After a month of Combe Martin SAC’s species competition John Shapland has a slender lead with 30 species. In runner up spot is Daniel Welch on 28 and in third Ross Stanway of 21.
The event seems to have stimulated some very interesting fishing with a wide range of species recorded including dragonets, cling fish and various mini species. Strangely no one has registered gilthead bream, garfish or golden grey mullet!
The competition is sponsored by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe.
Stuart Taylor was targetting bass when this specimen Smoothound weighing 11lb 12ozs Saved a blank session.
Graham Snow won Bideford Angling Clubs 24 hour rover with a thin-lipped grey mullet of 3lb 151/4oz. Antony Smith was runner up with a mackerel scaling 1lb 21/2oz and third Andy Clements with a wrasse of 3lb 103/4oz.
Graham followed this win up landing a brace of thin lipped mullet weighing 4lb 7oz and 3lb 81/2oz.
Mike Duckett from Essex fished at Blakewell fishery to land a fine double figure rainbow scaling 13lb 6oz.
Bideford based Clive Baddick qualified for the finals,of the civil service sports competition where they fished the 6th of July. The south West team won,3 boats 12 areas so 12 on a boat,simple the winner on a boat scored 1 point they had two boat winners and i come 4th so they scored 6 points, the second team had 11 points,the boats fished were supernova,skippered by Lyle Stantiford,top cat 2 ,and wild frontier 2 .The South West Team was Vernon Allen who won the individual competio. ,Mike Patton who one time was England manager, and Clive Baddick.
1st Martin Turner 10lb 8oz
2nd David Bailey 7lb 9oz
3rd Craig Crash Lamey 6lb 1oz
Martin caught a large carp on luncheon meat on the pole plus a pound of small fish on peg B ,this result moves him in to 2nd place in the league with one match remaining, David took his mirror carp on a bunch of red maggots on peg S , Craig came third with a late fully scaled mirror carp on the tip on pellet. Keith Copland still leads the league with 60 points ,next weeks comp is the final one in the evening league.
Sunday’s Open Match on July 23rd match at Stafford Moor attracted 34 entrants.
The winner of the day was Rob Coombes fishing peg 1 on Tanners lake with 186lb 6oz fishing 8mm pellet on
the waggler.
South West Lakes Trout Fisheries Report (July 2017)
General:
Temperatures have remained high throughout the month and, with bright sunshine and water at around 20 ºc, the Trout, particularly Rainbows, have been lethargic and not keen to feed, preferring to retire to the cooler deeper waters of the fisheries. Water levels have now started to drop, exposing fresh areas of bank.
Fishing:
Kennick – The warm conditions meant that fishing proved challenging during the main parts of the day, with best results to be had early in the morning or in the evenings, with the Top End and the Narrows producing the best fishing for boat and bank anglers alike. Fish were still happy to feed near the surface, with Hoppers and dry Buzzer Emergers producing reasonable results, although sub-surface nymphs, particularly Damsel Nymphs and Diawl Bachs or teams of Buzzers, fished on an intermediate or sink-tip line caught the most fish, with the occasional Trout taking a deeper-fished Tadpole. The best fish caught in the month was a 4lb 8oz Rainbow, caught by Mr A. Dunstone from Plymouth, using a Gold Ribbed Hares Ear nymph fished from the bank at the Top End, as part of a full bag. During the hot weather the lake will now be stocked with Brown Trout.
Siblyback – Late afternoons and evenings produced the best fishing at Siblyback, when fish could be taken on Daddylonglegs and Dark Hoppers from the surface, or more successfully on a selection of sub-surface nymphs (Diawl Bachs, Buzzers and Montanas) fished on floating and intermediate lines. The best fish of the month was a 3lb 3oz Rainbow, caught by Dave Johns from Holsworthy.
Burrator – The banks at Longstone Peninsula and along to Sheepstor Dam have produced the best fishing over the month, with Hoppers, Hawthorns and Black Gants all taking rising fish. The majority of fish, however, have again been caught on sub-surface nymphs (Damsel Nymphs, Montanas, sunk Bibios and Kate Mclarens) fished on either floating or intermediate lines, while the occasional deeper fish have taken pulled Vivas and dark Cats Whiskers.
During the summer holiday period there is a special offer of a £5 reduction in ticket and boat prices – see the South West Lakes Trust website or contact the fishery for more details.
Stithians – In spite of the high temperatures, anglers averaged just under 2 fish per rod during the month. The most productive locations included Yellowort Bay, Chapel Bay, Pub Bay and Pipe Bay. With a lot of midges and brown beetles blown onto the water, fish are still looking up to feed and dry patterns have fished particularly well – in particular Beetles, Black Hoppers, Hawthorns, Bobs Bits and dark dry sedge patterns. A selection of small sub-surface nymphs have also produced some good results, particularly Hares ears, Buzzers, Diawl Bachs and Pheasant Tail Nymphs, when fished on sink-tip lines. The best fish caught during the month was a 3lb Brown Trout, caught by Mr R.Keast from Penryn, using a Gold-ribbed Hares Ear at Yellowort Bay.
