1st Stephen Found – Thicklipped Mullet 4lb 4oz 107.812%
2nd Andrew Clements Thicklipped Mullet 4lb 100%
3rd Dale Kiff Smoothhound 8lb 11oz 86.875%
4th Tony Gussin Smoothound 8lb 0oz 1/2 80.312%
5th Dale Kiff Bass 5lb 3 74.107%
6th Tony Gussin Smoothound 7lb 1 70.652%
APPLEDORE MONTHLY ROVER
Challenging conditions for the July rover today with the fresh WNW wind.
Josh Atkinson took top spot with a Smoothound of 10lb 15ozs. Michael Hammett had the next best fish with another Smoothound 9lb 15ozs. Josh also picked up 3rd place with another hound of 9lb 3ozs.
Combe Martin SACs Annual Putsborough Open eventually got underway on the longest day of the year after rescheduling due to an oversight regarding the Spring Bank holiday and severe weather warnings.
The weather proved to be perfect as thirty eight anglers descended on the venue as the sun slowly set casting its golden rays upon sand and sea. I had been slightly apprehensive about the event as my good friend and club secretary Nick Phillips was unable to attend and as we have run this event together for over forty years a solo effort was a little daunting.
It was great to see a good number of familiar faces at the booking in and I am always encouraged by this annual migration to this splendid venue and value the long lasting cooperation of the Putsborough estate and in particular Trevor the security officer who always greets and guides participants to the assembly point.
With all booked in I opted to take the long walk to join fellow club members Kevin Legge and Craig Mcloughlin at the end of the line halfway along the beach. I set up shortly after 9.00pm and was pleased to take a look back along the beach at the anglers wading out into the surf to cast their baits.
Photo – Lee Algar
There is something special and slightly poignant about the longest day as the year turns and we look to the ebbing of another year.
With rods poised and lines stretching into the watery dimension I savoured the scene before strolling over for a chat with Kevin who wound in a small school bass as we talked.
A few moments after arriving back at my rods I noticed a sharp tap on the rod tip followed by a slow pulling over and ticking ratchet. I picked up the rod and pulled into what for a moment felt like a good fish. To my dismay all went solid. Was it a big ray hugging the bottom? Surely I couldn’t be snagged up on the expanse of clean sand? After applying maximum pressure with the rod for a few minutes I placed the rod back in the rest slackened the clutch and waited to see what happened. With no further movement I picked up the rod, pointed the rod to the sea and walked slowly back. Suddenly the tackle pulled free and I wound in a mangled bait. Had I lost a big ray or had I found a snag?
A short while later I caught a small ray of just over 4lb that was an encouraging start. I added another small ray and a smoothound to my own tally but knew I was unlikely to feature in the prize list.
The next three hours passed by in a familiar scene as the tide flooded and stars winked high above in those familiar timeless reassuring constellations.
I packed up at midnight to trudge back across the sand and prepare for the arrival of competitors and the sorting of fish entries. I knew that Kevin and Craig had tempted good fish and was intrigued to see what else had been caught.
At this point I will give my heartfelt thanks to Craig McLoughlin of Braunton Bait Box for offering to assist with the sorting of entries. As anglers arrived back there were undoubtedly mixed fortunes but overall catches were encouraging with good numbers of small-eyed ray and smoothound along with a few bass, a solitary sole and refreshingly few dogfish.
Hopefully we got the results together with accuracy. Many thanks go to all those who supported the event by attending. Special thanks to our generous sponsors Sakuma and Barnstaple Bait and Tackle. The club greatly appreciate the ongoing support of Putsborough Estate in permitting us access to this beautiful venue.
