Apologies for the short break in output due to a week long fishing excursion in Havnnes Handelssted, Northern Norway. I will put a blog post up on the event in due course but in the mean time here are a few pictures of our adventures including the capture of a huge cod weighing 41lb to the rod of North Devon angler Rob Scoines who tempted the huge fish on a lure and light spinning rod purchased from Summerlands Tackle in Westward Ho!
(Below) Wayne Thomas cod 38lb
Adrian Morgan has been having plenty of fish from Darracott reservoir, Torrington, recently with fish to just under 17lbs all caught on floater tactics.
Mark Garrett, 46 and Son Kieran Evans Garrett 22, from Wales had one hell of a session on the Kracking Carp Lake, Mark smashed his Personal Best with a 39lb Mirror and Kieran caught a 26lb 5oz Common topped off with a 31lb Mirror!
They both used fake pop up sweetcorn popped up about an inch from the bottom and a few scattered sweetcorn around it. They used their own rigs, made from Korda N-trap coated braid hooklink, stripped about an inch past the eye and the rest left stiff, fake corn was attached via a hair rig and size 6 Korda wide gape. The lead was attached via a led clip on to 15lb mainline.
Mark caught his 39lb Mirror on Peg 1 by the Lilly Pads to the right, Kieran caught both his 26lb 5oz Common and his 31lb Mirror to the extreme right of peg 2 by the side of the weed.
Rain brought a slight rise in local rivers that brought in a trickle of salmon and sea trout. On the Torridge Duncan Betts fished a mid river beat and landed four grilse, all fresh run fish of around 5lb.
Sea trout specialist Martin Weeks and his brother Ed fished two nights on the Middle Torridge to land 17 sea trout up to 3lb.
On the Taw salmon to 11lb were landed and a huge sea trout of over 14lb is rumoured to have been caught on the River Mole. Edwin Barclay landed a brace of fresh run 8lb salmon from the day ticket Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the River Taw. 
At this time of year salmon and sea trout anglers fishing the lower beats are often privileged to witness the prehistoric looking sea lamprey spawning. These eel like fish are an encouraging sign, as they require good quality water in which to survive. Reaching lengths in excess of three feet they are often mistaken for eels but unlike eels they cannot be caught on rod and line.
(Above) Thomas Downing sent me this picture of a dead lamprey on the Torridge estuary
Purchase a fishing ticket in July or August & you can come back as often as you like until you have reached your bag limit! That’s right, so if you purchase say a 5 fish ticket you can keep coming back through July & August until you have caught your 5 fish… Bargain!
The Van Koutrik family visited Creedy Carp Lake near Crediton and enjoyed a hectic session with thirteen year Woodrow van Koutrik landing a 16lb 10oz common and younger brother Wilder aged 9 landing a fine an 18lb 2oz common.
Ashley Bunning has been among the fish at Lower Tamar, not catching anything bigger than 12lb but plenty of action. The larger fish are being a bit elusive at the moment! Ashley had this to say:
‘PVA sticks with Burton Bait Rollers ‘Puzzle’ and ‘Full S.P.’ with a ‘Plum and Garlic’ pop up was the winning method. Lakebed Leads 4oz distance leads which were dropped on the take, with Ultima ‘Vantage’ Shockleaders and XR mainline helped me hit the distances i needed and play the fish through the weed.’
NDMG Championship No 7 was held Held at Highampton Fishery .
1st Neilsen Jeffery 60lb 8oz
2nd Phil Jones 40lb 9oz
3rd Martin Turner 39lb 11oz
Section A Kevin Shears 31lb 9oz
Section B John Lisle 24lb 1oz, .
14 anglers fished the comp, conditions were breezy,warm and damp. Neilsen fished with paste on the long pole for a convincing victory, new member Phil landed his 2nd place bag on the method feeder, Martin was third on banded pellet on pole and tip.
Ross Stanway landed a fine ballan wrasse of 4lb 14oz from a North Devon Rock mark when he made an early start attempting to add new species in the clubs Species Hunt. Big ballan wrasse have been scarce over recent seasons with very few caught near the local specimen rating of 5lb.
It is unclear whether numbers have declined significantly or if less are caught because less anglers target them? In the clearer waters of Cornwall , South Devon and the Isle of Scilly large numbers of wrasse are tempted using soft plastic lures. It may well be worth trying for the species over some of North Devons Rocky marks during periods with improved water clarity.
Most wrasse are tempted using legered worm or crab baits.
John Shapland has a narrow lead in Combe Martin SAC’s Species Hunt with 25 species but concedes that its getting harder to add to the tally.
The thin lipped grey mullet above is a new PB for John.
Among Johns catches was this strange looking clingfish, his first of the species.
Daniel Welch is in runner up spot with 24 species.
In third place is Ross Stanway with 17 species
Fourth Rob Scoines with 12 species
(Above) Lee Holden with a spotted ray – Lee is currently fifth in the species Hunt with 11 species!