Bulldog Trout Fisheries Fly lake is in top form at the moment with rainbows and tigers bending anglers rods.
The winter season is often the most productive time of year to target stillwater trout.
BOAT FISHING – ILFRACOMBE END OF SEASON FLOURISH
The first weekend of November brought the 2024 season to a close for most Charter boats operating out of Ilfracombe. The calm weather resulted in a good end to the season. Last weekend Bluefin Charters, Predator 2 and Carrick Lee all had successful trips with tope to 42lb boated with several large fish lost. Bass, bull huss, pollock, scad, conger, wrasse, whiting and dogfish were caught and the trips were even more made memorable with sightings of porpoise, seal and tuna.
South Molton Angling Club – Bluefin
A quick report from Edward Rands on the clubs last sea trip of the season from Ilfracombe.
We set sail from the harbour at 07:30, early enough for me!, but the days are shorter now.
Our destination was Lundy, about 90 minutes later we were there jigging feathers and retrieving all sorts of plastic lures and began catching mainly pollack with a few wrasse now and again. Although the weather was overcast we were on the west side in some shelter from the easterly wind.
We drifted various marks and then decided to anchor for a while to finish the day off where we caught a little conger, some bull huss and a couple of scad which were used as bait and helped Chris Allin catch a 42lb tope which will take the Tope cup.
The shout was reel in and we headed home with a bucket full of pollack fillets which we shared around. The journey home was quite lumpy with wind against tide but everyone managed and no motion sickness occurred.
The list was
40 pollack to 5lb
6 ballan wrasse
3 scad
4 pouting
10 huss to 10lb
1 strap conger
1 tope 42lb
A very enjoyable day out with plenty of fish, good company and good banter.
Thanks to John and Ted for looking after us again on “Bluefin” and everyone else for supporting the cause.
PREDATOR 2
I enjoyed the last trip of the season on a mates trip on Predator 2 skippered by Dan Welch relishing a last chance to explore the reefs and deep channels West of Ilfracombe.
Big tope and big bass were on our agenda though it was good to be out fishing once again whatever we managed to catch.
The sea was calm as we left Ilfracombe just a light Easterly blowing down the channel. The grey November sky was mirrored by the sea the North Devon cliffs dark and sombre as we watched familiar landmarks pass by.
We explored close to the rocky shore at first casting lures to be rewarded with a few hard fighting pollock and wrasse.
With the tide easing Dan suggested we get out and drop the anchor in hope of a big late season tope or ray.
We soon reached our intended mark and a variety of baits were sent down onto the sandy ridges that have a reputation for tope and ray.
I had baited with a mackerel head and guts impaled on a 6/0 Sakuma Kong Hook with heavy wire trace. To my surprise after just a few minutes I felt a savage tug. I let out a few yards of slack and waited until the rod tip pulled over before leaning back into the fish. The rod hooped over and line was ripped from a moderately tight drag. I held on relishing the battle confident in my tackle as whatever had taken the bait started to accelerate away. Suddenly without warning the rod tip sprang back and I felt deflated knowing that I had lost contact with something special. I reeled in to find that the fish undoubtedly a big tope had come off.
Heartened by this we all fished on expectantly catching a succession of small huss and dogfish before the tide eased.
Dan suggested moving further out into faster tide to fish a channel between rocky reefs.
The anchor went down once again and fresh baits were sent down. For the next two hours a steady stream of decent huss and conger ensured regularly bent rods typical of Bristol Channel reef fishing. I also lost a large fish after a very brief connection.
When the tide strength demanded close to 2lb of lead to hold bottom we headed back close inshore to search a tide rip for bass. Here we enjoyed an hours great sport with bass, pollock and wrasse falling to lures the black fiiish minnows bringing most success.
We headed back to Ilfracombe against a lively sea driven by the East breeze. Pollock were filleted along with a couple of good table sized bass. We all chatted about more trips next year with plenty of excursions planned for 2025.
SEA ANGLING – RESULTS
APPLEDORE SHIPBUILDERS RESULT
First rover Appledore Shipbuilders new season resulted in some lovelly fish being caught.
First place went to Josh Atkinson with a beautiful Black Bream of 2lb 5 3/4ozs.
Michael Hammett was second with another Black Bream of 2lb 4 1/4ozs and Josh was also 3rd with a cracking Ballan Wrasse of 5lb 4 1/4ozs.
BIDEFORD ANGLING CLUB – Result
Stephen Found won Bideford Angling Clubs monthly sea rover with a thornback ray of 7lb. Graham Snow was runner up with a flounder of 1lb 8.5oz.
As Winter sets in…..
As Winter approaches the number of anglers venturing out will inevitably drop but those that continue to fish will enjoy some of the years most exciting fishing. Make sure you support your local tackle shop.
