Combe Martin SAC hold their AGM at Braunton Cricket Club this coming Friday Night at 7.00pm.
Prospective new members are welcome; an ideal chance to meet up with fellow sea anglers.
Sea Angling Weekend Round Up!
Bideford Angling Clubs twenty four Hour Rover was won by Nathan Clements with a fine conger of 28lb 3.5oz.(Pictured above) In second place was Lee Watts with a spotted ray of 3lb 6.5oz and in third Lee Watts with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz.
Appledore Shipbuilders 24 hour Rover was won by Josh Atkinson with a small-eyed-ray of 5lb 15oz(Below). Runner up was Graham Snow with a thick lipped grey mullet of 2lb 12oz.
Ross Stanway took the top two places Combe Martin SAC’s Lee to Lee Competition with conger of 16lb 12oz and 14lb 8oz.
In third place was James Thomas with a dogfish of 1lb 13oz. Jack Phillips took forth place with a smoothound of 5lb 4oz a surprise catch from Combe Martin’s Bottom Deck probably the first of this species ever landed from this mark. (Below)
Several quality fish were also landed over the weekend by anglers not fishing in club competitions. Dale Kiff landed a fine conger of 19lb 14oz.
Kody Chugg Fished an up channel mark to land a personal best small eyed ray of 7lb 10oz. (Below)
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Are huss the most photogenic of sea fish?
Bull huss have to be one of sea angling s most photogenic fish with their Leopard like spots. Chay Boggis landed this beauty from a local rock mark. It pulled the scales down to 9lb 5oz.
Quality fish like this are out there to be caught but there are also plenty of small eels and dogfish about that tend to get to the baits first as I found out on a session at a local rock mark last night, Its good to get out though and with settled conditions its good to just be there waiting.
First Big Eel of the season!
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway fished with his brother Jonathan on damp and drizzly evening with a lively sea. Jonathan hooked a Conger of 10lb 8oz early on in the evening; his biggest to date having not really done much eel fishing. I joked. “Imagine what one 3 times the size fights like!”. Ross then illustrated his point landing an eel of 30lb 3oz!
(Above)Ross Stanway with a proper conger – 30lb 3oz
Smooth operator
Ali Laird followed up his recent success with this fine specimen smoothound weighing 13lb 1oz he also landed a bull huss of 8lb 14oz. The next couple of months are potentially the best of the year for a wide range of species. Fishing can be excellent after the storm but take care as there are going to be some big seas over the next few days.
CMSAC – Lyn Fish Open Competition Result.
A fine specimen grey mullet scaling 5lb 1oz took top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s and Lynton C of E Primary School PTFA Open Fishing Competition. The event fished between Minehead Harbour and Clovelly Harbour resulted in success for several anglers who landed a variety of specimens from both boat and shore over the two days. The event and the raffle held at The Rising Sun, Lynmouth raised over £120 for Lynton Primary School Funds. The competition received generous sponsorship from Sakuma Tackle.
Full Results –
1st – Dan Welch – thick Lipped grey Mullet – 5lb 1oz
2nd- Ross Stanway – smoothound – 11lb 2oz
3rd -James Gubb Fradgley – conger (boat) 32lb 4oz
4th – James Gubb Fradgley – conger (boat) 29lb 1oz
5th – Wayne Thomas – thick lipped grey mullet – 3lb 7oz
6th – Matt Jeffery – bass -6lb 7oz
7th – Nick Phillips – thick lipped grey mullet – 3lb
8th – Rob Scoines – thick lipped grey mullet – 2lb 10oz
9th – Ross Stanway – ballan wrasse – 3lb 3.5oz
10th – Wayne Thomas – thick lipped grey mullet – 2lb 9oz
The competition was fished on a catch and release basis with witnesses and photographs submitted at the end of the day.
