Combe Martin SAC member Robin Bond fished a mark in the lower Taw estuary and landed a new club record gilt head bream scaling 5lb. These hard fighting fish are being caught on a far more regular basis in recent seasons a possible result of climate change? During the eighties these fish were tempted from South Devon marks and seemed to begin to populate Cornish marks as the seasons progressed. They are now caught a across the South West, South Wales and from Southern Ireland and beyond.
Ollie Passmore caught this 3lb 12oz thin lipped grey mullet on a recent trip to the Taw estuary. This hard fighting fish are tempted from the Taw and Torridge estuary using small spinners baited with harbour ragworm.
Paul Hutchings sent me a report on a good day fishing from a boat in the lower estuary. They landed numerous school bass, a codling the highlight of the trip a gilt head bream caught by Andrew McKenna.
Jordan Choules banked this cracking mullet whilst fishing the Taw estuary having two others slip the hook close to the net. Thin lipped mullet are generally tempted using baited Mepps’ style spinners with king rag segments or harbour ragworm.
The 2018/19 Flounder season is proving to be the best for many years with good numbers of good sized flounder caught. There is the chance of flounder for a couple more weeks and it could be wortbn trying the lower estuary as the fish drop back towards the sea. It is tp be hoped that next season will be an even better one with survivors of this year class returning even bigger next autumn. Flounder fishing on the estuary tends to be cyclical with peak seasons followed by poor seasons with smaller fish.
Richard Chapple and James Griggy enjoyed New Years Day morning down on Taw estuary catching six flounder the biggest flounder caught by Richard Chapple weighing in at 2lb 1 1/2oz (second 2 pound flounder of season for Richard Chapple)
David Jenkins got 2019 off to great start with this fine Taw flounder of 2lb 2oz. David started the session with a fish a cast.
Combe Martin SAC member Rob Scoines enjoyed a short session in the Taw estuary landing five flounder to 1lb 6oz. Whilst many stop fishing the estuary after Christmas I suspect that good sport can be enjoyed for a few weeks yet with every chance of a large specimen full of roe prior to spawning.
Combe Martin SAC member Ian Laird enjoyed his first flounder session of the season landing several fish on light tackle from a mark in the Taw estuary.
The autumn estuary can provide some fine sport for young anglers with flounder and school bass.
Ian Cairns won Triple Hook Clubs Junior Open Flounder competition with a fine flounder of 1lb 87/8oz. In second place was Roxy Mortimer with a flounder of 1lb 8oz. Joan Cairns won the ladies Open Flounder match with a flattie of 1lb 73/4oz. Christine Hancock was runner up with a flounder of 1lb 31/4oz.
Andrew Conibear took his son Thomas to the Taw estaury where they enjoyed sport with flounder and bass to 5lb 9oz.
Scott Andries, Matt Jeffery and his son Joshua enjoyed a mullet fishing session in the estuary where they all enjoyed success with baited spinners. Joshua landed his first of the species a specimen of 4lb 6oz that stands a good chance of winning a Junior trophy with Combe Martin SAC. Matt Jeffery’s best mullet of the session scaled 4lb 5oz and Scott Andreis’s mullet 3lb 4oz.
