huss. Weather was perfect.., and sea was calm..with plenty of bright sunshine..Big thanks to john barbeary.
A quick report from Edward Rands on South Molton Angling Clubs trip aboard “Independent Charters” from Clovelly.
An early start, left the harbour at 7:20 to catch the tide and set off to our mark.
It wasn’t flat calm, but wasn’t bad. We stayed on 1 mark for most of the day and steadily caught 10 species. They were pollack, pouting, mackerel, conger, huss, dogfish, a 5lb bass, a 25lb tope,black bream and starry smoothound.
Doug and dave walls looked after us well with tea and coffee and useful advice. The weather was kind and the northerly breeze kept us cool.
Thanks to Steve Edmonds,Matt Kingdom, Rob Kingdom, Peter and John Needham for supporting the cause and attending.
Mike Spiller boated this fine 30lb tope whilst fishing off North Devons spectacular coast aboard Ilfracombe Charter Boat Bluefin Skippered by John Barbeary.
I joined South Molton Angling Club for a trip out of Ilfracombe aboard Bluefins skippered by John Barbeary. On assembling on the boat we discussed our options for the day. We could head out to Lundy and target tope and pollock or perhaps fish closer to our own coast targeting bass, tope, huss and conger. It was one of the biggest tides of the year and the big tides had coloured the water raising a question mark over the likelihood of good lure fishing for bass,
