COMBE MARTIN SAC – Putsborough Open 2024
SEA ANGLING CATCHES
Bidefords March 48-hour results.
1st Andrew Clements Bull Huss 12lb 9oz 125.625%
2nd Graham Snow Thicklipped Mullet 3lb 6oz 84.375%
3rd Graham Snow Thicklipped Mullet 3lb 4oz 81.250%
Bull huss from Ilfracombe
Combe Martin SAC member Paul Lorrimore landed a personal best bull huss of 12lb 5oz whilst fishingf an Ilfracombe shore mark.
Combe Martin SAC Junior member Lenny Lake fished from John Barbeary’s Bluefin out of ilfracombe to boat a fine bull huss of 12lb 2oz.
Billy Evans won Appledore Shipbuilders league competition with a smoothound of 9lb 6oz. Andrew Atkinson was runner up with a smoothound of 9lb 0.25oz and Graham Snow third with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 6oz.
Combe Martin SAC Fun and Species
Combe Martin SAC are holding a pop up fishing event at Ilfracombe Pier on Saturday March 23rd. Whilst it is a club members only event prospective new members are welcome to come along for a chat and perhaps enter into the Fun and species league.
Huss and conger on the prowl
Combe Martin SAC member Kevin Legge enjoyed success from North Devon rock marks landing this double figure bull huss of 11lb 3oz and a specimen conger of 26lb 9oz.
Kevin Legge Wins End Of Winter Rover with specimen spurdog
Kevin Legge won Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs end of winter rover with a specimen spurdog scaling 14lb 15oz. Ross Stanway was runner up with a spurdog of 9lb 9oz.
There has a been a late surge in spurdog sport with good numbers of spurdog landed from North Devon shore marks. Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop has caught numerous spurdog including specimens to 15lb 3oz.
COMBE MARTIN SAC – ILFRACOMBE HARBOUR FUN & SPECIES
Combe Martin SAC have launched a new fishing community project with the help of keen species enthusiast Toby Bassett. The new fun fishing event was launched on February 1st on Ilfracombe Pier with local anglers starting an 11 month long species hunt that encourages anglers to catch as many species as possible from Ilfracombe Harbour area.
The essence of the fun fishing league is to encourage local anglers to socialise and share knowledge. Local business are supporting the event with prizes already pledged from Ilfracombe Aquarium, High Street Tackle, Turton’s Butchers and Quay Sports.
A pop up fishing event to get the event started was attended by a mixture of old and new club members. The weather was kind with a clear sky and a calm sea. Nine species of fish were caught during the three hours including; common shanny, rock goby, pouting, whiting, conger, dogfish, ballan wrasse, plaice, pollock and shore rockling. Prizes donated by High Street Tackle were awarded to Ross Stanway who caught the most species on the day. To Zephyr Laramy the most fish caught by a Junior and the smallest fish prize was awarded to Toby Bassett who caught a tiny common shanny using a size 16 hook!
The intention is to hold a pop up event once a month that will be picked to coincide with a suitable tide and hopefully good weather. Notice will be sent to club members seven days prior to the event. The competition runs until December 31st 2024 with major prizes to be presented early in 2025. Sponsors will be donating prizes with High Street Tackle providing a small prize each month for a category to be decided each month. February prize will be for the most species registered. March will be for the best photograph.
This is not a pure LRF competition as all accepted angling methods are encouraged with bait as well as lures. The use of LRF tactics is a branch of angling that undoubtedly opens an entirely new dimension to sea angling with some becoming totally addicted to the pursuit of the range of species available. It is going to be fascinating to explore the vast range of species that dwell within Ilfracombe waters. We will be sharing our results with the local Aquarium and hope to provide a few exhibits for their extensive display tanks.
We packed away as the flooding tide pushed us off the lower landings. James and I headed to the Bay-side Burger Bar to round off an enjoyable session savouring our spicy chicken and fries in the shadow of Verity.
Combe Martin SAC AGM and presentation night.
Combe Martin SAC held their AGM and presentation night at the White Lion Inn Braunton on Friday January 26th. The club had enjoyed a successful year in 2023 with members registering a good number of specimen fish. The club are introducing a predator award next season for the member registering the best tope, conger, bull huss and spurdog specimen rating total. The winner will receive a megladon sharks tooth for 12 months from club member Daniel Welch.
