15 Feb 2024

Bideford and District Angling Club – Welcomes game fishing enthusiasts

by | posted in: Articles, Club Page, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

 

Bideford Angling Club welcomes game fishing members to join in friendly competitions at waters across the South West. Like many club’s recruitment of younger anglers into Fly Fishing is in need of a boost. The club has access to a prime stretch of the River Torridge with salmon, sea trout and wild brown trout fishing. Adult membership is just £12.50

            The club holds six regular competitions from March through until August.

For more details contact Terry Dymond on 07585588595

Potential new members are welcome to attend the clubs presentation night at the Bideford Conservative Club on February 23rd .

More Information can be accessed via the club,s informative website : –

https://www.bidefordanddistrictanglingclub.com

Game Section Competition Dates 2024

MARCH

31st Mar.  Clatworthy Somerset.

APRIL

28th Apr. Wimbleball Somerset.

MAY

26TH May  Roadford Devon

JUNE.

30th Jun. To Be Confirmed. 

JULY.

28th Jul. Clatworthy Somerset

AUGUST.

25th Aug. Colliford Cornwall.​

All Comps can start when venues open. weigh in @ 4pm

If you require any further information phone Terry Dymond 07585588595.

 

14 Feb 2024

Rainbows and spartics at Bulldog

by | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

I joined Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club for their final Winter Challenge match of the season at Bulldog Fishery. After heavy rain the water was a little coloured and members struggled to catch for the first hour.

As the morning progressed I noticed rods starting to bend as members found the right formulae. I had been fishing a floating line with a bead headed black lure and had received just the one pull after an hour and a half of concerted effort.

I had tried several areas around the recently enlarged lake and noted that other members were catching from the very spots I had departed. I had to leave at lunch time and knew that if I was to catch I needed to change tactics.

I swapped over to an Intermediate Snowbee line, stuck with the black lure on the point and a Montana nymph on the dropper. After five minutes I had a good pull through the line and briefly hooked into a fish that came off after a few seconds.

A recently stocked spartic

Encouraged and with renewed confidence I continued to search the water moving a few yards to a small promontory. The line zipped tight and I was delighted to net a spartic trout of around 1lb 8oz. A few minutes later a chunky rainbow of around 4lb was safely netted after a good tussle. I fished on with confidence and completed my three fish bag by 1.00pm. Speaking with fellow members it was interseting to note that several fish had been tempted using flies with a touch of orange. I had caught on a black pattern; would I have tempted my fish earlier with a touch of orange? Was success down to depth and rate of retrieve? Or did the trout simply come on the feed?

My three fish bag including a 4lb rainbow and spartic.

Competition Result :-

1st Andre Muxworthy – 3 trout 9lb 3oz

2nd Wayne Thomas – 3 trout 8lb 8oz

3rd Nigel Bird – 3 trout 6lb 10oz

4th Colin Combe = 2 trout 5lb 10oz

5th Dave Mock –2 trout  5lb 5oz

Winner Andre Muxworthy with his three trout for 9lb 3oz.

It was now time for a quick catch up with fellow club members and to take a look at the drained carp lake with fishery owner Nigel Early. The lake has been drained, nuisance bream and small carp removed. The lake will reopen this coming Friday with plans to stock more carp over coming months. The lake has already produced carp to 33lb and will flourish over the coming months for sure. I have included a few pictures of the lake for future reference.

 

13 Feb 2024

South West Fly Fair returns to Roadford Lake

by | posted in: Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

South West Fly Fair returns to Roadford Lake

The South West Fly Fair makes a welcome return to Roadford Lake on Sunday 25 February.

The fair is hosted by charity South West Lakes Trust at Roadford Lake, between Launceston and Okehampton. The event is a highlight in the Westcountry’s angling calendar ahead of the new fishing season.

The day is made possible thanks to sponsorship from Catch, Chevron Hackles, Homeleigh Garden Centre, Snowbee and Turrall.

Throughout the day there will be fly tying demonstrations from local and national experts Charles Jardine and Rodney Wevill, with a chance to ‘have a go’, as well as the chance to pick up useful tips and valuable advice from experts including Simon Kidd (Snowbee).

Other activities include casting demonstrations, fly casting lessons, and – new for this year – a chance to speak to trout, sea and coarse fly fishers.

There will be coarse fly fishing demonstrations from Dom Garnett, trout cooking demonstrations and the opportunity to meet members of fly fishing clubs based at lakes across the South West as well as find out more about coaching and tuition available in the region – perfect for both newcomers to the sport and experienced anglers feeling a little rusty after the closed season.

