As Autumn descends we are entering what is often the best time to target big fish from North Devons varied coastline. I look forward to featuring a few catches on North Devon Angling News.
Braunton Baits Craig Mcloughin took his frozen sandeels and squid to a local North Devon beach and tempted several small eyed ray. It has been a good season for ray so far this year which bodes well for the forthcoming Putsborough Open Match organised by Combe Martin SAC.
Shore caught specimen fish have been scarce for the past couple of months. Combe Martin SAC member Jamie Steward made the effort to get out and registered a fine tope of 36lb 10oz and small eyed ray of 12lb 13oz. Jamie has been busy raising funds for the Ilfracombe RNLI and has orgnanised two superb raffles for North Devon’s anglers. The second raffle for sea anglers will be announced shortly. The first sold out raffle raised over £250.
Most of our friends and family are aware that Jamie almost lost his life recently (15/10/2022) to the sea whilst out fishing.
If not for the efforts of RNLI Ilfracombe and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter Jamie would not be here today.
We can not express how thankful we are, and to show our gratitude we will be raising funds for RNLI Ilfracombe by participating in The Lake District 100km Ulitmate challenge on the 10th and 11th June 2023.
We will be walking 100km continuously.
In order to raise as much as possible towards alongside of our challenge we will be doing some fishing related raffles.
The RNLI risk their lives to save ours, please help us raise some money to support them too.
For those not wishing to participate in the raffles but who would like to sponsor us, our just giving page has been added to this fb page.
All proceeds from all raffles will be going to our RNLI just giving page and proof of this will be provided when the money is transferred.
Thank you again RNLI Ilfracombe from the bottom of my heart for saving Jamie, because of you, my children still have their Father, I still have my husband, his brother still has his brother and his parents still have their son
Stephen Found secured top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs April Rover with a new club record small eyed ray scaling 13lb 61/4oz.
1st Stephen Found Small-eyed Ray 13lb 6 1/4oz 148.958%
2nd Andrew Clements Small-eyed Ray 11lb 3 1/2oz 124.652%
3rd Stephen Found Small-eyed Ray 10lb 14 1/4oz 121.006%
4th Andrew Clements Small-eyed Ray 10lb 8 1/4oz 116.839%
5th Antony Smith Thornback Ray 7lb 7 3/4oz 83.159%
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway enjoyed a short session at a North Devon mark where he landed four ray the best a small eyed ray of 9lb 1oz. He also caught dogfish and whiting.
With a Combe Martin Club Competition over the weekend, I was looking at a plan when Rob Scoines suggested a trip out on Steve Webbers Osprey. There were two places available and the weather forecast was spot on. It took a few moments to come to a decision and within five minutes the trip was secure and plans in place.
The boat was due to sail at 10:00am so there was no crack of dawn rise. I picked Rob up at 07:30am and enjoyed a scenic drive across Exmoor arriving at Minehead Mc Donald’s for a Breakfast roll and coffee before grabbing some bait from Speedbait the new fishing tackle and bait outlet situated close by on the Industrial estate.
We climbed aboard Osprey shortly before 10:00am and met with our fellow anglers, Colin Shepard, Rich Leonard, Lee Buck and Joe Woodward who had travelled down from the Bristol area.
It was one of those rare days with a mirror calm sea and a bright sky. There was a chill in the air after a few days of cold North East winds with overnight frosts. Anticipation was high as we headed off down channel.
First stop was in Porlock Bay hoping for an early smoothound. Within minutes dogfish were swung aboard in profusion.
After our first brew of the day from Steve’s son Will it was a unanimous decision to up anchor and head down to a well-known huss mark beneath the spectacular cliffs of the Exmoor coast.
After a few moments rod tips were nodding as scavenging predators below located our baits. I hooked into what felt a reasonable fish that plodded about at the end of the line as I persuaded it towards the boat. The head of a very large bull huss appeared ten yards behind the boat as Will stood ready with the net. Skipper Steve commented that it was a very good huss or words to that effect. At that moment the huss opened its mouth and spat out the bait, the terminal tackle flying back towards the boat. B******** or words to that effect. These nearly moments often seem to stick in the mind longer than success stories.
A flurry of huss to around 10lb followed along with strap eels and the occasional dogfish. As the tide began to ease the catch rate slowed and the decision was made to head back up channel in search of ray.
We dropped anchor a short distance off Selworthy and put out our baits into what was very shallow water. A small eyed ray was brought to the boat by Lee Buck within a minute or so of settling at anchor.
A good start that was to prove a false promise as just one other small eyed was tempted from the location. All remaining very quiet with just the occasional dogfish showing and a solitary conger of perhaps five pounds to my rod.
A move of a few hundred yards to a new position brought a few more dogfish and a small thornback ray.
As the day ticked past all to quickly it was very apparent that the fish were not feeding, perhaps as a result of the easterly air flow and high pressure?
Steve as ever kept trying and moved to another mark a mile closer to Minehead. The rod tips remained frustratingly still with even the dogfish scarce. As Steve called time my rod tip nodded and I lifted into a small eyed ray of 7lb. A reminder that success can come at the very last moment.
It had been an enjoyable day afloat with good company and the spectacular scenery of the Exmoor coast. Results had not lived up to expectations but this was no reflection on the skill of the skipper for we all knew that on another day these same marks would have brought a steady stream of quality fish.
Combe Martin SAC member Mark Jones christened his new beach caster with this fine specimen small eyed ray scaling 10lb. The fish was tempted using a blue/squid cocktail.
Combe Martin SAC member Mark Jones fished an up channel shore mark to land a fine small eyed ray of 10lb 4oz. The fish was landed during some horrendous weather making it difficult to get a good photo.! The fish was tempted on a blue and squid cocktail.
