Joe Won with 5 Species consisting of Pike, Perch, Rudd, Rainbow Trout and Blue Trout.
He went home winning a massive bundle of Prizes from Fox Rage, Okuma, Rapala, Fortis Eyewear, Catch and a Week’s Holiday for 2 at Anglers Paradise.
CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE JOE! MASSIVE THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS FOR THE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME PRIZES!!!
THE WINNING CAPTAIN AND TEAM OF THE ANGLERS PARADISE LURE WEEKEND 2022 IS…
Team Drennan with Captain Dave Drake with Mark Bloxham, James Durkin, Emily Durkin, Alan Dicks, Liz Dicks, Simon Blatch and Joe Sims winning with 8 Species caught as a Team.
So, Ben Humber has had his Crown taken away, this year was Dave Drake’s Year as Winning Team Captain and to make it even more special – his first ever Lure Weekend Win! A Massive Congratulations to Dave and his Team, they all fished their socks off till the final whistle and Captain Dave lead them expertly to victory and without a doubt deserved to win. The Species consisted of Pike, Perch, Tiger Trout, Blue Trout, Rainbow Trout, Rudd and Golden Tench. They were the only Team to catch Golden Tench too which is pretty special!
MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM DRENNAN AND OUR 2022 WINNING CAPTAIN DAVE DRAKE!!
BIG Thank You to Fat Mammoth, Rapala, Fox Rage for the awesome Team Prizes – they all looked like the Cats that got the cream!
IN 2ND PLACE OF THE ANGLERS PARADISE LURE WEEKEND IS…
AARON CHUCK with 4 Species consisting of Pike, Perch, Rainbow Trout and Rudd, with a length of 146cm.
Congratulations and Well Done Aaron! Aaron was the Winner of the last Lure Weekend we held in 2019, so to come as Runner Up is quite an achievement!
Massive THANK YOU to Fox Rage, Drennan, Okuma, Rapala, Fortis Eyewear and Catch for the amazing Prizes!
IN 3RD PLACE OF THE ANGLERS PARADISE 2022 LURE WEEKEND IS…
STEVE SELF with 4 Species consisting of Pike, Perch, Rainbow Trout and Rudd with a length of 126cm.
Congratulations and Well Done Stevie!
Thank you to Fox Rage, Rapala, Fortis and Catch for the great Prizes!
Barnstaple & District Angling Association held their AGM at the Ebberly Arms on Tuesday, November 8th.
It was a pleasure to attend the meeting and share in the club members enthusiasm. John Webber the clubs Chairman is to be thanked for ensuring that the club continues to thrive and appears to be entering a new era of prosperity. The clubs roots stretch back over 100 years and it was fascinating to view some of the clubs historic trophies that carry the names of many well known local anglers.
I have been a member of the association on and off for close to fifty years and have many fond memorys of fishing with the club and on its waters. I am pleased to say that plans are being made to rebiuld the clubs hut on the River Taw. I have waxed lyrical on several occasions about the hut and the anglers that rested there as they talked of fish and fishing.
The clubs committee are enthiuastic and committed to the clubs future and that of the River Taw and the salmon and other species that swim within.
This year the club has used un-taken honorariums to give a little help to local worthy causes.
We chose two , The Wave Project , who run surf therapy programs to improve the mental health of children and young people. I watched them at Croyde beach .It was wonderful to see the beaming smiles on their faces as they surfed in with the help from the volunteer surf mentors
Our other choice was the local Barnstaple Ability Football Club, they are totally self funded and rely on just donations. They have nearly 80 disabled & special needs adults playing football in the club., including 30 new members and Lynn Ashman who helps run the club said our donation will go towards buying new kit for these new members
£150 to each one odf these commendable causes.
Full details on the club and membership can be found at the below link.
There is something reassuring about home waters and the continuity of revisiting each year through the seasons. I have been fishing at Upper and Lower Slade reservoir for close to forty years and remember when they were both trout fisheries stocked with rainbow trout. It also had a population of wild brown trout that grew to over 6lb.
Sometime in the 1980’s the lakes were stocked with coarse fish and a new era began. Some of the lakes carp from this time still reside within the lake and this season saw the thirty pound barrier breached for the first time. The lakes also held tench, bream, roach and perch. The Upper Lake was closed to angling on health and safety grounds when maintenance of the perimeter path was deemed impractical.