Award winner for 2023 were as follows :-
2023 Trophy Winners
Cod Trophy Mark Jones. 6lb 12oz
Bass Trophy David Brooke – 12lb 6oz
Mullet Cup Kyle Bishop = Thin Lipped grey mullet 5lb 3oz 129%
Conger Cup Shane Pavio Hook Way – 23lb 7oz
Flatfish Cup Daniel Welch. Flounder 1lb 9oz
Shore Shield Kyle Bishop tope 61lb 9oz 205%
Medway Cup Mark Jones Porbeagle Shark 151% calculated by formula
Ray Shield Jamie ~Steward small eyed ray – 12lb 13oz
Wrasse Trophy Daniel Welch 5lb
Burgess Trophy Charlie Stanway – ballan wrasse 4lb 15.5oz 110%
Scouse Shield Wayne Thomas – rockling 15oz
D Kyte Award Wayne Thomas 4 mullet total 312%
Out Of Limits Ollie Passmore – ballan wrasse 5lb 6oz
Thornback Cup – Mark Jones 13lb 10oz
Specimen League – Kyle Bishop
Bass 10lb 6oz 129.688%
Bull Huss 15lb 5oz. 153.125%
Spurdog 13lb 3oz. 132%
Thin Lipped grey mullet. 5lb 3oz. 129.688%
Tope 61lb 9oz. 205.208%
Ballan wrasse 4lb 15oz. 109.722%
Total – 859.306%
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Runner up Jamie Steward
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Top four boat specimens
Mark Jones –
| bass | 9lb 1oz | 113.281 | B |
| porbeagle | 265lb | 151.43 | B |
| tope | 36lb | 90 | B |
| pollock | 7lb 4oz | 72.5 | B |
| 427.211 |
Club Records
Kyle Bishop – Skate 13lb 8oz
Shaun Quartly – blue-mouth 6oz
Kyle Bishop – bull huss 15lb 5oz
Daniel Welch – bonito 3lb 15oz (Boat)
Shane Pavio Hook Way – Thresher Shark – 300lb ( Estimated)
Fish of the season –
Winter 22/23 David Brooke – bull huss 15lb 2oz 151%
Spring 23 Jamie Steward – Gilt head bream 4lb 4oz 141%
Summer 23 Kyle Bishop. Tope 61lb 9oz. 205%
Autumn 223– David Brook. Bass 12lb 6oz 154.688%
Merit Award – Kyle Bishop outstanding catches throughout the year.
The club are also launching an Ilfracombe based species league that will be run in conjunction with keen Ilfracombe anglers
Species competition Format
- Most species wins
- All fish to photographed with captor and proof of location
- Boundaries from lime kiln to Cheyne beach
- CMSAC Club members
- Comp starts 1st of Feb 2024 until December 31st 2024
Subsequent years will be as per calendar year
- Entry for CMSAC members is free as part of membership
- Fishing to club rules – 2 rods, four hooks
9 . Prizes upfront
1st, 2nd , 3rd
Season Ticket for aquarium ( Family TBC)
£25.00 Voucher High Street Tackle
Voucher for local butchers ( TBC)
- Catch a Release encouraged
Entries to be sent to Fish Recorder Wayne Thomas or Toby Bassett.
Photos required clearly showing fish, captor and location.
League will be kept updated by Fish Recorder and in addition to individual entries a tally will kept as a club tally as a collective team effort.
Will try and arrange a few pop up species days throughout the year to encourage social interaction with members.
Kyle Tempts Big North Devon Cod
Combe Martin SAC Member Kyle Bishop tempted this fine 18lb 5oz cod from a North Devon rock mark. The cod is one of the biggest caught from the coast in over a decade. Kyle tells me that the fish was long and thin and would have weighed considerably more if it was in top condition.
In the 1980’s and 1990’s twenty pound plus cod were a regular feature of catches along the North Devon Coast. Recent decades have seen the fish almost disappear from this area. Cod numbers have been holding up further up channel but there is concern that numbers are starting to decline there too. The recent cod boat fishing competition held at Minehead saw just two cod registered from most of the Minehead Charter Fleet. This will undoubtedly result in the competition format changing in future years to reflect this and other species will be targeted.
Rare Shore Caught skate sets new club record
Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop set a new club record when he caught a rare blue skate from the North Devon shoreline. The fish weighing 13lb 8oz beats the existing club record of 8lb 3oz caught in 2020 by Jamie Steward. Skate are a very rare catch from North Devon waters. These fish can grow to well over 200lb and were once common in the Bristol Channel with fish recorded from numerous North Devon ports in the Victorian era.
Kyle has also added specimen tope of 36lb 15oz and a spurdog of 10lb 5oz to his New Year tally following on from last season when he knotched up a very impressive list of specimen captures.
