23 Jan 2020

He loved life, family and fishing – A Tribute to Cameron Atkinson

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Today I joined a huge congregation at North Devon Crematorium to celebrate the life of twenty year old Cameron Atkinson.  Cameron tragically lost his life before Christmas generating shock and grief throughout North Devons community. Cameron was a very keen member of Appledore Shipbuilders Angling Club.  I have featured many of Camerons catches on North Devon Angling News his bright and contagious smile lighting up many a page. Family, Fishing and cricket were Camerons greatest loves and his warmth and enthusiasm will be sadly missed. He caught far more specimen fish in his short life than many a seasoned angler has achieved over many decades of angling. In 2018 he landed a British Record Spurdog of 18lb a fine fish. It is impossible to find adequate words at such a time so I will share a few pictures of Camerons many catches over the years.

Love of family, friends and of the sea shone through at todays service.

The Poem below was read at Camerons Funeral a fitting choice in memory of a young man who loved to sail out to sea from Appledore crossing the bar. To drift upon those brightly sparkling waters.
BY Alfred Lord Tennyson 
Sunset and evening star,
      And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
      When I put out to sea,
   But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
      Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
      Turns again home.
   Twilight and evening bell,
      And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
      When I embark;
   For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
      The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
      When I have crost the bar.
21 Jan 2020

BLUEFIN – SPORT FROM THE DEEPS

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Each Winter anglers take advantage of the great sport available in the deep water off Ilfracombe where huge packs of spurdog prowl hunting whiting and herring. Catches of over a hundred spurdog a day are not uncommon with double figure Bull Huss and big conger also testing anglers tackle to the limit. This Winter  has once again seen John Barbeary take anglers to fishing grounds that have provided  some excellent catches as illustrated below. For details of Bluefin click on the above link.

 

20 Jan 2020

South Molton Anglers Enjoy Calm Water Deep Sea Fishing

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   A quick report from Ed Rands of South Molton Angling Club  on their trip to ilfracombe on Sunday 19th January.
   It was a cold and frosty start in the dark with icy roads and stars  shining, by the time we arrived dawn was beginning to break. 
   We wrapped up warm, waited for some water in the harbour! then set off to lee bay while the tide was racing. 
   We sat there patiently wading through the inevitable dogfish but did have 4 small conger, 10 bull huss to 13.5lb,1 pouting and a first for me, a mussel clamped on my hook!
   We then steamed out to deeper water when the tide had eased and settled in to quite a busy 3 hours or so with an estimated 50 odd spurdog to 14.5lb,we didn’t weigh them all, another 10 huss to 10lb, 6 more  conger to 30lb and more dogfish. 
   By this time the weather was glorious with coats and woolly hats being discarded and a flat  sea.
  Thanks to Paul “bluefins” stand in skipper and all that attended, we were lucky with the weather and found plenty of fish couldn’t have asked for anything more. 
  I have photos to send but I’ll send them individually as we have issues this end with size of files.
   Hopefully see some of you at the agm on February 11th.
   All the best and tightlines 
   Ed
20 Jan 2020

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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Bideford Angling Club – 24 hour Sea Rover results

1st Nathan Clements Whiting 1lb 5 1/2 89.583%

2nd Andrew Clements Thornback Ray 7lb 13 1/2 87.153%

3rd Tarrant Wotton Flounder 1lb 11 84.375%

(Below) Olie Passmore, Kody Chugg  and Alex Milton enjoyed  a great nights fishing from local North Devon marks. Olie Passmore had a stunning PB Codling of 6lb and a 4lb 12oz… also a 16lb 5oz conger, plus a small eyed ray. Kody Chugg also had this codling of 3lb 4oz and  Alex had a conger of 15lb 8oz. and all fish caught on launce and squid and mackerel baits. It also proves that there is plenty of stuff to be caught at this time of year as well.

(Below)Toby Bassett is aiming to catch as many species as possible and made a great start using LRF tactics on Ilfracombe Pier.
13 Jan 2020

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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Sea Anglers are having to dodge the storms to find quality fish along the coast. Great care needs to be taken when choosing where to fish during these difficult conditions with long handled nets and sound warm waterproof clothing essential.

