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.
John Barbeary has taken Bluefin to deepwater marks off Ilfracombe where anglers have boated spurdog to 18lb and conger to 20lb. Keith Armishaw boated a 12lb thornback. The spurdog packs are now starting to disperse and summer species will soon start to show. The calm seas and blues skies have certainly boosted spirits with spring on the way and hoped for mackerel and tope.
Combe Martin SAC held their presentation night at the Ebrington Arms at Knowle where members enjoyed a delicious meal followed by the presentation of awards. It was especially pleasing to be able to present young Joshua Jeffery with the award for best catch by a Junior and the the award for the best specimen grey mullet a fine thin lip scaling 4lb 6oz. The full list of award winners are listed below with some fine fish registered throughout the year.
Cod Trophy Rob Scoines Cod 12lb 4oz
Bass Trophy Ali Laird Bass 9lb 12oz
Mullet Cup Joshua Jeffery Thin Lipped 4lb 6oz
Conger Cup Kevin Legge Conger 28lb
Flatfish Cup Matt Jeffery Flounder 1lb 14 3/4oz
Shore Shield Kevin Legge Conger 28lb
Medway Cup Rob Scoines Spurdog 18lb 2oz
Ray Shield Jonathon Stanway Small Eyed 11lb 2oz
Specimen Shield Dan Welch 646.737%, Ali Laird 634.913% and Matt Jeffery 622.537%
Burgess Trophy Joshua Jeffery Thin Lipped 4lb 6oz
Wrasse Trophy Ross Stanway Ballan Wrasse 4lb 7oz
Scouse Shield Rob Scoines Rockling 1lb 9oz
D Kyte Award John Shapland 6 Mullet to 631.411%
Merit Award Dan Welch
Matt Jeffery secured top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s Six Hour Rover landing a conger of 18lb 6oz. Conditions proved difficult at many marks along the coast with a large swell pounding the coastline. Fish were hard to find with several of the competitors failing to catch. Runner up was Kevin Legge with a rockling of 1lb 6.5oz and third Ross Stanway with a dogfish of 2lb 3oz. Jonathon Stanway caught a conger of 14lb 8oz and David Jenkins a dogfish of 1lb 9.5oz.
This competition signals the end of the clubs winter fixtures. The coming months will see attention turn to spring ray, bull huss and grey mullet.
Spring is often a difficult time for sea angling but as the warm sun breaks through optimism rises and in these changing times its worthwhile getting out and seeing whats about. Toby Bassett fished Ilfracombe Pier and was rewarded with a plump codling. There are also a few whiting showing and some dabs from those sandy marks.
Grey mullet are also starting to show at their old haunts taunting angler’s as they boost their reputation as elusive wily grey ghosts of the coast. If you want to learn more about mullet I suggest you seek out the excellent book “Fishing For Ghosts” – Successful Mullet Angling by Mike Ladle and David Rigden.
Combe Martin SAC member Ali Laird headed up-Channel and was rewarded with a brace of ray including a spotted ray of 3lb 3oz and stunning specimen small eyed ray of 11lb 2oz.
The weekend proved challenging for sea anglers with the first half blighted by a bitter North East wind that chilled to the bone with temperatures overnight rumoured to drop to minus ten.
Shore fishing was generally hard going with deep water less impacted upon by the low temperatures most productive. I will post a full write later on a my trip on Bluefin with South Molton Angling Club.
Kevin Legge took top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s Winter Rover landing specimen spurdog scaling 12lb 7oz. In runner up spot was Wayne Thomas ( Myself) with a boat caught conger of 30lb boated on John Barbeary’s boat bluefin off Ilfracombe. Kevin also secured third place with a spurdog of 9lb 8oz.
Dick Talbot won Bidefords Monthly Rover with a three beard rockling if 1lb 3oz. In runner spot was Dan Walbridge with a rockling of 1lb 2oz and third Dick Talbot with another rockling off 1lb 1.5oz. Terry Dymond took third place with a flounder of 1lb 67/8oz. Fifth was Stephen Found with a dogfish of 2lb 1.25oz.
The end of season result was first and second Dick Talbot with his rockling of 1lb 3oz and 1lb 1.5oz
David John Langbridge took first and second places In Appledore Shipbuilders Rover landing flounder of 1lb 91/8oz and 1lb 71/8oz. Terry Dymond was third with a flounder of 1lb 67/8oz.
Whilst winter has always been synonymous with cod and codling these fish have been scarce on the North Devon Coast with those hoping to catch these fish having to travel to the the North Devon coast for a good chance. Why the cod and codling have become scarce on the North Devon Coast is open to debate!
Combe Martin SAC member Stuart Taylor 5lb 4oz codling caught on a Somerset reef last week. Weather was not very pleasant and very windy and this was the only bite.