Trade stands will be selling new and used tackle and equipment and food and drink will be available at the onsite café.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm with lots of activities on offer for the whole family including arts and crafts.

South West Lakes Trust’s Head of Angling, Ashley Bunning, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming old and new faces to Roadford Lake to showcase the wonderful angling this region has to offer to beginner and experienced fly fishers.”

Book in advance to avoid disappointment. Entry is £6 for adults and free for under 18s. Entry includes car parking and a raffle ticket. Tickets are available from www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing

All attendees to the event will be offered a 10% season ticket discount.

For more information please contact South West Lakes on 01566 771930 or email [email protected].

 

11 Feb 2024

South West Fly Fair

by | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The South West Fly Fair makes a welcome return to Roadford Lake on Sunday 25 February. As well as being a highlight in the region’s angling calendar, it promises to be a fun and informative family day out with plenty of activities for all ages.

  • ‘Have a go’ fly tying room with help from experts
  • 10% season ticket discount for all attendees
  • Tackle trading stands
  • Casting and fly tying demonstrations
  • Expert advice from trout, sea and coarse fly fishers
  • Meet local fly fishing clubs
  • Raffle with great prizes
  • Food and drink available at the onsite café

There will be activities including arts and crafts for all the family – bring your bikes and wellies to explore the lake.

Entry is £6 for adults and free for under 18s. Entry includes car parking and a raffle ticket.

Pre-booking essential!

4 Feb 2024

Spartic offer an exciting challenge at Bulldog

by | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Indi is a keen all-round angler and put her skills to use at Bulldog Fly Fishery tempting one of the first Spartic trout recently introduced into the venues trout lake. Spartic a cross between arctic char and brook trout  offer great sport and a welcome variation on the more common rainbow trout that are the more abundantly stocked trout.

Trout fishing

Our working farm has over the years built a great reputation for providing rainbow trout, a selection of which have held the stock record in Wales over a nine-year period as well as in England and Scotland for a time. We continue to rear trout for supply, however we now also carefully stock our own lake with our much coveted, hard-fighting rainbow trout, to enable fly fishing on site.

Our lake can host up to eight anglers at a time and can be booked for groups or corporate events. Food can be available via prior arrangement and includes our selection of burgers, sausages or smoked produce.

Opening times:

We are open all year, 7 days a week, dawn til dusk, except Christmas day – all by prior arrangement.

Prices:

3 Fish Ticket – £35

6 Fish Ticket – £45

2 Feb 2024

Exciting news at Bulldog Fisheries

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Exciting news at Bulldog Fisheries

 Bulldog fisheries have officially been granted permission to stock spartic & tiger trout along side their rainbows & browns!

With a number were released straight into the fly lake ready for this weekend’s anglers, the remaining fish have been placed into the stock ponds to be grown on for trickle stocking through the coming months.

  Gerry Tyzack who ran Kingfisher Tackle for in Barnstaple visited Bulldog recently and enjoyed some great sport. Gerry has been a visitor to the fishery for many years taking visitors to the lake for instruction when he was running the shop that sadly shut its door close to twenty years ago.

14 Jan 2024

Limits for all at Bulldog on a cold misty morning

by | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Members of Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club assembled at Bulldog Fly Fishery on a calm cold winter’s morning. The bare trees of winter silhouetted against the misty morning light.

         The friendly Winter Challenge competition was due to start at 10.00am and lines touched down on the calm lake surface as members cast their lures.

         After half an hour I was surprised that I had not had a take as I searched the water with a damsel nymph fished in conjunction with an Intermediate Snowbee Line. As I looked around the lake at fellow competitors I was surprised at the lack of bent rods.

         I guessed the fish would eventually switch on and this proved correct as members rods soon started to bend as the lakes residents started to feed.

         Just  as I pondered upon changing to a different fly a good sized rainbow appeared in the clear water and engulfed the fly as I was about to lift it from the water. After a spirited tussle my first trout of the day was safely netted.

         I fished on keenly expecting more action but after half an hour I had received no more enquiries. I glimpsed a few trout moving close to the surface and changed tactics tying on a damsel booby with longish marabou tail. After a couple of cast’s, I watched as a good trout converged on the fly. A beautiful rainbow of close to four pound.

         I persisted with the booby for a short while losing what felt like a good trout after a few seconds of contact. With several fish moving close to the surface, I changed to a floating line and lost a fish on a team of buzzers. After a further twenty minutes I tied on the damsel again and after a couple of casts I hooked into another good rainbow to complete my three fish limit.