Kevin Legge won Combe Martin SACs Winter Rover 1 with a fine specimen Bull Huss scaling 11lb 7oz. Mark Jones was runner up with a small eyed ray of 9lb 3oz and Kevin third with another Bull Huss of 8lb 11oz. Fishing was generally hard going with quality fish hard to find. Nick Phillips caught a pleasing pollock of 3lb 9oz for forth place and David Jenkins targeted estuary flounder to take fifth place with a flounder of 1lb 61/2oz. Members also caught codling, whiting, pouting, rockling, small conger and the inevitable dogfish.

BIDEFORD COD COMPETITION

Dick Talbot secured first and second place in Bideford Angling Clubs cod competition landing codling of 2lb 0.5oz and 1lb 12oz.

 

 

 

8 Jan 2020

COMBE MARTIN SAC BOAT TRIP – Part 2

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Once again many thanks to Matt Jeffery for I report on the CMSAC Boat Trip

Teddie boy 02/01/20

this was our 2 nd trip out after the elusive cod.

a little more blowy and the conditions today oozed cod.

with some fresh blood on the boat spirits were high once again,this was also boosted by the news that Michael webber had netted two cod to nearly 14lb the day before which is always good to hear !.

we managed to get conger eels to the boat within the first 15 minutes and the odd dog. The constant top up of tea and coffee from the ever vigilant skipper ( a knock off from the old block!.)plus bacon and sausage rolls.

Some decent fish came to the boat with Rob Scoines getting the first blonde to the boat of 14 lb

then young Jack Phillips picking up a whiting of 1lb 10 oz

the best fish of the day went to John Shapland  with a 19lb 14oz blonde ray

Mark Jones and Mark Jones also got in to the action on the blonde to double figures

and Jamie Steward managed a decent eel at 22lb 6oz

other ray were caught by all, so we at least all had something other than small eels and dogs.

alas there was no cod, again it was not for the lack of trying, even with Michael stretching our 8 hr trip to 9hrs to give us every last glimmer of hope of the capture of the elusive unicorn mud pig !!!!!!!.. we will be back piggy……..

6 Jan 2020

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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Sea anglers have been having a difficult time recently with specimen fish hard to find despite good conditions. There has been a good bit of variety however with bass, codling and ray amongst catches. One of Sea Anglings greatest attributes is undoubtedly the unknown highlighted by the 3lb 2.5oz ling caught by Jon Stevens in Bideford Angling Clubs Rover

Bideford Angling Club – January Rover Results

1st Terry Dymond Flounder 1lb 10oz 1/4 82.031%

2nd Antony Smith Thornback Ray 6lb 9oz 72.916%

3rd Jon Stevens ling 3lb 2 1/2oz 70.138%

4th Nathan Clements Thornback Ray 5lb 15 1/2oz 66.319%

Appledore Shipbuilders January Rover Results

1st – Andrew Atkinson Flounder 2lb 5 1/2oz
2nd – Josh Atkinson Flounder 2lb 2 1/4oz
3rd – Graham Fisher Flounder 1lb 15 1/2oz

 

Combe Martin SAC members have been out chasing those winter fish. Lure fishing enthusiast Mark Jones has sett himself a challenge to catch bass in every month of the year and has got off to a great start tempting these two bass to tick off January.
( Below) Ross Stanway enjoyed winter success of a more traditional type landing this plump codling.

 

4 Jan 2020

Combe Martin SAC – Boat Trip

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Combe Martin SAC Boat Trip

Many thanks to Matt Jeffery for his report on CMSAC’s latest boat trip out of Minehead.

Osprey trip..30/12/19

Spirits were high as we pulled out of the harbour today with Steve Webber at the helm , all of us busily making our rigs and hoping to trick that big one into snaffling it up off the sea bed .

I for one was very pleased to be greeted by a calm morning as we pulled out of the harbour, and i wondered to myself was today the day ?.

with the usual teas and coffees made by young William Webber and also the cooking of bacon and sausages by Steve Webber it was a pleasent day

Unfortunately it wasnt to be today and it wasnt for the lack of trying either might i add ….

a few decent fish were caught through the masses of conger eels to 15lb…….

Louis Rooke managed a nice blonde

Peter Robinson had a spotted ray of 3lb 2oz

many thanks to Steve Webber for trying his best to get us on the fish ,and good on the club members for never giving up with those big cod baits ……