Combe Martin SAC members Daniel Welch and Ross Stanway have enjoyed some great inshore boat sport from their Private Boats fishing out of Ilfracombe boating Pollock and smoothound.
Inshore Boat Sport – Off Ilfracombe
Eels on the feed
Jonathon and Ross Stanway ventured out onto the North Devon rocks during a short break in the weather and found conger on the feed. They landed fish of 16lb 11oz and 11lb 8oz.
One Hundred Plus spurs in a day
Boat anglers are enjoying some great sport off Ilfracombe where a party boated upwards of double figure spurs to 18lb along with numerous Huss and eels to 30 lb.
Jennetts and Slade producing quality carp
( Below)Darren Baddick also fished the venue to bank common carp of 28lb 12oz and 22lb.
( Below)Paul Blake fished Jennetts Reservoir and banked a fine brace of common carp scaling 28lb 10oz and 22lb.
Stuart Wade has been putting the hours at Lower Slade and has been rewarded with some nice carp here is one of the stockies that was put into the reservoir at 3lb to 5 lb in 2007 now at the weight of 17lb 8oz. Stuart caught the fish on a critical balanced pop up over half a dozen freebies.
Bluefin – Spurdog Fishing
Many thanks to Troy Laing for allowing to use his post on their recent trip to the deeps off Ilfracombe aboard ” Bluefin:.
Well what can I say. John Barbeary said we were going spurdog fishing today, and that’s certainly what we did..Found a nice little spot. 8 miles off land. And as soon as our baits reached the seabed…We were all catching spurs from the off..approx 50 spurs caught..between us all. Along with huss to 16lb..spurs to 18lb..along with dogfish…and 1 pollock..caught by me haha..tomorrows dinner..thank you to John Barbeary.
BLUEFIN – SPORT FROM THE DEEPS
Each Winter anglers take advantage of the great sport available in the deep water off Ilfracombe where huge packs of spurdog prowl hunting whiting and herring. Catches of over a hundred spurdog a day are not uncommon with double figure Bull Huss and big conger also testing anglers tackle to the limit. This Winter has once again seen John Barbeary take anglers to fishing grounds that have provided some excellent catches as illustrated below. For details of Bluefin click on the above link.
South Molton Anglers Enjoy Calm Water Deep Sea Fishing
A quick report from Ed Rands of South Molton Angling Club on their trip to ilfracombe on Sunday 19th January.
It was a cold and frosty start in the dark with icy roads and stars shining, by the time we arrived dawn was beginning to break.
We wrapped up warm, waited for some water in the harbour! then set off to lee bay while the tide was racing.
We sat there patiently wading through the inevitable dogfish but did have 4 small conger, 10 bull huss to 13.5lb,1 pouting and a first for me, a mussel clamped on my hook!
We then steamed out to deeper water when the tide had eased and settled in to quite a busy 3 hours or so with an estimated 50 odd spurdog to 14.5lb,we didn’t weigh them all, another 10 huss to 10lb, 6 more conger to 30lb and more dogfish.
By this time the weather was glorious with coats and woolly hats being discarded and a flat sea.
Thanks to Paul “bluefins” stand in skipper and all that attended, we were lucky with the weather and found plenty of fish couldn’t have asked for anything more.
I have photos to send but I’ll send them individually as we have issues this end with size of files.
Hopefully see some of you at the agm on February 11th.
All the best and tightlines
Ed
Spurdog, Tope and Huss on Bluefin off Ilfracombe
Steve Dawe enjoyed a successful first boat trip of 2020 catching loads of Spurs to 15lb+, 4 Bull Huss, 3 Congers and a bonus 35lb Male Tope. Many thanks John Barbeary on Bluefin for some great skippering. Most of the fish were tempted ion fresh herring baits.
Big Spurs and Huss showing off Ilfracombe
Spurdog to 18lb and double figure bull huss are featuring in catches off Ilfracombe with John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’ taking anglers to the proven marks.
Off Shore Sport On Bluefin
Calm weather has enabled John Barbeary to take anglers off Ilfracombe to enjoy some frantic sport with spurdog and bull huss. Each winter huge packs of spurdog prowl the Bristol Channel hunting for whiting, herring and sprats. The commercial ban on fishing for these members of the shark family has resulted in a population explosion that is generally welcomed by anglers who return the fish to the water.
