18 Dec 2018

FESTIVE SEA FISHING RESULTS

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

Storm Diedre failed to keep members of Combe Martin Sea Angling Club from the shoreline to compete in their Christmas Competition. Mark Jones secured victory with a thornback ray of 10lb 7oz. The fish won him a voucher from https://cokerscreations.co.uk and choice of a secret Santa prize donated by members. In runner up spot was myself(Wayne Thomas) with a dogfish scaling 2lb 9oz and in third Dave Brooke with a bull huss of 7lb 9oz. Ross Stanway weighed in a small- eyed-ray of 7lb 2oz for forth.
1^st-Mark Jones – thornback ray – 10lb 7oz
2^nd– Wayne Thomas – dogfish – 2lb 9oz
3^rd– Dave Brooke – bull huss – 7lb 9oz
4^th– Ross Stanway – small-eyed-ray – 7lb 2oz
5^th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 2lb
6^th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 15oz
7^th– Mark Jones – thornback ray – 6lb 15oz
8^th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 14oz
9^th– Nick Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 14oz
10^th– Dan Welch – flounder 1lb 3oz
11^th– Nick Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 10oz

Ross Stanway -small-eyed-ray 7lb 2oz

Bideford Angling Club – Christmas Competition

Fifty eight anglers lined the banks of the Torridge estuary to compete in Bideford Angling Clubs Christmas Competition last Sunday with twenty four flounder registered. The winning angler Owen Hare was a junior who landed a flounder of 1lb 71/2oz. Runner up was Stephen Found with a flounder of 1lb 63/4oz, third Darren Burslem with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz and forth Robert Bowden with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz. The club were very appreciative of the behind the scenes work of Paul and Lisa Downing and to the sponsors.

Barnstaple Triple Hook Clubs

Barnstaple Triple Hook Clubs Christmas Flounder Open attracted a field of fifty anglers all keen to secure a turkey dinner. The results were the best for many seasons with plenty of quality flounder weighed in. The top ten all recieved a turkey.

1st – Richard Chapel – 2lb 13/4oz

2nd- Nigel Gullen – 2lb 7/8oz

3rd – Steve Luxton – 1lb 143/8oz

4th – Max Peake – 1lb 13.75oz

5th – Dennis Toleman – 1lb 127/8oz

6th – Darren Short – 1lb 125/8oz

7th – Kevin Hancock – 1lb 121/8oz

8th – Dave Mock – 1lb 113/4oz

9th – Isabel Luxton – 1lb 113/4oz

10th = Cleo Babb – 1lb 101/2oz

I have been reporting on these estuary flounder competitions for many seasons now and have often noted the contrast in the average size of flounder caught between the two estuaries. This year the results show a marked difference in fish sizes with the top ten flounder caught from the Taw in Triple Hook Clubs Open all bigger than the winning fish from the Torridge. Both rivers share many common characteristics yet seem to produce different sized flounder potential?

1 Dec 2018

Combe Martin SAC – AGM

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

Combe Martin Sea Angling Club held their AGM at the White Lion Braunton where fourteen members attended to hear a summary of the previous years fishing and to set ideas in motion for the year ahead.

2018 Club award winners:-

Best Specimen from the shore – Kevin Legge – conger 28lb

Best specimen from a boat – Rob Scoines – spur dog 18lb 2oz

Best specimen by a junior – Joshua Jeffery – thin lipped grey mullet 4lb 6oz

Best bass – Kevin Legge – 9lb 9lb 2oz

Best mullet – Joshua Jeffery – thin lipped grey mullet 4lb 6oz

Best flatfish – Matt Jeffery – flounder 1lb 14.75oz

Best wrasse – Ross Stanway – ballan wrasse 4lb 7oz

Best ray – Jonathon Stanway – small eyed ray – 11lb 2oz

Best cod – Rob Scoines 12lb 4oz

Best rockling – Rob Scoines – 1lb 9oz

Merit Award has been won by Daniel Welch for his success over a wide range of species from both boat and shore.