In 1994 the Lower lake was stocked with twenty one pike from what is now the country’s top pike water Chew Valley Lake. Several of these pike were in excess of twenty pounds and they provided fine sport for several seasons. These fish eventually perished due to old age and angling pressure. Fortunately, some of the fish bred successfully and the lake now holds a good head of pike and has produced its own fish to over twenty pounds.
I have fished for the pike since 1994 when I caught the majority of the original stocking with my best from the water a fine fish of 21lb 3oz. Pike fishing is very cyclical and seasons tend to fluctuate with some years producing lots of jacks and a sprinkling of doubles. At the peak of the cycle waters can if the environment is suitable produce those specimen pike of over twenty pounds that dedicated pike fishers seek.
The dilemma with all good pike waters is that pike thrive when fishing pressure is low meaning that if good pike are being caught it is best to keep it under wraps. South West Lakes Trust manage several waters containing pike with Lower Slade being the only on in North Devon. There are also other lakes within their portfolio including Trenchford, Porth and Argal.
I visited Lower Slade on this early November day as heavy showers drifted past driven by a strong south westerly wind. These showers were interspersed with periods of bright sunshine. I started on the road bank with the intention of moving swims every couple of hours fishing two rods with float-fished dead-baits. In addition to the float’s I also used electronic bite alarms to alert me to a take if my eyes wondered from the crimson topped floats.
Pike floats bobbing optimistically on dark waters are one of winters joys and I tend to opt for floats even though straight legering is equally effective.
After a short time, a robin alighted upon the rods a welcome presence that brightens many a bleak winter day.
In the first swim the alarms sang out twice and the floats disappeared pleasingly. These were both jacks the biggest estimated at 8lb.
I moved to the far bank later in the day and was surprised that no runs were forthcoming in the next two swims. As afternoon passed I noticed the float lift slightly in the water. The float trembled and then disappeared beneath the dark water. I wound down and lifted the rod but failed to make contact.
It was to be my last chance of the day. I will be back in search of those bigger pike that surely lurk in Slade’s dark waters.
Pike are precious and need treating with care and respect. Always use tackle strong enough to ensure the fish is banked. Wire traces are essential as are unhooking tools including long handled forceps and side cutters. A suitable unhooking matt should also be used at all times. South West Lakes Trust rules state that single hooks must be used. I used a size 4 hook with a hair rig arrangement to ensure that there was no impediment to hooking cleanly.
(Above) Great catch from Callum Hardwick recently at Argal🎣 Callum and his mate had a great day fishing, landing 3 pikes to 15-17lb on Mackerel.
(Above) John Deprieelle and his sons Dylan and Leo, with a couple of pike they had from Trenchford this year.
Chew Valley Lake 8:00am, it’s an excited gathering of anglers as always struggling to the boats with masses of piking tackle. There were the normal sprinkling of BIG NAMES in pike fishing amongst the eager group. I Have fished Chew on numerous occasions since it opened to pike fishing in October 2001 and always relish the challenge.
The early morning sun illuminated the vast lake as Bruce Elston and I loaded our gear into the boat. We discussed where we would fish and decided to go against the general wisdom and head for deep water close to the dam. The well known Stratford area would undoubtedly be packed with boats and we just didn’t want to be amongst the crowds. Big pike have been caught from all around Chew Valley Lake so whilst location is the key it is a big lake and it might not always pay to follow the crowds.
To some extent my approach to fishing has changed over the years and enjoyment of the day is undoubtedly my number one aim. This may to some extent have been influenced by catching a 38lb pike earlier in the year a fish of a lifetime that I may never surpass. That fish was caught on a fly and both Bruce and I now question the benefits of targeting the pike during the trials at a higher cost when the fish can be caught on fly tackle.
That said there is something special about watching floats bobbing upon a lake and the expectation of their disappearance at any moment. I cannot say for certain which approach I prefer or which is the. most effective.
We agreed to troll lures on the way to our first location and were rewarded with a jack each. Using an echo sounder we located the boat close to where the bottom contours indicated a significant drop off. We then dropped anchors to ensure the boat remained stable and cast out dead-baits spread around the boat. It was now time to pour a fresh coffee and gather our thoughts.
Bruce was first into a fish on a horse mackerel dead bait a small jack of perhaps 4lb.
The conditions were certainly very pleasant for early autumn with a gentle breeze and brilliant blue sky.
After an hour anchored up with dead baits and the occasional search around with various spinners we decided upon a move to a bay further along the West bank.