Combe Martin SAC member Ollie Passmore with a fine trigger fish caught as the summer species depart. 
When your rod hoops over and line starts screaming off is a hard feeling to beat. Proper scrap 
and big thanks for the top landing skills and pic from a good mate @kevlegg 
This girl going 36lb 10! Roll on winter and hopefully be blessed to catch another and can beat my pb
and big thanks for the top landing skills and pic from a good mate @kevlegg This girl going 36lb 10! Roll on winter and hopefully be blessed to catch another and can beat my pb@sakuma_fishing 8/0 manta extra and 7/0 Octopus circle as my pennel hook 
can’t rate enough. New sakuma wire for my bite trace!
can’t rate enough. New sakuma wire for my bite trace!
And as we approach those Christmas shopping days remember the angler always needs something!
Salmon is it too late?
Join the National Trust and myself at Combe Martin Community Centre on Wednesday November 6th to watch the acclaimed Riverwoods Film and hear about efforts to restore our rivers.
Senior Fisheries Scientist Dr Dan Osmond
“When a species heads towards extinction, you might expect public outcry. But as our Senior Fisheries Scientist Dr Dan Osmond suggests in his article about a keystone fish, this is not quite the case for the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).
But all is not lost, as Dan shares not only details of how our charity is working hard to remedy the decline, but how others are too, including short and long-term solutions.
We know how important the Atlantic salmon is and how crucial to the overall structure and functioning of an ecosystem they are – we will continue to do all we can to turn the tide on their predicament.”
Read article link below :-
https://wrt.org.uk/the-fading-away-of-westcountry-salmon/
Three Thirtys in a session at Stafford Moor
John Norman fished up on lodge lake on swim 2 for a 48hr session here are some of the weights:
30lbs 4oz
33lbs 10oz
31lbs 6oz
Here is what John caught them on:
Chopped worm 
Sticky blood worm pellets
Sticky krill 16mm
Sticky pellets
Hemp
Sweetcorn
And glugged with 2x bottles of
Sticky calanus hydro liquids .
Carp and cats from Paradise
ELDORADO SUCCESS FOR JOE!
5C’s member Joe Dietrich had a great overnight session on Anglers Eldorado’s Cat and Carp 2 catching 6 Carp to 24lb 6oz and a mid twenty Cat!
Joe shared –
“Was nice to get out on the banks again last night even though it was a very wet one! Had a nice scaley mirror of 21lb 12oz and then a nice common of 24lb 6oz to finish a busy night off nicely! 6 carp and a mid 20 cat. First night for a few weeks! No pics of the rest as was hammering it down and dark!”
RIVERWOODS at Combe Martin
Another chance to see the acclaimed Riverwoods Film followed by talks by National Trust Wetlands Ranger James Thomas and Wayne Thomas talking about salmon decline.
South West Lakes Trust Trout Fisheries Report – October 2024
October 2024
Cooler temperatures and some heavy rain have meant that the fish are generally more eager to feed, with improved catch rates. Levels have started to rise, but this is dependent on the catchment and demand – some reservoirs are now full, while others are still only at around 50% capacity at time of writing.
Fishing:
Kennick – The fishing continued to improve over the month, with rod averages up to 3.7 fish per visit. Fish have been well dispersed around the lake, with the Narrows and East Wall regularly appearing on catch returns. Trout have been caught at most depths, from the surface (Foam Beetles, Dry Sedges and Black Gnats), subsurface (Damsels, Hares Ears, Montanas and Blue Zulus), and in the deeper water (Black Boobies and Bloodworms). Chris Illet (from Newton Abbot) caught four rainbows using a small pink Booby and Sedgehog patterns while fishing a fast sink-tip and short leader in the shallows around a weed bed, and noted that fish feeding on fry along the west bank. Graham Roberts caught three rainbows to 2lb 8oz, finding fish rising to dries, as well as getting pulls and knocks from both sub-surface and deep-fished methods.
Siblyback – The fishing at Siblyback dramatically improved over the month, with anglers averaging just under five fish per rod. Crylla, Two Meadows, Stocky Bay and West Bank proved to be the most productive locations, with fish feeding either from or just below the surface, and floating line tactics working well. Dry Foam Beetles, Daddy Longlegs and Sedgehogs caught surface-feeding fish, while deeper fish were caught using Montanas, Black and Yellow Buzzers and Black Snakes fished with a slow retrieve. Keith Burnett (from Newquay) caught fifteen rainbows to 2lb 8oz, and lost one much larger fish. Mick Dodkins (from St Germans) caught five rainbows to 2lb 8oz using a Cats Whisker on a slow intermediate line from the bank at Two Meadows. Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) caught two rainbows at 2lb, using a Blue-Tip PTN while fishing in Crylla Bay. Water levels are 75%.
