Ollie Passmore has been enjoying some superb estuary sport with thin lipped mullet banking these two spcimens of 4lb 5oz and 4lb 8oz in the past few days.
Thin lipped grey mullet are giving some superb sport in the Taw and Torridge Estuary with good numbers of mullet tempted on baited Mepp’s style spinners. There is speculation that the recent ban on netting in the estuary has resulted in an upsurge in catches. The settled weather conditions have also played a part I would imagine. John Shapland has banked three thin lipps over four pound in the past month.
(Below) John Shapland with a 4lb 2oz thin lipped grey mullet
(Below) Dan Welch also enjoyed success spinning for mullet landing several during a session with CMSAC member Ross Stanway.
Flounder enthusiasts cast their lines into the Taw estuary in the hope of securing their Christmas Dinner. The top ten lucky winners were as follows.
1 Darren Short 1lb 9 3/8oz
2 Nigel Gullen 1lb 8 1/8oz
3 Nathan Clements 1lb 7 3/4oz
4 John password 1lb 7 1/4oz
5 Taz Wotton. 1lb 6 3/4oz
6 Dennis Toleman 1lb 5 3/4oz
7 Steve Luxton. 1lb 3 1/2oz
8 Nick Braunton 1lb 3/1/8oz
9 Paul downing 1lb 3oz
10. Devlin Wotton. 1lb 2 7/8oz
Flounder enthusiasts are enjoying some good sport on light tackle with quality flounder from all the regular estuary marks. Combe Martin SAC Ian Laird landed several to 1lb 7oz in a recent session.
CMSAC member Rob Pearson also targetted the flounder landing 10 to 1lb 14oz along with a fine bonus bass of 7lb.
Triple Hook Clubs Ladies and Junior Open on Sunday October 29th saw several flounder brought to the scales with calm conditions and blue skies prevailing throughout the morning.
Ian Cairns won the event with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz and topped the club members section.
In runner up spot was Max Chapple with a flounder of 1lb 33/8oz and third Levi Beer with a flounder of 1lb 31/4oz
The Ladies Event was won by Levi Beer with her flounder of 1lb 31/4oz and Joan Cairns was runner up with a flounder of 145/8oz
Thin lipped mullet have made a welcome return to the Taw and Torridge estuary’s and are providing fine sport for the band of enthusiasts who target the species using baited spinners. Olie Passmore landed the above fish of 3lb 14oz on his latest session on the Lower Taw. John Shapland has also enjoyed success with mullet to 2lb 14oz.
Flounder fishing in the Taw is now approaching its prime time with the obliging flatfish gaining weight before leaving the estuary after Christmas to spawn. Local clubs have been enjoying some action with Juniors and ladies joining in the fun!
Yasmin Beer won both the ladies and Junior section with a fine flounder of 1lb 123/8oz. Second in the junior section was Lewis Rigler with a flounder of 1lb 5oz. Levi Beer took runner up spot in the club section of the Junior competition. Runner up in the ladies section was Debbie Rigler with flounder of 1lb 47/8oz.
Just got back from an interesting day filming along the North Devon Coast with Wiseman Productions and Libby Ross one of our local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority Officers. The video is part of The FishTrail project for The West Country Rivers Trust and IFCA. It is funded by E.U COSME to promote Inter European Angling Tourism and promote conservation minded angling. Part of the project is also the building of a fish planner website to give a clear summary of legislation that relates to angling.
I must give special thanks to local anglers and fishing mates Kevin Legge, Callum Gove and James Hunter who joined me with some success in the hunt for fish. I will share the video on this site when it is released.
Callum managed this mullet half an hour after filming ceased; I think that what they call sods law!