After dropping anchor, I had a cast with the lure and immediately connected with a pike of around 8lb. We enjoyed further success from this location with Bruce adding another couple of jacks to dead-baits.
Throughout the day we tried a few different spots, trolled a bit and varied our lures searching each area carefully. The autumn colours were showing on bankside trees. Swans and geese occasionally flew over and grebes glided on the water hunting for fish. High in the sky large planes flew to a fro from nearby Bristol Airport and wondered where they were headed?
Bruce and I both watched our pike floats intently willing them to disappear. Time as always ebbed away and our dreams of monster pike slowly evaporated as the sun sank in the Western sky.
We had boated 14 jacks between us, ten to Bruce and four to me.
Bruce fished with his good friend Stuart Calder the following day. They chose to anchor up in the renowned Stratford area as thick mist hung over the lake. Early in the day Stuart boated a fine pike of 26lb 10oz. Bruce blanked. Chew is a big lake and each day deals a different hand there are many variables that go to make the game so fascinating and addictive.
26lb 10oz of prime pike
We will be back in the Spring Fly rods in hand casting in hope and hopefully connecting with one of those famous Chew Valley Giants.
I met with Ashley Bunning at Lower Slade Reservoir to discuss his new role as head of angling with South West Lakes Trust. Ashley is a very keen all-round angler much like myself and we had plenty to chat about as we walked around the reservoir. Ashley’s new role encompasses Game and Coarse fishing across the South West.
Ashley is very keen to promote angling across the region focussing in particular on encouraging young people into angling with school days a strong possibility. The lakes across the region provide a wealth of angling opportunities for pleasure, Match, Carp and specimen hunters. Getting a balance across all persuasions can be difficult and it is often difficult to please everyone. Being a keen angler himself Ashley has plenty of ideas and has plenty of contacts across the angling world. He acknowledges that there are challenges and that there is ground to make up following the departure of Ben Smeeth last year.
The popular Carp Fishing competitions sponsored by Mainline are due to return next year at Upper Tamar and I will have full details on NDANs as soon as these are officially announced. I might even take part myself!
The reservoirs across the South West offer a wide range of unique fishing opportunities and Ashley is keen to expand these where possible if budgets allow. These are difficult times and as a potential recession impacts upon us all fishing will undoubtedly be affected. It is also worth remembering that angling can be a relatively inexpensive pastime that has great benefits for both physical and mental health.
The social media platforms are to be reinvigorated over the coming months and I hope to share any news on North Devon Angling News. South West Lakes Trust have taken over the running of the famous Royalty Fishery at Christchurch where many historical catches have been made.
Angling is of course not the only pastime that uses the lakes and tolerance is essential if everyone is to enjoy their time at the water.
Having met Ashley Bunning while he was working at Anglers Paradise I feel sure he will promote angling across SWLT’s waters following on from the excellent work undertaken by Ben Smeeth in recent years.
Meet Ashley, our new Head of Angling
September 2022
Hi all, I’m Ashley Bunning, the new Head of Angling at South West Lakes.
I am a keen angler who has fished the South West Lakes reservoirs all my life. I grew up in Holsworthy and when I finished school I moved away from home and studied Fishery Management and Aquaculture to a Bachelor of Science level at Sparsholt College in Winchester.
After completing my course, I worked at various fisheries around the country, then settled at Anglers Paradise in Devon for the last six years.
Over the years I have volunteered for South West Lakes and when the opportunity came about to have a role here as Head of Angling I jumped at the chance! I look forward to pushing fishing forward and improving the experience for anglers on our waters.
I enjoyed a catfish fishing session at Anglers Eldorado with some good friends back in early July and blanked. My good friend Bruce Elston did well during the session and also enjoyed success on several follow up trips to the venue. I was keen to get back to the lake for a last try as summer fades into Autumn.
On August 30th with warm sunshine and a gentle easterly breeze I set off from home to join Bruce at the lake. The road wound through mid Devon countryside showing signs of a long hot summer. I noticed that several trees were already taking on Autumn hues their leaves starting to dry up as the long drought takes its toll. I glanced at the River Torridge as I drove over to witness a pitiful trickle.
I found Bruce set up at Eldorado cat lake with an adjacent swim that had been producing well reserved for me a few yards further along the bank.
I set up my tackles and introduced a few handfuls of pellets and boilies into the area I was planning to cast into. We were both using beefed up carp tactics with boilies and self-hooking rigs.