Top six specimens – Daniel Welch total – 646.737 Runner up – Ali Laird – 634.913

Top Six mullet – John Shapland – 631.906

Subscriptions for the coming year are :- Family £15. Senior £12.00. Senior Citizen – £5 Junior £1.00

The clubs full calendar of events will be formulated by mid December incorporating ideas from the membership at the meeting.

There was a full debate around a few suggested changes to specimen weight sizes and the following amendments were agreed.

Boat pollock to be reduced from 12lb to 10lb

Shore – spotted ray to be reduced from 5lb to 4lb 8oz

Shore – Thick Lipped mullet to increased from 4lb to 4lb 4oz

Shore – thin lipped mullet to be increased from 3lb 8oz to 4lb

The club are also introducing a new fish of the season prize for all club members.

A full report should appear before long on the clubs website. The club would like to thank Sakuma Tackle and High Street Tackle who have supported the club throughout the year.

For details on joining the club visit their website – www.cmsac.co.uk

http://www.highstreetackle.co.uk

http://www.sakuma.co.uk

1 Dec 2018

Bull Huss are about

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

Combe Martin SAC member Ian laird enjoyed a hectic session on a local rock mark catching a brace of Huss numerous dogfish and a few small conger. The rough weather should encourage a few larger fish close inshore with the next set of bigger tides likely to bring in a few spurdog.

11 Nov 2018

Sea Angling News Update – Tope tops weekend catches!

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

Dave Brooke landed a fine tope of 34lb 1oz to secure first prize in CMSAC’s Autumn Rover. Matt Jeffery was runner up with a flounder scaling 1lb 145/8oz. Equal third were Rob Scoines with a bass of 7lb and Wayne Thomas with a rockling of 1lb 81/2oz.

(Below) Matt Jeffery with his flounder scaling 1lb 145/8oz

(Below) Rob Scoines caught this personal best bass of 7lb from a North Devon mark along with two other bass, a codling and two pouting.

I was fortunate to be fishing with Dave and Kevin Legge when the tope was hooked. Always good to share in the excitement of such a moment. The fish gave a hard fight running over my lines in the process which caused a few anxious moments before Kevin could lift the fish from the water. Always a good idea to get all lines out of the water when someone hooks a tope. Fortunately neither of my rigs snagged the bottom as the fish was encouraged towards the shoreline. We also landed dogfish, small conger, huss, pouting,pollock and rockling. The best rockling weighed 1lb 9oz and fell to my whole squid bait fished close in hoping for bass or huss.

The next few months are amongst the best in the Sea Anglers year with a wide range of species to target. Tope, spurdog, huss and conger are all to be expected with large fish baits and wire traces advised. Top baits for tope are flounder. fresh rockling, Launce or whole mackerel.

(Below)Mark Jones fished a North Devon Beach to land a personal best small eyed ray off 11lb 10oz.

(Above) Still time to catch bass on lures. This fish was tempted by local lure enthusiast Mark Jones.

Baits, Ingredient to Success: Frozen Baits

Bideford & District Angling Club – 24hour Rover Result

1st Andrew Clements flounder 2 lb 1oz

2nd Rob Harris bull huss 7 lb 10oz

3rd Andrew Clements dogfish 1 lb 14 1/2oz

1 Nov 2018

Flounder Give great light tackle sport

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

Combe Martin SAC member Ian Laird enjoyed his first flounder session of the season landing several fish on light tackle from a mark in the Taw estuary.

8 Oct 2018

Combe Martin SAC Lyn Fish 2018

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

Combe Martin SAC’s Lyn Fish Competition saw competitors fishing between Hartland Point and Watchet with some fine fish registered from both boat and shore.

The winner of the event was Jack Phillips (above) with a fine thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb.

Runner up was Alex Mcleish with a stunning boat caught pollock of 10lb 10oz

3rd – Dan Miles Redmore – Blonde ray 10lb 6.5oz

4th – Nick Phillips – Thick Lipped grey mullet 3lb 2oz

5th – Mark Jones – small eyed ray – 7lb 5oz

6th – Matt Jeffery – dogfish – 2lb 1oz

The event was sponsored by Sakuma Tackle and Ardosia Slate

The after competition meet up and presentation was held at the Rising Sun Lynmouth where competitors enjoyed a fine platter of delicious food.

