31 Oct 2025

Bude canal angling club V Bideford and District Angling Club

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Club Page, Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Bude canal angling club V Bideford and District Angling Club

Bideford’s team of 15 ventured across the border to take on the Cornish on their canal and the outcome was very close. Bude scored 234 points to Bidefords 230,.

Our club carried a 30 point lead from the first leg on Tarka swims therefore won overall by 26 points

Conditions on the canal were cold and windy with North Westerly squally showers.

The Bude captain led his team home with a terrific bag of 20lb of bream and skimmers on the second basin.

Our top performance was Keith Copland on the bottom basin.

Big thanks to the lads representing Bideford and a special thank you to Tom Wade Anglers Heaven for supporting the team with a generous bait sponsorships and the Brendon Arms for a great breakfast and a fine after match spread.

28 Oct 2025

FISHING WISDOM – By Dominic Garnett

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

FISHING WISDOM

A Miscellany of Angling Anecdotes, Facts and Folklore.

By Dominic Garnett

GMC Publications. ISBN 9781784947200

Dominic’s latest book delivers an array of wisdom and comment in his unique and at times quirky entertaining style. The book strips angling back to basics in the first few chapters adding clarity to tactics that will sharpen any anglers approach to the varied waters into which lines are cast.

The design of the book certainly oozes tradition and it is in many ways a timeless tome packed with information for anglers making their first tentative casts or reflecting upon a life time searching for that connection with those creatures that dwell within a fascinating and mysterious realm.

Dom is a multi-discipline angler like myself and I can relate to much within the book and found myself benefitting from the straight forward analysis of angling. It also stimulated my own thoughts on why we fish and its wider benefits.

As those darker winter nights approach it is a book well worth delving into deserving a place on any anglers bookshelf. My own personal favourite section is perhaps the Fishing and Culture section that celebrates anglings rich history and mythology.

It is a book that will never become outdated for its key themes are the timeless essence of angling through the ages.

Dominic Garnett ( Right) with a rare comber caught off Looe in Cornwall

23 Oct 2025

Weekly Angling Report -October 23rd 2025

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Casting around North Devon, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Lure Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

UNDERWOOD SECURES WIN AT BIDEFORD CLUB WATER

Bideford Angling Clubs monthly Coarse Match on their home water was won by Nathan Underwood with 84lb 2oz. Runner up was Darren Polden with 52lb 12oz and third Keith Mountjoy with 39lb 14oz.

Jamie Steward caught a stunning lure caught bass of 71cm to give him a narrow lead in Combe Martin SAC’s lure fishing league sponsored by High Street Tackle, Ilfracombe with five bass for 353cm. The league ends on October 31^st with several members in contention. Runner up spot is currently held by Mark Drewer with five bass for 351cm and Seth Tuson third with five bass for. 347.5cm.

Combe Martin SAC members have been catching specimen mullet from the North Devon Coastline with Daniel Welch catching a 4lb 2oz specimen and Graham Snow a specimen of 4lb 1.5oz.

The Fluff Chucker’s Fly Fishing Group followed up on a successful Brown Trout Masters series with a West Country Grayling Cup hosted by the Arundell on the Devon and Cornwall border. Roger Truscott once again demonstrated his skill with the Fly Rod winning the event with a fine grayling of 45cm. Runner up was Rodney Wevill. Winner of the morning session was Gary Brazier and Ozzie Gough winner of the afternoon session.

Grayling offer winter sport on a limited number of rivers across Devon with the Arundell waters offering fishing on the Tamar and its tributaries. The Upper Exe waters controlled by the Dulverton Anglers Association offer several miles of fishing for these ladies of the stream.

Bulldog Fishery is in fine form with big brown trout, spartic’s and rainbows being caught. The venue is launching its winter competition program of events with the first competition this Sunday.

