26 Oct 2024

Cornish Tuna Adventure 2024 – Leviathans off the Cornish Coast

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Bluefin tuna are now present off the South West Coast in huge numbers during late Summer and Autumn generating a great deal of interest amongst sea anglers consequentially bringing a valuable boost to the local economy.

These immensely powerful fish were once prolific in the North Sea feasting upon the herring shoals that migrated to the area each autumn. The Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough became the home of the British Tunny Club in 1933 and for the pre-war years became the destination for the rich and famous to battle with these leviathans fishing from rowing boats using strong tackle specially built for the purpose. There was a cessation of fishing during the war years and a revival of the sport following these dark times until the early fifties when the fishery collapsed due to the overfishing of herring.

Whilst tuna were caught off the Yorkshire coast they were also sighted off the Cornish coast and in 1936 several fish were hooked and lost. Brigadier J A L Caunter in his book Shark Angling In Great Britain records numerous sightings off Looe during the late forties.

My own interest in tunny was fuelled by books telling of this historic fishing. Tunny – The Rise and Fall of Britain’s Biggest Fish written by Chris Berry and The Glory Days of the Giant Scarborough Tunny by Mark Ross are both excellent tomes that recount those historic days of battles with giant fish. Both of these books were published in 2010 before the current revival in tunny catches.

Fortunately todays anglers are wiser and all tuna are carefully revived and released at the side of the boat. Tagging of these majestic fish has provided a wealth of valuable scientific data that can be used to ensure the correct management of valuable stocks.

Today anglers targeting these fish are provided with top quality tackle and fish from well-equipped Charter boats. All the skill rests with the skipper locating the fish. All the angler does is bring the hooked fish to the side of the boat. A task that brings a sense of trepidation for these immensely powerful fish can exceed 1000lbs with 400lb plus fish relatively common.

Whilst many cite global warming as the likely reason for the tunny revival this is unlikely to be a major factor. It is more likely to be a change in the migration of food fish and conservation efforts across the globe. There are concerns at the impact of these huge shoals of tuna on stocks of bass and migrating salmon and sea trout. As an angler I relish this opportunity and hope to savour the experience of a lifetime.

Looe on the South Cornish coast is a seaside town that is very close to my heart as it was here close to sixty years ago that my angling journey started with mackerel and garfish from the Banjo Pier.

I climbed on to the Charter boat ‘Sowenna’ skippered by Dan Margetts in mid-October with four fellow anglers. Jeff Pearce, James Coggan, Rory Nugent and Bruce Elston. We were fortunate to be getting out to sea; for the previous day had seen named Storm Ashley sweep up across the UK with winds to over 60mph. Whilst a residual swell remained winds were light and from the South West with sunshine promised for later in the day.

The tuna fishing had been exceptionally good prior to the storm and we hoped that the strong winds hadn’t broken up the bait fish shoals and the hunting tuna.

A moderate swell was rolling shoreward as we headed out anticipating an angling adventure. Never having caught a tuna before there was a touch of trepidation. Would I be physically able to deal with such a powerful fish? I had seen two caught on previous trips and knew that these were seriously strong testers of both angler and tackle.

I watched the horizon and spotted a large gathering of active birds. I immediately alerted skipper Dan and John Mc Master and we steamed optimistically towards the activity.

Beneath the swooping melee of birds the surface was disturbed as tuna smashed into shoals of bait fish.

The trolling gear was sent astern spreaders of bright lures with a stinger in their midst. We drew numbers to see who would be first. Jeff pulled 1, Bruce 2, myself 3, Rory 4 and James 5.

Tuna broke the surface tantalisingly close as birds continued to swoop and dive into the water. After a while the shoal dispersed and both hunters and hunted disappeared.

Dan suggested we head West to an area that had been proving productive over recent weeks. The skippers all work together sharing knowledge for there is a common desire to see this fishery prosper and as the fish are I believe generally nomadic there are no hotspots as such.

After steaming for ten miles or so we again spotted active birds and tuna along with a pod of dolphins.

Again the gear was sent astern and the steady troll resumed. Tuna broke the surface on a regular basis all around the boat.

We chatted, waiting in anticipation, Dan provided tea and coffee at regular intervals. Gulls, storm petrels, a lone skua and gannets filled the sky.