Drift –Rods averaged 3.5 fish per angler, which included a number of full bags of both Rainbows and Brown Trout. Bank anglers achieved the best results fishing from Badger Sett Bank and the North Bank, while boats and float-tubes caught well off the woods and by the dam. Subsurface patterns fished on a floating line caught the most fish, with Diawl Bachs, Black Crunchers and small black nymphs, all producing good results, either singly or fished in teams.
Roadford – In spite of the hot weather, the Brownies at Roadford have continued to look to the surface to feed, particularly off the banks (Daveys and Gaddacombe), where fish have been taking a selection of small nymphs, wets (fished on sink-tip lines) and dry patterns (including Daddies and Beetles). Boat anglers have also enjoyed success while fishing into the banks and over the boils – Andy Birkett from Plymouth caught the best fish of the month, a stunning 5lb 8oz Brown (as part of a bag of 16 fish), while fishing a Soldier Palmer under the bubbles.
Fernworthy – Anglers have had a tremendous month at this picturesque Brown Trout water, averaging over 6.5 fish per rod. The annual arrival of the swarms of beetle have meant that the fish have been looking up to feed, resulting in excellent dry fly sport, with foam beetle patterns, Dry Bibios, Sedges and Spiders producing outstanding sport, with a few sub-surface feeders taking Hares Ears, Montanas and Damsel Nymphs. Fish have been feeding well throughout the day, with most fish caught by the permit hut and from the Lawns. The best fish caught during the month was a grown-on Brown Trout of 2lb 1oz using a Bracken Beetle, while Paul Ackland from Plympton caught and returned 32 fish using a Black Ethafoam Beetle – in his words, a ‘red letter’ day!
Colliford – The fishing has at last started to pick up at Colliford, with local angler Dean Boucher losing a fish estimated at over 5lb at the net, as a final run pulled the hook. 
Sea Anglers have been enjoying varied sport along the coast with thin lipped mullet providing top sport in the estuaries. On the open coast bass and smoothound are giving good sport with spider crab among the best baits. Ali Laird landed a bass of 7lb 10oz and Ross Stanway a bass of 7lb 12oz.
Paul Hutchings landed a brace of smoothound on dirty squid from a local beach the best 10lb 3oz.
Thick Lipped grey mullet can offer superb sport for specialist anglers in local harbours and rock marks.
There have been some stunning catches of carp from South West Lakes Trust waters in the past couple of weeks with Lower Tamar featuring heavily in the following round up. This water is a day ticket water that provides more than just carp with double figure bream and large tench residing in its waters along with specimen perch and eels. The South West Lakes offer anglers an alternative to the heavily stocked commercial waters with carp that are more challenging in less manicured surroundings that many carp anglers prefer.
Steve Gliddon has been on the banks of Lower Tamar Lake on the Cornwall/Devon border. Steve landed 5 fish from 7 runs which included two 18lb commons, two mid double commons and a lovely looking mirror just under 10lb. Steve fished to a small clear spot in the weed with little and often baiting tactics working well.
(Below)Mainline’s John Kneebone enjoyed a cracking session on Lower Tamar landing 13 commons to just under 20lbs and two mirrors, one small one and this stunning 20lb 6oz fully known as the ‘little fully’. All of John’s fish came in a 24 hour session using Mainline cell boilies.
(Below)Amy Maunder has been on the banks at day ticket water Lower Tamar lake on the Cornwall/Devon border and banked this cracking tench at 5lb 8oz along with a double figure common. Both fish fell to Mailinie Essential Cell boilies.
Adrian Morgan caught this cracking 19lb 4oz common from Jennetts reservoir on a trimmed down Bloodworm boilie popped up from the silt.
As always there have been some bumper catches at the ever prolific Stafford Moor Fishery near Dolton where Joanne Combes and her family have invested to make this one of the countries top commercial carp waters.
Jack Griffiths and Dan Head who had 13 fish out using Sticky Baits Manilla and Krill boilies and also mainline cell. They fished up on lodge lake for 48 hours.
Carl Spear fished on the back bays on Beattie’s where he 7 fish up to 21lb 5oz using CC Moore live system and fake corn and Mainline diamond whites.
Darren Palmer landed 18 fish in a 48 hour session up on lodge lake on the dam wall using Sticky Baits Krill boilies. Darren normally always fishes on Beattie’s but fancied a change and had a fabulous session.
Mark daughter Chloe and wife Emma Downing fished on the back bays of Beattie’s lake for 48 hours. They had 34 carp out in total (they had many out of Tanners too 😜) fishing Sticky Baits Manilla boilies. ( Below) Chloe Downing
(Below)Lee Galley (dad) with sons Nick and Brandon Galley. All fished up on lodge lake had over 20 fish between them using home made baits.
Carl Hutchison and Nikki Parker fished up on lodge lake on the first double swim on the dam wall . They had 28 fish out between them and Nikki had a new personal best of 21lb using home made fruity boilies.