Several North Devon based anglers have travelled to Cornwall and South Devon ports to sample the exciting tuna fishing that is currently thriving to bring a welcome boost to local economies. I joined four good friends out of Looe to share an awesome angling adventure that saw us bring nine tuna to the boats side all between 200lb and 300lb. The power of these fish is immense and a true test of an anglers stamina. It is truly amazing to witness such an abundance of life as these magnificent fish feast upon a shoal of fish along with dolphins and sea birds. It is to be hoped that this valuable catch and release big game fishery can thrive and focus minds on the long term conservation of our coastal waters.

23 Oct 2025

MATCH FISHING RESULTS

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Bideford & District Angling Club –

B.D.A.C.ROD AND REEL MATCH RESULTS date 19.10.25 at Tarka.

A very wet and windy match with only 7 anglers fished, all anglers caught fish although fishing was hard. 1st place today went to Richard jefferies on peg 16 with 31lbs 1oz manly carp,2nd place was Reg Sutton on peg 6 with 29lbs 1oz and 3rd place went to Keith Copland on peg 10 with 23lbs 14oz. Next Rod and Reel match date 23.11.25 at Tarka.

NORTH DEVON MATCH GROUP

North Devon Match Groups latest Match at Stafford Moor on Willow and Oak and some tight weights separated the winners on both lakes . Winners on the day were….

Willow.

1st Nathan Underwood 132lb 08oz

2nd Tom Downing 123lb 4oz

3rd Dave Johnson 89lb 1oz

Oak.

1st Paul Morris 106lb 11oz

2nd Dave Stockton 92lb 1oz

3rd Mark Lynch 74lb14oz

13 Oct 2025

Bideford and District Angling Club Coarse Section Monthly Competition.

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Bideford and District Angling Club

Coarse section monthly competition.

Results, :

1st Nathan Underwood 84lb 2oz

2nd Darren Polden 52lb 12oz

3rd Keith Mountjoy 39lb 14oz

4th Craig Lamey 32lb 10oz

5th Keith Copland 27lb 1oz

6t Dave Wilkins 26lb 10oz

7th Paul Elworthy 26lb 9oz

22 members fished.

The largest residents of George’s lake ,Tarka swims have shown this month . Nathan straight off a week long festival at Stafford Moor, has caught a fantastic net including some large carp on unfancied peg 7 .Maggot over groundbait on the pole in open water was the successful technique.

Second in the match was Darren on peg 9

moving him up to 5th in the yearly league table.

Keith retains third place in the league with his third position off of peg 13.

Craig found the only carp caught in the shallower end to secure 4th place on peg 24..

12 Oct 2025

October Festival 2025 at Stafford Moor.

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Robbie Taylor winner with a total weight of 634lb 10oz over the week & had a score of 5 points.

Second Place was

Tom Downing who had a total weight of 517lb 9oz & had a score of 5 points.

Third Place was

Andy Dare who had a total weight of 503lb 11oz & a score of 5 points.

The largest Carp Bag of the week was won by Robbie Taylor with 261lb 4oz

The Largest Silvers Bag of the week was won by John Newton with 38lb 4oz

Donation from the event have gone to The Devon Air Ambulance Fund

Below is the Leader Board & the top three winners

9 Oct 2025

Looking back at a project that has brought joy to many……Great Memories

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Coarse Fishing, Match Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Neilsen Jeffery shared this post on Facebook today and he has kindly allowed me to share here on North Devon Angling News.

It’s a really positive post showing how flourishing Bideford Angling Lakes started since being dug out of a field over twenty years ago. Credit must go to Nielsen and Paul Carter of the Environment Agency who worked closely and tirelessly to create a lasting legacy.

On a personal level it brings home how long I have been contributing to the local angling scene with my reporting in the NDJ and here on North Devon Angling News.

Since this endeavour Neilson has continued to build angling opportunities with Horwood Lakes offering excellent fishing for both match and pleasure anglers.

Neilsens post

One good thing I’ve found out today about moving house is that you go through everything tucked away in the loft, I came across these great memories from 20 years ago when I actually had a bit of hairand I took on a massive challenge to build a lake for the local club solely helped by Paul Carter from the EA three years later it was completed and three years of bloody hard work I might add, however a great achievement if I might say so myself and very proud