After an hour it was good to finally have the rods out and the bivvy assembled ready for a 24 hour session. I put the kettle on and looked forward to sitting back with an expresso. Things don’t always go to plan!
I had inadvertently packed the wrong adaptor for the coffee maker meaning the capsules would not fit. As I pondered this issue the bite alarm beeped and rod tip pulled around as what I assumed was a catfish moved away. I picked up the rod and leaned back to feel nothing.
First chance missed and you don’t always get another!
A few minutes later I heard Bruce’s alarm and looked over to see his rod well bent as an angry catfish tried to find sanctuary in the overhanging branches of the Island opposite. Bruce held the fish hard grudgingly allowing line to be taken from a tightly set clutch. The pressure told after a few minutes and large boils appeared on the surface as the catfish fought hard in the silty coloured water.
I stood waiting with the net as the fish came closer. A large tail broke the surface and then a large head and cavernous mouth. The head went into the net easy but its tail caused a few anxious moments as I tried to film the event with my go-pro in one hand.
With the fish safely in the net, Bruce prepared the unhooking mat and weigh sling ensuring they were well soaked with lake water. The fish pulled the scales to 31lb 7oz. A great start to the session.
An hour later my bite alarm bleeped into life and I struck into a hard fighting catfish. The fish powered away threatening to take me into a snag so it was time to give the tackle a good testing leaning back and seeing just how much pressure could be applied using 20lb b.s Big Game main line. After a tackle testing few minutes the cat was wallowing beneath the rod tip where Bruce wielded the net and safely secured my prize. Uncannily the fish weighed in at 31lb 8oz just an ounce different to Bruce’s yet a totally different fish.
The rest of the afternoon passed by uneventfully until a much appreciated Fish and Chip delivery by Bruce’s daughter.
As the evening set in we both topped up our swims with bait and cast out fresh. The sun slowly set illuminating the evening sky as swallows swooped low over the lake. We were both optimistic that the night would bring a further result with past sessions producing well overnight for Bruce.
It is always enchanting to watch the light fade from within the bivvy with expectation of a run at any moment. The wind dropped away to leave the lake mirror calm. Bats replaced the swallows swooping in the night air.
In the early hours I awoke to answer natures call and gazed up into a night sky full of vividly twinkling stars. The valley lay silent with just the occasional hoot from an owl.
I awoke as dawn slowly broke and made a fresh coffee before checking one of the baits and introducing a sprinkling of pellets and boilies. I sat back still optimistic despite the blank night. I chatted with Bruce who was also surprised at the lack of overnight success.
As the sun rose higher in the sky its light illuminated the far bank injecting vibrant colour into the day like an artist working upon a canvas.
We both packed up reluctantly leaving the rods out until the last minute just in case. Whilst there is still time to catch catfish our sights are set on an abundance of other species as autumn descends.
Eventually a fascination with what lives in that dimension beneath the rippled surface took over. My early recollections are of sitting beside the river with my father armed with a spool of line and a tobacco tin full of hooks and split shot. Our wriggly worm bait was clearly visible in the crystal clear waters. An eel materialized from downstream and moved sinuously towards it. The eel with its resemblance to a snake held me transfixed and its image remains imprinted on my mind. I cannot tell you whether it took the bait; perhaps it did and I have deleted the memory, as there is nothing worse than a small eel impaled on a hook to create a horrific tangle of line and slime.
Extract from “I Caught A Glimpse” By Wayne Thomas Published
By the Little Egret Press in 2019
I have always had a fascination with eels and have had a few half-hearted attempts at catching a specimen of over 3lb. Many of my friends in the Specimen angling fraternity have caught big eels and I have admired the images posted on social media and in photos in the days of old. Many waters hold big eels and many more are rumoured to hold big eels.
I have seen huge eels during my years working with South West Water fish that were sadly trapped in sluice valves on reservoir outlets. At least one eel would have been close to the British Record of 11lb 2oz.
The problem with catching a big eel is that they are truly wild and are seldom seen so locating them is not always easy. There are a dedicated few anglers who target the species and they are generally a secretive bunch who protect the waters that produce big eels. This is for two reasons; big eels are vulnerable to over fishing partially because they are relatively delicate and secondly because they seem to have an uncanny knack of learning quickly after being caught. My friend Steve Dawe explained a theory shared by many eel anglers that a virgin water will yield a few big eels and then suddenly switch off as if the eels have gone. A few years later that same water can again produce, yet as eels grow slowly and live for many years the eels are still the same fish.