Results of the 2025 – Putsborough Open
1st – Craig Mcloughlin – Small eyed ray – 9lb 8oz 95%
2nd – Stephen Found – smoothound – 9lb 2.5oz 91%
3rd – Craig Mcloughlin – small eyed ray – 8lb 5oz 83%
4th – Nathan Clements – small eyed ray – 7lb 14.5oz 78%
5th – Kevin Legge – small eyed ray – 7lb 8oz 75%
6th – Lee Algar – bass – 5lb 13oz. 72.5%
7th – Rob Hancock – smoothound – 7lb 2oz 71%
8th – Stephen Found – smoothound – 6lb 15.25oz. 69%
9th – Tony Gussin – small eyed ray – 6lb 14oz 68.7%
10th – Steve Webb – small eyed ray – 6lb 13oz 68.1%
Top Junior – Ted Childs – small eyed ray – only fish registered by a junior angler.
Received a tee-shirt and a gift voucher from our sponsor Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.
Craig Mcloughlin received the £150 cash first prize and choice from the prize table.
Runner up Stephen Found received £50 cash and choice of prizes from the table.
The top ten chose prize bundles from our generous sponsors Sakuma who have supported the event for many years. Combe Martin SAC look forward to hosting the event again next year and welcome any constructive comments to help the event prosper.
Putsborough Open – Please note Ocean Fest is taking place in Croyde so this could result in delays if approaching via this route. Consider alternative routes.
Please weigh all fish in imperial pounds and ounces not metric or US. If you do not have compatible scales please convert weights prior to meet up.
Low water is at 9:00pm expect fish from the start smoothound, small-eyed-ray are likely to dominate if they dont show a dogfish could win you a prize. As always there is an extensive prize table with a prizes down to tenth place plus a special junior prize. Junior entry is £5.00 or full price optional giving chance to win top prize.
Note if you catch a worthy specimen please give me call and I will try and get to you with a camera.Please try and secure an image of all fish with the exception of dogfish.
Graham Snow secured top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs monthly sea rover with a specimen thick lipped grey mullet of 5lb 1.5oz. Jon Stevens was runner up with a smoothound scaling 9lb 3.5oz and Jazzer John third with a smoothound of 8lb 3oz.
APPLEDORE SHIPBUILDERS
Jake Moule secured victory in Appledore Shipbuilders June Rover with a smoothound of 13lb. Graham Snow was runner up with his thick lipped grey mullet of 5lb 1.5oz and Andrew Atkinson third with a specimen hound of 12lb 6.5oz.
Andrew Clements won Bideford Angling Clubs May Rover with a fine thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb. Phil Vanstone was runner up with a wrasse of 4lb 2oz and Antony Smith third with a thornback ray of 7lb 7.5oz.
Jake Moule won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly rover with a specimen smoothound scaling 11lb. Michael Hammett was runner up with hound of 10lb 2.25oz. Third place was shared by Michael and Jake with hounds weighing 7lb 3oz.
Boat anglers are enjoying fine sport off Ilfracombe with Bull Huss, spurdog and conger.
Mike Spiller with a fine spurdog caught on Reel Deal
(Below) Bull huss and spurdog caught on Bluefin
Shore fishing has been very slow in recent weeks with high pressure and calm seas not generally good conditions.
Appledore Shipbuilders March Rover
Appledore Shipbuilders March rover was won by Michael Hammett with a Ballan Wrasse of 3lb 141/4ozs. Josh Atkinson was 2nd and 3rd, also with Ballan’s of 3lb 13 3/4ozs and 3lb 131/4ozs.
After a cold start the warmed up to a lovely sunny day with light winds that suited the wrasse.
Combe Martin SAC
Wayne Thomas won Combe Martin SAC’s End of Winter Rover with a grey mullet of 2lb 13oz.
The winning fish an eel of 18lb 10oz was caught by Jonathon Stanway with his brother Ross Stanway securing runner up spot with an eel of 12lb 2oz. Third was Ollie Passmore with an eel of 11lb 15oz.
