Jon Patten has allowed me to post his latest exploit here on North Devon Angling News. This is the second spurdog I have heard of from the shore so far this year which is a promising sign so early in the winter season.

Decided on a little evening session the other night based on the hunch that there may have been a spur or two about from one of the local beaches,With temperatures failing to minus 5 we hoped that we would be busy thus keeping us warm. Baits were sent out into the murky depths of the Bristol channel where hopefully something would dine on our scrumptious offering, Barely 10 minutes had passed and the first of our bites came, in fact a flurry of bites consisting mainly of dogfish, eels,whiting and huss……Nothing big but enough to keep us occupied which was very pleasing watching the rods continuously nodding amongst an array of shooting stars coming down from the skies
Our session was almost over when i saw a bite that after a couple of pulls the line fell slack almost to the floor,a couple of turns of the handle saw tension regained and a swift movement of the rod top saw weight at the end of my line
After a little bit of a scrap i could see eyes at the waters edge signalling the reflective eyes of our intended quarry the spurdog, it might not have been a big one ………but the account was open and hopefully the first of several this winter as this once rare visitor now visits our shores more frequently than years gone by
Varivas sport 20lb main line, 130lb flouro carbon trace and 8/0 BMX hooks
Bait used ……squid, sandeel, mackerel and bluey