         By now most members had completed their bag. Club secretary David Richards arrived late at 1.00pm due to work commitments. This proved to be no disadvantage as his first cast produced the biggest fish of the day a well proportioned rainbow of 4lb 14oz. Within fifteen minutes David had completed his three fish limit and won the competition with 13lb 5oz.

         It had been a good morning  with the fish proving challenging enough to make the fishing interesting. It is far better when you have to work a bit to catch the days bag.

Full Results

1st David Richards – 13lb 5oz

2nd David Eldred = 10lb 7oz

3rd Wayne Thomas – 9lb 13oz

4th Dave Mock  – 9lb 8oz

5th Andre Muxworthy – 9lb 7oz

6th – Colin Combe 8lb 

7th Nigel Bird 7lb 14oz

All caught 3 fish

20 Dec 2023

Snowbee 2024 Catalogue

by | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Lure Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Snowbee are delighted to present their new 2024 catalogue, with new products including the new GXS Prestige 9ft #9 4-piece Fly Rod, new 4th generation Deep Blue reels along with  new saltwater fly lines.  We also have 10 new killer fly selections for the coming season.

The new catalogue is available to view and download by clicking the image below :-

Link Below :-

https://www.snowbee.co.uk/catalogue?utm_campaign=1574266_New%20Snowbee%202024%20Catalogue%20Available%20Now&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SM%20GROUP%20%28EUROPE%29%20LTD&dm_i=55YS,XQPM,59HG2G,3VKLE,1

17 Dec 2023

Wistlandpound Club – Enjoy Winter Sport at Bulldog

by | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their Christmas Competition at Bulldog Trout Fishery with the club’s entire membership of eight competing.
The grey overcast mild conditions seemed ideal for a good day’s winter sport as members spread out around the lake to cast out into the cool clear water.

I put out a line on the water near the inlet to the lake were I have enjoyed success on previous visits. On the first two casts good sized rainbow could be seen following my fly to turn away at the last minute. I watched other anglers around the lake and noticed a couple of bent rods as is often the case at the start of the day.

After half an hour with no contact I decided upon a move to a fresh spot. I was using an olive damsel on the point and a small drab diawl bach on a dropper with an intermediate line. The move proved to be a wise one as the line soon tightened as a hard fighting rainbow seized the dropper. This was followed a few minutes later by another rainbow of close to 3lb. It seemed that I had either located the fish or they had come on the feed for within five minutes I added a 3lb 12oz rainbow to complete my three fish bag.

I spent the next half an hour chatting to fellow club members and capturing a few action shots as they too connected with the lakes hard fighting rainbows.

Andre Muxworthy with a fine Bulldog Rainbow

Fishery owner Nigel Early and his son Tom arrived at the water’s edge with delicious burgers and warming toddy, hot coffee and a tray of mince pies. Convivial chatter and Christmas cheer filled the grey winters day as we chatted of the club’s future and plans for 2024.

The enlarged trout lake has the capacity for a dozen or more anglers to fish in comfort. The clear waters offer exciting sport with rainbows presently stocked up to 8lb plus with some large browns to be introduced in the New Year.

I left the lake at lunch time with Christmas preparations pending at home. Most members had caught their three fish but a few had yet to finish.

Colin Combe with a good rainbow

Nigel Bird with a 3lb plus rainbow

David Richards with the biggest rainbow of the day at around 4lb

David Richards won with three trout for 10lb 5oz. Andre Muxworthy and Dave Mock were runners up with three fish for 9lb and myself fourth with three fish for 8lb 2oz. Colin Combe banked three for 7lb 14oz.

2 Dec 2023

Winter Trout Sport at Bulldog

by | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The cold frosty days of winter are to be enjoyed as the rainbow trout seem to relish the cooler waters. The recently expanded lake at Bulldog Fishery is certainly giving fine sport to visiting anglers.

Tim and Andy were certainly glad they made the 100mile round trip to fish Bulldog today!
After making the trip the boys wasted no time in wetting the fly.  After a slightly slow start, the bites soon came in hard and fast in the afternoon. The result – a fantastic day on the bank!
Biggest of the day weighing in at 4lb4oz with a lot of the catch not being far behind!

CHRISTMAS GIFT

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift this year? Look no further how about surprising your loved ones with a gift voucher for the fishery!
Simply call or message with the details of what ticket you’d like to gift, and we will post the voucher directly to you 📬 It couldn’t be easier 🎄🎅
Ticket prices:
Fly lake
3fish = £35
6fish = £45
Carp lake:
24hrs =£25
(Payment via bank transfer)