My eel fishing excursions over the years have resulted in a few blanks and many encounters with tackle twisting bootlaces that are more trouble than they are worth.
A big freshwater eel of over 3lb is likely to be a fish of over 30 years old though on commercial lakes this is possibly impacted upon by an increased food source that enhances growth rates.
My good friend Steve Dawe is an eel enthusiast and over recent seasons I have obtained permission to fish waters that had never been eel fished. On both waters we caught brown trout on dead-baits and left after each session wondering if we had been chasing a fish that didn’t exist?
Over the years I have invested in several books on eel fishing including, The Eel Angler by Barry McConnell, Fishing for Big Eels by Brian Crawford and Eels by John Sidley. Reading these book’s, it is apparent that eel anglers tend to be dedicated fanatics who are prepared to invest many hours in pursuit of the mysterious and enigmatic eel.
After two blank sessions on non-productive waters Steve suggested we visit a water that had produced good eels and a healthy population of medium sized fish in the 2lb to 3lb size range.
I was now well versed in eel fishing rigs, tactics and waiting for a run all I needed was for an eel to take my bait.
Rollover indicator
I met up with Steve at the chosen water a couple of hour’s drive from my North Devon home. It was 7.00am with light drizzle falling and a warm muggy atmosphere enveloping the lake that lay in a wooded valley. Steve was already in position with baits just cast out as I arrived.
I set up in the adjacent swim and tackled up with Dyson rigs and small roach heads on each rod. After ten minutes Steve was into an eel of over 2lb that gave an exciting scrap despite its moderate size sending up plumes of silt as it gyrated in the water. I watched Steve carefully deal with the eel, I took a quick photo and watched it swim away.
Within moments my own bite alarm sounded as the rollover released line allowing it to stream freely from the open reel spool. I picked up the rod and struck into nothing! I missed two more runs before Steve was once again attached to an eel. This eel gave an equally good account of itself before being netted and scaled 2lb 4oz.
This was to prove to be Steve’s total eel haul for the day. I persisted with two eel rods missing a run or two every hour some of which were undoubtedly carp swimming into the line. On one occasion the line was streaming out and I struck to feel heavy resistance. There was a big swirl on the surface and for a moment we both thought eel! It was in fact a foul hooked carp of about 3lb!
Steve left one eel rod out and enjoyed float fishing in the margins where he caught a nice roach and a few carp. It would have been easy to be distracted as large carp cruised under the rod tips and slurped down surface food. Bubbles broke the surface as fish fed hard upon the silty lake bed.
I remained fully focused on an eel despite the continual frustration of missed runs. Some could be small eels or finicky eels whilst some could be carp nudging the baits and releasing the line from the delicate rollover indicator.
As mid afternoon passed doubts began to creep in that another eel blank was looming? Steve had to drive away to get a phone signal and wound his rods in for a while. Shortly after he left I eventually made contact with an eel; the type of eel I had often encountered in the past that probably weighed 1lb 8oz. A small eel for the venue but at least I hadn’t blanked.
I showed Steve the eel when he returned and slipped it back into the lake. We planned to pack up at around 6.00pm but fish on until 7.00pm if I had not caught an eel over 2lb.
At 5.45pm the indicator bleeped once again as the line was released from the rollover. I picked up the rod, paused as the line tightened and lifted into the fish. There was a big swirl and a cloud of silt as the rod was pulled over as something large pulled back in the murky water. The drag was set tight and I hung on as the rod hooped over. The eel shook its head and I felt savage lunges transmitted through the line and well bent rod. Steve grabbed the net and after a few anxious moments the prize was secure. This was without doubt a new personal best eel and a magnificent looking creature. The eel was quickly unhooked, fortunately it was lip hooked, the barbless size 4 slipping out easily with the forceps. The eel was laid out onto a wet unhooking matt and admired before having a number added to its credentials. At 4lb 8oz it is a fish that will remain etched in my memory and will undoubtedly be the first of more eels as I explore my local waters more.
Steve gave useful advice on photographing eels and I did my best to pose as I admired the eel. A truly magnificent fish that has fulfilled a long held desire that had been smouldering since that day with my father beside a summer river well over fifty years ago.
Many thanks must go to Steve who guided me to success and quipped as we packed away’ That’s the second trip now that you have commented that “your fish totals as much as both of yours”. My last trip with Steve had been to Chew Valley Lake where I had boated a 38lb pike. Once again right place, right time and a big slice of luck!!