(Above) Ross Stanway smoothound 11lb 2oz
(Above) James Gubb Fradgley – conger (boat) 32lb 4oz
(Above) Wayne Thomas – Thick lipped grey mullet 3lb 7oz
(Above) Rob Scoines – thick lipped grey mullet 2lb 10oz
(Above)The top three outside of The Rising Sun.
Many thanks to Tony and all at the Rising Sun for a delicious buffet at the presentation and raffle following the competition.
Special thanks also to those who generously donated raffle prizes.
COMBE MARTIN SAC – Species Hunt – Its a two horse race!
Two club members have taken a virtually unbeatable lead in Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs Species Competition. John Shapland has a slender lead with 36 species. Just one species behind is Dan Welch with 35 species. With just two weeks remaining it will be fascinating to see if either member can break through the forty fish barrier.
The competition has certainly demonstrated the vast range of species that can be caught along the North Devon Coast if a wide range of tactics are used.
Ross Stanway is currently in third place with a commendable 22 species.
The competition ends with the Clubs fun-fishing event on Saturday September 2nd. High Street Tackle are sponsoring both the Species Competition and the Fun Fishing Event.
SEA ANGLING ROUND UP
Graham Snow secured first and second in Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly Rover landing a fine brace of mullet. A thick lip of 5lb 21/4oz and a thin lip of 4lb 53/8oz. He also took first in Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover with the thick lipped mullet of 5lb 21/4oz Jazza John took runner up spot in Appledore Shipbuilders Rover with a smoothound scaling 11lb 15/8oz and Graham took third with his thin lipped mullet of 4lb 53/8oz.. Jack Pike dominated the Junior section with ballan wrasse scaling 3lb 13oz, 3lb 8oz and 2lb 14oz.
Combe Martin SAC members continue to compete in their two month long species competition. John Shapland is currently leading with 31 species with Dan Welch very close behind of 30 species.
I have had a couple of visits to the coast to try and add a couple of species to my own tally but have struggled to catch a fish let alone species and those that I have caught tended to be those few I have already caught. Bit of a reality check after a week in Norway catching big fish!
Ross Stanway got among the spotted ray at Ilfracombe landing five in a short session.
Combe Martin SAC’s Fun Fishing Event has been rescheduled to Saturday September 2nd as a result of boat landings on the Sunday. Full details of this event will follow shortly.
Combe Martin SAC Species Hunt – Week 1
Combe Martin SAC are holding a species Hunt between July 1st and September 3rd with the prizes to be presented at the clubs annual Fun Fishing Event. The event is sponsored by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe.
After the first week of the event numerous species have been caught from both boat and shore. The leader after one week is Daniel Welch with 11 species.
1st – Daniel Welch – 11 Species
2nd = John Shapland – 8 species Rob Scoines – 8 species
3rd – Louis Rooke – 6 species
4th – Ross Stanway – 5 species
5th -Wayne Thomas – 4 species
6th Lee Holden – 3 species
7th = Ali Laird – 2 species James Thomas – 2 species
Of course getting out fishing on these summer nights is a pleasure in itself with an extra incentive to hunt down the many species that swim off our coast. Image above courtesy of James Thomas.
Combe Martin SAC Summer Rover
Thirteen club members fished all along the North Devon and Somerset Coast Line in this Summer Rover and it was thin lipped mullet that dominated the prize table at the Rising Sun Lynmouth. James Hunter took the top two places in the event with thin Lipped grey mullet of 4lb 1oz and 3lb 12oz. In third place was John Shapland with a thin-lipped mullet of 3lb 11/2oz.
Daniel Welch tempted a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 7oz and a colourful wrasse.
Kevin Legge landed a brace of small eyed ray the best scaling 8lb 2oz and Rob Scoines a brace of small eyed each weighing 7lb 11oz.
The roving competition as with all Combe Martin SAC competitions was a catch and release event. Far better than the old days when the carcasses of fish were brought back to the scales. Fortunately we are still managing to meet up for a chat and pint afterwards. Many thanks to the Rising Sun for a delicious spread of sandwiches and hot chips. Much appreciated after a hard days fishing.