Jonathon Stanway with his winning eelOllie Passmore with his eel of 11lb 15oz
Conger dominated catches during this six hour evening competition with members fishing various marks on the North Devon Coast. The conger seemed to be on the feed in a big way. I fished with club secretary Nick Phillips and we landed close to twenty eels, sadly all were less than 10lb. I did hook what felt like a very big eel and was dismayed when the 7/0 hook I was using snapped an event that has never happened to me in over fifty years of fishing.
COMBE MARTIN SAC – AGM
Chairmans report
An interesting year with potential areas for the club to grow. The fun and species league based around Ilfracombe has generated an influx of new members and as a club we need to ensure this initial enthiusasm doesn’t dwindle away. How we do that is of course up to the members?
The core of the club is still specimen based but there has been a change in the way we fish with less social interaction and a more insular approach. Reduced access to the coastline is an issue as an increasing population leads to ever more restrictions on parking and access.
The challenges we face as a club are common to most clubs and we need to address areas where we can perhaps offer more to the membership. Though all a club really provides is a place to come together and share a common love of angling. It is a concern that Nick and I have been at the helm of the club for forty years or more! If there is a future then at some point some young revolutionaries will have to kick us out.
Fish recorders report
38 species from Ilfracombe Pier and harbour area!
Toby Bassett caught – 34 of them!!!
Specimens fish – 51 over 100%. Kyle landed – 20 of these
(49 in 2023)
Gilthead bream seem to thriving in the estuary and I suspect there were more 100% smoothound caught than recorded? A big change in what is being caught in the estuary with smoothound and gilthead bream caught as far up as Fremington Quay.
The winter fishing on the Open coast has been difficult with small conger and dogfish dominating catches. Good to see a few big pouting caught but the numbers of pouting and whiting are a fraction of those in past decades.
The summer bass fishing was good in the estuary and for some periods on the open coast.
I am hoping to see a big increase in fish recorded from the boats this season now that we have a Charter boat skipper in our midst. I would like to recruit a few new members wanting regular boat trips. As members they will have secure access to regular trips and a reasonable rate.
As regards to fish entries they are a valuable source of historical data for the club so please send in your fish. Either via email, Watts App, Messenger or good old phone.
I spent an hour or so working through the results of the 2024 Combe Martin SAC – Ilfracombe Harbour fun & Species Competition the results are below.
Well done to all who have taken part throughout the year. We had a very good uptake at the start of the year and special thanks go to Toby for his enthusiasm and efforts in recruiting new members. The number of species caught across the membership was amazing. The club sub group has added a different dimension the club and it is essential that this is continued. The club has its AGM on Friday 31st at the Mariners Arms, Braunton and it would be really good if as many as possible attend. This is your club and ideas are required.
I suggest we have a sub group coordinator or maybe a meeting at Ilfracombe for a chat and get together and maybe a combine with the first fish of the year.
To continue the club species total accumulator on both an annual and ongoing basis.
Arrange events throughout the season maybe Winter, Spring , Summer & Autumn. Plus at least one social meet at Ilfracombe in conjunction with one of these events?
Please Bring ideas to the AGM….
Total Number of species caught by club members – 38
1st – Toby Bassett – 34
2nd – Daniel Welch – 31
3rd – Ross Stanway – 30
4th – Nigel Oliver 24
5th – Gary Prout 21
6th– Lenny Lake – 19
7th Solly Welch – 18
7th – Ted Childs – 18
8th Paul Lorrimore – 13
9th – Charlie Stanway – 10
10th – Andrew Laramy -9
Zephyr Laramy – 9
Wayne Thomas – 9
11th – Jake Stanway – 7
12th – Matt Childs – 6
A sub group meeting is to held to look at how the league will proceed in 2025.
The AGM was attended by 19 club members. The only substantial change was that competition entry for standard competitions has risen to £10 reflecting changing times and relative value of money. A £5.00 entry fee had been in place for over twenty years. The increased entry fee makes the prize money more attractive.
Andrew Clements won Bideford Angling Clubs End Of Season competition with a small eyed ray of 9lb 9oz. Tony Gussin was runner up with a rockling of 1lb 2oz.