*(Above)Alex Mcleish – Pollock 10lb 10oz*

*(Above) Dan Miles Redmore – blonde ray 10lb 6.5oz*

*(Above) Nick Phillips – 3lb 2oz thick lipped grey mullet*

*(Above) Mark Jones – small eyed ray 7lb 5oz*

(Above) A grey mullet caught bu myself on the Saturday of the competition when a strong North East Wind made fishing difficult.

(Above) First light bass fishing with the lures.

2 Oct 2018

Lyn Fish Open Competition

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

This weekend Combe Martin SAC presents the Lyn Fish sponsored by Sakuma Tackle and https://www.ardosiaslate.co.uk/

16 Sep 2018

Time for bass and mullet

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

John Shapland landed this fine thick lip of 4lb 4oz on a recent trip. The next couple of months are without doubt my favourite time to get out fishing with a wealth of fish to target. Bass and mullet have to be close top of the wanted list and reports would indicate that there are a few about.

2 BITES TODAY!!! Johns exciting report.
“first pulled the tip around hard and kept on going took the rod from the rest and into the water!!! time I got to it I lifted into nothing!!! heart beating like mad and shaking like a leaf, rebaited and re-cast then bang!!! tip right around and fish on!! followed the fish down stream but my landing net was miles away by now, a great scrap ensued with some awesome runs. I managed to beach her on the shallows and carried back to the landing net for a rest then release and weighed in at 4lb 2 oz
most happy with this old warrior.”

Rob Scoines enjoyed a session at a local rock mark ctaching several bass to 4lb 2oz and a small bull huss.

8 Sep 2018

Lynmouth Fishing Competition

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

2 Sep 2018

Combe Martin SAC Fun FIsh 2018

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

Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs annual fun fishing event on Ilfracombe Pier always brings plenty of smiles and this year was no exception. The title of the event explains what the day is all about nothing too serious just a few hours fishing with the chance to meet fellow anglers and special guests. The event focuses on young anglers so the competition is geared towards under 16’s accompanied by a responsible adult.

This years guests included Dominic Garnett who writes a regular column for the Angling Times and works with the Angling Trust to promote angling. https://dgfishing.co.uk/

(Above) Dominick Garnett gets involved coaching young anglers

Steve Dawe is an all round angler who has a particular interest in species fishing and is raising funds for the Stroke Association.

The Fishty Two Challenge

In January last year he started a fund raising challenge to catch 52 species of fish in a year and has surpassed this already landing his 64th species during this years event, a rock goby.(Below)

(Below)The Coastguard raised awareness of the need to take care at the waters edge offering advice to all who attended.

(Below)Ilfracombe Aquarium were at hand to identify any rare species caught and also hope to obtain specimens for the aquarium.

http://ilfracombeaquarium.co.uk/

High Street Tackle kindly sponsored the event with an array of prizes presented to the winners.

Fun Fish rules were – To reduce tangles CMSAC suggested 1 rod with 3 hooks, Barbless hooks preferred but not compulsory.

The top prizes were for the anglers under the age of 16 with the most points.

Points awarded: – 2 points first of each species, 1 point for second of each species.

Prize for longest fish – Lyn Wilson garfish – 57cm

Prize for heaviest fish – Lyn Wilson – garfish 9oz

Family prize for most points – A Family Ticket for Ilfracombe Aquarium -The Welch family with 51 points

Ross Stanway won the adults section with 16 points and was presented with a signed copy of Dominick Garnetts book Crooked Lines

Winner of the event eight year old Effie Welch (14 points) received an LRF rod, reel and line

2nd – Charlie Stanway 11 points

3rd – Solomon Welch 9 points

4th – Ben Clarke 8 points Joshua Jeffery 8 points

5th – Phoebe Dawe – 5 points Jordan Choules 5 points

This years event was once again a success with a really friendly atmosphere and plenty of fish caught to give the young participants encouragement. One of the events main targets is to introduce young people to a pastime that can provide a lifelong interaction with the environment as Dominick said to me if we recruit one young person into a life of fishing we have been successful.

The below pictures give a view of the event that is made successful by those who take part.