Dan Spearman, Chay Boggis and Kyle Bishop enjoyed a hectic session at a local rock mark landing an incredible fifty-three smoothounds between low water and high water. The fish were tempted on a mixture of frozen peeler crab and hardback crab.
These hard fighting members of the shark family seem to have increased in numbers over recent years, one of few good news stories regarding fish stocks.
Chay Boggis
Kyle Bishop
Mackerel numbers have been very patchy so far this year though this can change dramatically at any time. Recent weeks have seen water clarity reduced as a result of the annual may bloom. A few bass are being tempted by lure anglers from marks all along the coast.
Nielsen Jeffery organized an Open Match at at Clawford Fisheries on Thursday June 9th and the competitors used the day to remove some of the small carp from one of the four specimen lakes ‘Clawford Lake’ into one of the stock lakes, Tom Downing won the day with 20lb 8oz and Nielsen Jeffery was second with 19lb, around 400 small carp were moved. There is a friendly open on one of the four match lakes on the second and fourth Sundays of every month people can book in via John Ray’s website www.clawford.co.uk or via Nielsen Jeffery’s Facebook page. All are welcome with breakfasts available if booked.
Martin Turner won Bideford and District Angling Clubs midweek evening match at Tarka Swims with 4lb 14oz. In runner up spot was Kevin Shears with 3lb 11oz and third John Lovell with 3lb 10oz. Fifteen anglers fished the competition.
Dan Spearman enjoyed a successful session targeting thin-lipped grey mullet at a local estuary landing a new personal best weighing 4lb 15oz. This is the biggest I have heard of so far this season fellow Combe Martin SAC member John Shapland also landed a brace weighing 3lb and 3lb 12oz.
Out on the coast Combe Martin SAC members have enjoyed varied sport with Ross Stanway landing a fine bass of 7lb1oz. The fish was tempted on a small crab bait intended for wrasse.
Ross Stanway bass 7lb 1oz
Rob Scoines found ballan wrasse on the feed at a local rock mark landing eight fish in a session using king ragworm baits presented on a jig head. The best of the session weighed 3lb 8oz.
North Devon Match Group Formed to provide a weekend coarse fishing competition for local anglers. The group charges an annual joining fee of £10. Comps are arranged on the first and third Sunday of each month. We try to alternate between “natural venues ie. Local reservoirs Southwest Lakes Trust and day-ticket match carp type fisheries. The aim of the group is to provide a regular friendly match at affordable price on a selection of varied local venues. Results are scored in a summer and winter league format, also an overall year long Championship. Interclub events feature against Bude Canal Anglers and Tiverton. Cost per competition is fixed at £12.50p plus an optional £5 superpool . All matches are run on Sundays, standard match rules apply Summer comps are usually fished 10am to 4pm, winter comps end at 3pm, draw time is always 8.45am. Find the updated match calendar, contact details, results, photographs, points and accounts on our facebook page (North Devon Match Group), new members are always welcome. ………….
Gavin Colwill regularly travels to Blakewell Fishery from his home at Bude and has an intimate knowledge of the fishery. Gavin followed up on his recent 38lb bag of trout landing a brace of double figure trout weighing 18lb 5oz and 13lb. I suspected that catching these big trout on a regular basis was not entirely down to luck and this was confirmed when I spoke to joint fishery owner Richard Nickell.
The key to success is keen observation of the trout in the venues crystal clear water and waiting for that big fish to cruise past before carefully dropping a suitable fly within the fish’s path. It’s then a case of tense anticipation hoping to glimpse the opening and closing of the mouth before setting the hook.
Chris Davis won Stafford Moors over 50’s Festival achieving an amazing total weight of 400lb 6oz over the week. In runner up spot was Adrian Marshall and in third Martin Heard. There were some stunning nest of fish caught during the festival with Oak Lake fishing particularly well with Adrian Marshal putting together a haul of 164lb 2oz. Chris won £1000 plus a Maver luggage set donated from Steve Bowen (Maver), a £50 voucher also donated by Neil Stones. Neil donated another £50 voucher for second place winner Adrian Marshall.
Anglers Paradise is well known as one of the countries top angling holiday destinations attracting anglers and their families from far and wide. The lake also has extensive opportunities for the day ticket angler with some of North Devon’s biggest carp. The Kracking carp lake is not an easy water but its resident carp are well worth the effort holding specimens to over fifty pound. The latest reports for the fishery indicate some superb results.
Mick Whitfield with his 45lb 2oz mirror carp
5C’s Member, Mick Whitfield, 45 from Exwick had a Red Letter Session on the Kracking Carp Lake catching a personal best 36lb Common followed by a personal best Mirror of 45lbs 2oz!! This was Mick’s 1st ever session on the Kracking carp lake, he fished Peg 3 and pre-baited with Paradise Pellet and a Kilo of Cell Boilies using a White Pop Up on a New Rum Rig from Custom Made Carp Rigs. Mick caught the 36lb Common at 2.30am during a very misty night, Mick carried on fishing into his 2nd Night and prayed his luck would continue, and it did because at 4.30am as the sun started coming up his right hand rod slowly went off again, Mick hooked into the Fish and knew it was Big as it gave him a good fight, as soon as Mick saw the Fish he knew it was another PB, a Huge Mirror and it weighed in at 45lb 2oz.
Mick Said – “Another PB, I smashed it with my common at 36lb but smashed it again and have now joined the 40 club, just turned 45 Years Old and now I have a Stunning PB 45lb 2oz Mirror to match! It was a memorable session a double red letter day, that I still haven’t stopped smiling from!”
Jacob Wise 26lb 4oz Common carp
Jacob Wise, 36 from Gloucestershire, caught this Stunner of a Common at 26lbs 4oz, from the Day Ticket Xanadu Lake and as you can see, he was one VERY happy Man! Jacob caught the Common on a Paradise Baits Pink Stink Wafter, dropped in the margins after spotting a fish, with a small handful of maggots over the top for good luck. Jacob said “We’ll be down for a week in 2 weeks time so hopefully my luck will continue…”
Mick Whitfield with his 36lb common carp
There are always surprises in fishing even in a relatively small lake like Kracking as Carl Loftus discovered as reported below by Anglers Paradise
11lb 8oz Kio
Carl Loftus, 51, from Stockport who caught an amazing Personal Best and also a BIG SURPRISE 11lb 8oz Koi from the Kracking Carp Lake, a Fish that we are all puzzled by as to how it got in there but what a fish!!
Carl’s Story –
“On Saturday I fished the Kracking Carp Lake with my wife and friend Maggot Mick. Saturday was fishless for me but on Sunday, I noticed the Lilly pads moving so I put some mixers and watched, then to my surprise, I saw a BIG Koi taking off the top, so I brought one of my rods in and set up my stalking rod.
The Koi spooked but I watched it for an hour or so, when it returned it took a mixer so I placed my oily floater next to where it had taken from and it took it straight away!!
It gave me a 5 minute fight and I couldn’t believe when it weighed in at 11lbs 8oz happy days!!”
Thirteen year old Jack Pike enjoyed a day afloat on his father Kevin Pikes boat a 21ft Orkney Day Angler he landed a fine spurdog of 15lb 2oz and a tope of 21lb 14oz. Cameron Atkinson also shared the days sport landing a smoothound of 14lb 6oz while Andrew Atkinson boated a fighting fit smoothound of 15lb 1oz.
Jack Pike with a 15lb 2oz spurdogCameron Atkinson with a smoothound of 14lb 6oz
