Shore Specimen tope and ray
Shore caught specimen fish have been scarce for the past couple of months. Combe Martin SAC member Jamie Steward made the effort to get out and registered a fine tope of 36lb 10oz and small eyed ray of 12lb 13oz. Jamie has been busy raising funds for the Ilfracombe RNLI and has orgnanised two superb raffles for North Devon’s anglers. The second raffle for sea anglers will be announced shortly. The first sold out raffle raised over £250.
Most of our friends and family are aware that Jamie almost lost his life recently (15/10/2022) to the sea whilst out fishing.
If not for the efforts of RNLI Ilfracombe and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter Jamie would not be here today.
We can not express how thankful we are, and to show our gratitude we will be raising funds for RNLI Ilfracombe by participating in The Lake District 100km Ulitmate challenge on the 10th and 11th June 2023.
We will be walking 100km continuously.
In order to raise as much as possible towards alongside of our challenge we will be doing some fishing related raffles.
The RNLI risk their lives to save ours, please help us raise some money to support them too.
For those not wishing to participate in the raffles but who would like to sponsor us, our just giving page has been added to this fb page.
All proceeds from all raffles will be going to our RNLI just giving page and proof of this will be provided when the money is transferred.
Thank you again RNLI Ilfracombe from the bottom of my heart for saving Jamie, because of you, my children still have their Father, I still have my husband, his brother still has his brother and his parents still have their son
SEA ANGLING RESULTS
Combe Martin SAC Spring Rover competition was won by Martin Hunton who caught a fine specimen blonde ray scaling 17lb 5oz. The fish was the best of several ray caught by members fishing out of Minehead aboard Steve Webbers boat Osprey.
Runner up in the clubs competition was Ollie Passmore with a fine bull huss scaling 9lb 10oz.
The members who fished on the boat caught several ray, including thornbacks and blondes. A few smoothound and plenty of dogfish were also boated.
Bideford Angling Club – 48 Hour Rover
( Below) 1st Stephen Found Small-eyed Ray 9lb 3oz 102.083%
(Below) 2nd Andrew Clements Smalleyed Ray 8lb 9 1/4oz 95.312%
First bass of the 2023 Lure Season
Combe Martin SAC member Mark Jones was pleased to catch his first lure caught bass of the year. The club are working with High Street Tackle to promote a Lure Fishing Competition in Late June when the season will be well underway.
Big huss for CMSAC member
Martin Hunton tempted a specimen huss of 13lb during a recent trip to the shoreline.
SEA ANGLING RESULTS
Bideford Angling Club
March Rover results
1st Andrew Clements Smalleyed Ray 9lb 5oz 103.472%
2nd Nathan Clements Bull Huss 7lb 3 3/4oz 72.343%
Combe Martin SAC
SPRING ROVER
1st Wayne Thomas – Thick lipped grey mullet 3lb
COMBE MARTIN SAC – Six Hour Rover Result
David Brooke secured top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s six hour rover landing a spurdog of 9lb 12oz. Runner up was Daniel Welch with a dogfish of 2lb 6oz. A cold North East Wind made conditions difficult at many marks along the coast. Several Bull Huss and large numbers of dogfish were landed by club members who have their early Spring Rover next weekend.
Rare Bluemouth Caught by Combe Martin SAC member
Combe Martin SAC member Shaun Quartly fished a beach in Somerset targetting ray and was surpised when he reeled in a small red coloured fish that swallowed the hooks down deep. The fish is believed to be a bluemouth a rare visitor to English waters. The fish weighed 6oz and is the first one ever recorded by a club member.
Shaun also landed a spotted ray and a dogfish.
SEA ANGLING ROUND UP
Calmer conditions have resulted in a down turn in sea angling sport with specimen fish hard to find over the past week. Despite this some good fish were recorded by anglers fishing the first week of February a time of year when catches traditionally start to decline. The seasons and the migration of fish in our waters is without doubt under going change with reports of mackerel from Ilfracombe in the past week and the presence of grey mullet throughout the calendar year.
Appledore Shipbuilders
Thirteen Anglers fished the February rover today. It made a change to have nice weather for the rover after the last few competitions.
Although there was an easterly wind!
Kevin Pike was victorious with a fabulous Bull Huss of 11lb 7ozs. James Atkinson was second catching a fine Small Eyed Ray of 7lb 5 1/2ozs and 3rd was Chris Boon with a big Dogfish of 2lb 11 1/2ozs.
Bideford Angling Club -February Rover Results
1st Antony Smith Bull Huss 7lb 9oz 75.625%
2nd Andrew Clements Dog 2lb 3oz 72.916%
Combe Martin Sea Angling Club – Winter Rover 2 Results
Club seceretary Nick Phillips won with a specimen whiting scaling 1lb 10oz. Runner up was Wayne Thomas with dogfish of 2lb 8oz.
Whiting, dogfish, spotted ray and conger were also caught by members who fished marks across North Devon.
Big Bull Huss for Combe Martin SAC member
Combe Martin SAC member David Brooke caught this stunning Bull Huss weighing 15lb 2oz on a recent session. The fish is just 1oz short of the club record set in 2011 by Jon Patten.
