Combe Martin SAC members Jonathon Stanway and Ross Stanway got their New Year off to a great start catching a variety of fish from a North Devon Rock Mark. Ross’ landed smoothound of 8lb 6oz a catch that would have been considered a summer species a decade ago. This ponders the question is it an early hound or a late hound?
Kevin Legge secured top spot In Combe Sea Angling Clubs Christmas Competition with a fine specimen bull huss scaling 11lb 12oz. Members endured some stormy conditions during the competition with a heavy swell battering the coast. Mark Jones was runner up with a small eyed ray of 9lb 6oz.
Third – Alex Mcleish – bull huss 6lb 3oz
Forth Dan Welch – small eyed ray – 6lb
Fifth – Dan Welch – dogfish – 1lb 12oz
Sixth – Ross Stanway – dogfish – 1lb 10oz.
Julien Stainer secured first place in Bideford Angling Clubs Twenty Four Hour Rover landing bull huss of 8lb 15.5oz.
Cameron Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders Wintere League Rover with a whiting of 1lb 4oz.
It was the first really cold night of the season and our breath hung misty in the still air as we waited beside the calm waters of the Bristol Channel. The lights of welsh towns and villages shone brightly across the water and in the sky above stars shone brightly in a vast cosmic vista.
The throbbing of a boats engine carried far across the sea as it moved up channel to offload its cargo. Occasionally the rod tips nodded as a dogfish or small eel toyed with the baits anchored out within that mysterious dimension.
The amber fiery glow of the steel works of Port Talbot had illuminated the sky earlier in the evening but later as we contemplated heading for home another glowing ember caught our attention.
A red apparition was slowly materializing above Cardiff to the North East. We speculated on its source as it slowly grew in size growing ever redder as it rose from the land. After ten minutes its crescent shape materialized as the moon climbed slowly, red fading to amber and then to silver. The moonlight painting a swathe of light across the swirling waters of the Bristol Channel as the tide began to ebb.
We slowly packed away our tackle fingers stinging in the frosty air. We trudged back to the van thinking of a warm bed and a good nights sleep. On arriving home I found the lawn glistening with a layer of frost. Owls hooted in the nearby woods.
I am often asked why we go fishing especially on cold winter nights when you often catch nothing. And It’s not easy to answer but sometimes it’s just good to be there waiting watching the world.
BIDEFORD ANGLING CLUB MONTHLY ROVER
November rover results
1st Tarrant Wotton flounder 1lb 11 1/2 85.156%
Joint 2nd
Dick Talbot
Tarrant Wotton flounder 1lb 11 84.375%
4th Dick Talbot flounder 1lb 8 1/2 76.562%
5th Terry Dymond flounder 1lb 5 3/8 67.968%
6th Terry Dymond flounder 1lb 4 62.500%
APPLEDORE SHIPBUILDERS MONTHLY RESULT
November Rover Results
1st – Chris Boon – Flounder 1lb 11 3/4ozs
2nd – Martyn John – Flounder 1lb 9 1/2ozs
3rd – Josh Atkinson – Thornback Ray 5lb 15 1/4ozs
Damien Close from the Weston Outcasts fished a North Devon Rock mark on the eve of last weekends big storm and was certainly in the right place at the right time. I was fishing further along the coast with former tope record holder Kevin Legge. Kev received a text from Damien. Two casts, two tope 41lb and 31lb ! The mark we fished was not so productive giving a steady stream of strap eels and dogfish. I did hook a decent fish that came off after just a few moments. Isn’t it sods law that the 2lb strap eel engulfs the bait in seconds and the big fish manages to avoid getting hooked!
Big low pressure systems often result in big fish being caught with the time before and after proving good times to be out at the waters edge. Fishing at such times is of course potentially risky so always follow sensible guidelines ensuring that you have good knowledge of how the weather will affect your chosen mark. Ensure you the correct landing equipment, use adequate tackle to land the fish you hook, were a life jacket, carry a quality head torch ( Have just bought a Fenix HM65R and have found it an excellent buy).
Distinctly autumn looking results for the sea angling club results on the first Sunday of October. Matt Thomas enjoyed success catching a plump 4lb codling from a North Devon mark on whole squid a promising sign for the coming months perhaps.
Bideford rover results
1st Julien Stainer flounder 1lb 10 1/2oz 82.812%
2nd Terry Dymond flounder 1lb 10 1/8oz 81.640%
3rd Andrew Clements flounder 1lb 10oz 81.250%
4th Terry dymond flounder 1lb 8oz 75%
Triple Hook Club – SWW Water Flounder Open
1st Mark Hancock – Flounder 1lb 8/2oz
2nd – Kevin Hmcock – Flounder – 1lb 61/2oz
3rd – Robert Hancock – Flounder 1lb 61/8oz
Appledore Shipbuilders- Rover
1st Jazza John – Flounder 1lb 12 1/4oz
2nd Terry Dymond – Flounder 1lb 10 1/8oz
3rd – Jazza John – Flounder 1lb 8 3/4oz
Tarrant Wotton secured victory in Bideford Angling Clubs annual Sea Angling Festival catching a fine specimen trigger fish weighing 3lb 81/2oz. Steve Baker was runner up with a bull huss of 11lb 31/4oz and Andrew Clements third with a thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb 21/2oz. Rick Eavis won the Saturday prize with a mackerel of 1lb 3/4oz. Amongst the other fish caught was a bass of 6lb 8/1/2oz to the rod of Stuart Taylor. The winners shared a prize fund of £380. Twenty Three Anglers took Part.
1st Julien Stainer trigger 3lb 13 127.083%
2nd Jon Stevens rockling 1lb 10 1/2 110.417%
3rd Tarrant Wotton trigger 3lb 3 1/2 107.291%
4th Paul Downing smooth hound 10lb 6 1/8 103.853%
5th Paul Downing smooth hound 10lb 3 1/8 101.953%
6th Terry Dymond smooth hound 8lb 6 85.750%
1st Andrew Atkinson – Smoothound 12lb 95/8oz
2nd & 3rd – Thomas Atkinson -smoothound 9lb 14oz and 6lb 15oz
Bideford Angling Club 24 hour rover results
1st Graham Snow thin lipped mullet 3lb 14 3/4oz 98.046%
2nd Nathan Clements small-eyed Ray 8lb 11 1/2oz 96.875%
3rd Graham Snow thin lipped mullet 3lb 11 1/2oz 92.578%
Other fish caught were smooth hound and spotted ray.
Graham Snow secured victory in Bideford Angling Clubs monthly Rover landing a fine specimen thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb 113/4oz. Runner up was Antony Smith with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz and equal third were Phil Vanstone with a thornback ray of 5lb 7oz and Nathan Clements with a dogfish of 1lb 13oz.
Daniel Scott won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly rover with a fine small eyed ray of 10lb 51/2oz. In second was Josh Atkinson with a small eyed ray of 9lb 153/8oz and in third Graham Snow with his thick lipped mullet of 4lb 111/4oz.
Dan Carder caught this hard fighting 8lb 7oz smoothound from a North Devon Rock Mark.