Burrator – Anglers averaged 3.8 fish per visit, with Longstone, Pig Trough, Boat Bay and Lawns all proving popular. Intermediate or floating lines with a long leader produced the best results, with fast, slow, and ’figure of eight’ retrieves all catching fish. Surface feeders were caught on Daddy Longlegs and Sedge patterns, while deeper feeders succumbed to Damsels, Buzzers (there were active buzzer hatches throughout the day), PTNs and Hares Ears, or lures such as Blobs and Cats Whiskers. Gordon MacLeod (from Tavistock) caught four very fit rainbows to 3lb 4oz on an intermediate line, while Roger Prout (from Pensilva) caught ten rainbows to 2lb 12oz, using a floating line and varied retrieve. Alan Lawson (from Plymouth) caught seven rainbows to 1lb 12oz, casting a dry Daddy to rising fish at Longstone before the rain came, and then a pulled nymph at the top of Narrator Bank. Water levels are now up to 77% capacity at the time of writing.
Stithians – Water levels are at 56% capacity. Anglers averaged 1.5 fish per visit, with most fish being caught from the banks at Yellowort, Pipe Bay, Hollis Bank, Goonlaze and Deep Bank. Generally floating line tactics have been most successful, with fish taking Dry Daddies, Black Hoppers, Black and Peacock Spiders fished in the surface film, Soldier Palmers and Black Pennels.
Fernworthy – Water levels have risen rapidly to 100% over the month, with plenty of fish rising to Craneflies and Sedges. Anglers averaged 1.8 fish per rod, with many taking dry sedges and Black Gnats, as well as Pheasant Tails, Damsel Nymphs, Bibios and Connemara Black. Feeding fish were well spread out, with trout being caught from the East Bank, North Bank, by the dam and by the permit hut. Daniel Robson (from Tavistock) caught a bag of nine nice browns to 1lb using small nymphs fished fairly statically.
Colliford – Here the excellent sport continued, with anglers averaging up to 6.5 fish per rod in one week. The east bank, bank by the dam, Redhill Down, Stuffells and Browngelly proved to be the best locations, with floating-line tactics catching fish feeding from the surface or just below. Foam Daddies, Black Hoppers, Parachute Adams and Foam Beetles all caught rising fish, while sub-surface feeders were caught on pulled Soldier Palmers, Bibios, Zonkers and Damsels. Dean Boucher (from Gunnislake) caught sixteen browns to 16” using pulled Soldier Palmer, Bibio and Zonker patterns; Chris Brand (from St Austell) caught four browns to 16” using a Bibio Hopper, with fish rising to hatching buzzers, sedges, and damsels. Water levels are now just over 70%.
Roadford – The fishing continued to improve, with weekly rod averages up to 4.5 fish per angler. South and East Wortha, Davey’s Bank and North Goodacre produced the best sport, and, with fish rising to hatching buzzers, dry Daddies and Hoppers tempted surface feeders; otherwise, deeper fish were caught using Black Tadpoles, Hares Ears, Soldier Palmers, Zulus and Claret Buzzers. Dean Boucher (from Gunnislake) caught nine browns to 1lb using pulled wets (Soldier Palmer, Zulu and Black Tadpole). The water level is now at 88%.
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability, booking and end of season dates. The Brown Trout waters closed for the season on 12 October.
Chris Hall (October 2024)
NORTH DEVON ANGLER WINS PRESTIGIOUS SHARK ANGLING CLUB AWARD
Congratulations to North Devon Angler Mark Jones who has won the Shark Angling Club Of Great Britain’s prestigious Mitchell Hedges Trophy with a huge porbeagle shark caught off the coast close to the North Cornish/ North Devon Border. The shark was 88″ long and estimated at 295lb and 305lb. Mitchell- Hedges was a legendary figure in sea angling writing at least two books on fishing including the fascinating ‘Battles With Giant Fish’ a book that reflects upon a bygone age of adventure and daring do. Mitchell- Hedges held the British Ballan Wrasse record for several years with a fish of 12lb 12oz. The fish was removed from the record list following a major review of records.
Mitchell-Hedges Trophy
Awarded annually for the best shark of the season
This trophy was donated to the club by our first President, Mr F A Mitchell-Hedges at the first club General Meeting in the Hannafore Point Hotel in Looe on the 25th January 1953.
At that point in time the trophy had a value of £200 and it was used as security with the bank for the club to obtain start up funds via an overdraft.
It was originally called the Mitchell-Hedges Shark Trophy and was for the heaviest fish of the season. At the May committee meeting in the following year it was renamed the Mitchell-Hedges Cup. It was further agreed that it would be for the “best shark”, based on the percentage in relation to the British Record and not the heaviest as previous.
