The hot calm conditions have proved ideal for boat anglers with tope now showing in good numbers off Ilfracombe. Dan Hawkins took these pictures of some of the tope boated on ‘Reel Deal’ today.
Stafford Moor – Sunday Open – 278lb 2oz Winner!
1st place Andy Dare with 278lb 2oz peg 9 on Woodpecker
2nd place Martin Heard with 174lb peg 20 on Tanners
3rd place Tim Kinson with 173lb 6oz peg 15 on Woodpecker
4th place Andy Funnylove with 173lb 3oz peg 18 Tanners
5th place Mark Hayman with 158lb 14oz peg 3 Woodpecker
6th place Mark Layzelle with 121lb 13oz peg 16 Tanners
Bideford Result and estuary mullet
Dan Redmore won Bideford Angling Clubs twenty-four hour rover with a fine specimen plaice of 2lb 4oz. Antony Smith was runner up with a thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb 3oz and Lee Watts third with a plaice of 1lb 12oz.
In the estuaries thin lipped mullet are giving good sport with John Shapland landing a brace of the hard fighting fish weighing 3lb 13.5oz and 2lb 14oz.
Smoothound Packs give top sport
Shore fishers have been enjoying some great sport with smoothound from many marks. Combe Martin SAC member Dan Spearman landed a fine hound of 12lb 14oz. Fellow club member Ollie Passmore landed a hound of 12lb 6oz.
Dan West also enjoyed a hectic session with smoothound landing several fish to double figures from his mate Keith Bullards boat whilst fishing in Bideford Bay.
Wistlandpound Club – Visit Blagdon Lake
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club Members traveled to Blagdon Lake the birthplace of Stillwater Trout fishing in the UK. The day was probably the hottest of the year to that point with a clear blue sky and relentless hot sunshine blazing down upon the mirror calm lake. Far from ideal conditions for trout fishing and I don’t think anyone expected the fishing to be easy.
The fishing did prove challenging but England International Matt Kingdom and I managed five fish each all hard fighting rainbows with full tails.
Dave Mock boated the biggest trout of the day at 4lb 8oz.
1st – Wayne Thomas – 5 Rainbow Trout 13lb 4oz
2nd – Matt Kingdom – 5 Rainbow Trout 11lb 3oz
3rd -Colin Combe – 2 Rainbow Trout – 6lb 2oz
North Devon Match Group Results Championship No.6
Jennetts Reservoir
1st Christopher Morris 39lb 14oz
2nd James Grogan 33lb 2oz
3rd Martin Turner 30lb 3oz
4th Ben Hathaway 18lb 8oz
In very hot still conditions Christopher took a superb catch of net skimmers and roach on sweetcorn and pellets fished shallow on the pole. James also fished with corn on the pole for a mainly roach net .Third was Martin with an all caster roach net.
Stafford Moor Charity Match – Fished beneath blue Skies
Thirty-Eight anglers raised £3156.75 for Appledore Life Boat and Devon Air Ambulance in a charity match at the prolific Stafford Moor Fishery.
The winning pair were Kevin Shears and Scott Bowden (Above) with a stunning combined weight of 198lb 10oz. In runner up spot were Simon McCarthy and Simon Clarke with 157lb third were Phil Jones and Martin Heard with 146lb 11oz. Individual winner on Tanners Lake was Simon McCarthy with 130lb and individual winner on Woodpecker was Paul Ware with102lb 12oz. Match organiser Neilsen Jeffery gave thanks to fishery owners Joanne and Paul Coombes who made all competitors very welcome. Special thanks was also extended to the events sponsors Summerland’s Tackle, Stafford Moor, Martin Cox Angling Supplies and Adrian Marshall who supplied a fantastic array of prizes.
Tope on the boat
Anglers have been enjoying some fine sport with tope numbers increasing as mackerel shoals move into the Bristol Channel. Dan Hawkins took a part of anglers into Combe Martin Bay as a strong westerly blew up Channel and managed to find several quality tope.
Stafford Moor Carp
News From The Torridge
A short period of heavy rain brought a welcome rise in the River Torridge initial optimism from local anglers keen to reap the benefits was temporarily thwarted as a surge of white water descended down river from clay workings. This ongoing issue has brought condemnation from angling bodies who are working hard to improve the Torridge environment.
As the waters cleared anglers enjoyed some exciting moments with Peter Stemp catching a fine brace of salmon from a middle river beat estimated at 14lb and 12lb. Colin Buckingham caught a 12lb salmon from an up river beat and another angler hooked a huge salmon estimated at 20lb that gave the angler a tantalizing glimpse at it leaped from the water before shedding the hook.
I fished a middle river beat one recent evening with my son James and enjoyed a tranquil few hours beside the water. The start of our trip brought optimism as a fine salmon leaped from the water. Whilst we failed to connect with the king of the stream we both enjoyed a pleasing diversion catching hard fighting brown trout using upstream dry fly fishing tactics. The fleeting glimpse of a kingfisher added to our enjoyment.
We left the river as the colour faded from the day and owls began hooting in the nearby woods. If we had the time and no work next day we should have commenced fishing for the silver sea trout that often succumb in the still of the night.