The tuna were here in numbers and from time to time a huge fish would crash out of the water its sides glistening in the sunlight before crashing back into the calming sea.

Suddenly a screaming reel set off cries of “tuna !”

Jeff who was harnessed and ready stood beside the screaming reel waiting for the first run to slow and for the other rods to be cleared ready for the battle ahead.

We all watched excitedly giving Jeff encouragement as he took the rod and commenced battle. Half an hour or so later the tuna was boat side and Dan grabbed the leader signifying that the battle was won. Sadly the fish detached itself at this point and Jeff did not get a picture.

It was Bruce’s turn next and we had to wait another couple of hours for the next fish. This was Bruce’s first tuna and he played the fish with determination savouring every moment.

The tuna was eventually brought boat side where it drenched us all as its powerful tail thrashed the water to foam. The tuna was estimated at 160lb its flanks of silver, emerald and gun metal grey a sight to behold. We admired its beauty as the fish was allowed to recover whilst we captured valuable images of the triumphant moment to store in life’s memory trove.

It was my turn next and I waited with mixed emotions. The sky was now a vivid blue the sun slowly sinking illuminating the vast seascape as the day ebbed away. Activity had by now eased the tuna and their prey had moved off. Pessimism was starting to battle with my expectation.

A half a mile or so closer to the shore we again spotted a large gathering of birds. John and Dan scanned the horizon with binoculars and we once again set off for a fresh area.

Gannets dived into the sea, gulls and other birds swooped in a feeding frenzy. Tuna broke the surface and the lures trailed through the feeding tuna to no avail.

Time was ticking, Dan really wanted to get me a tuna waiting and persevering with dogged determination and belief.

As my hope slowly evaporated it happened! The line flicked out of the clip the reel screamed and I took my place beside the rod and screaming reel. As the run eased I ensured the line remained tight whilst the other tackles were removed from the vast playing field.

I took the rod from the holder, Dan and John assisted in clipping the reel to the harness and I leant back to take the strain. Far away on the straining line a huge fish pulled back. The next half an hour was a game of give and take with line regained inch at a time with the powerful heavy fish taking it back with short powerful runs.

I savoured every moment of what seemed like the summit of an angling life. The sun slowly sinking towards the horizon as the fish that filled my dreams was tiring. Eventually the leader appeared and we all peered expectantly into the depths, the battle was seemingly won. Then unexpectedly the rod sprang back and that empty feeling of loss only an angler knows descended. The hook hold had given way the fish gaining freedom tantalizingly close to the boat. Dan and John congratulated me on getting my tuna. It was handshakes and congratulations for in one sense the deal was done I had caught a tuna.

“If you were intending to release the fish, then the leader wound to the rod tip or being grasped by a deckie can fairly be considered a caught fish.”

In footballing terms it seemed like a one all draw for it was neither a loss or a victory.

We steamed back to Looe the sun setting in the West as familiar landmarks on the Cornish coast passed by in the golden light of dusk. Gannets, glided over the calm waters I relived the drama of the day enjoying the company of fellow anglers vowing to return again to finish my quest.

Our son James had been mountain biking whilst I fished; he had successfully caught a 300lb plus tuna the previous year. As we approached the iconic Banjo Pier it was good see James sat rod in hand fishing. It was there that my lifelong love of angling had started with my own father. With the passion still burning strong I vow to return even as life’s autumnal years descend.

How long tuna will remain in British waters only history will reveal for there are no guarantees in this ever changing world we live in.

25 Oct 2024

March For Clean Water

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Conservation, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Dear Angling Trust Members & Supporters,

We are calling on you to join us at the upcoming March for Clean Water on Sunday, November 3rd in London. This is a great opportunity for anglers to make their voices heard on the urgent need for clean, healthy rivers and waterways, and we need as many of you as possible to join us.

We’ve already shared a video featuring our ambassador, Paul Whitehouse, alongside Bob Mortimer, encouraging support, now we’re asking you to be there with us in person. This march is about showing the strength of the angling community and the passion we have for protecting our waters.

Event details:

Date: Sunday, November 3^rd.
Time: Assemble from 11:00 AM, march starts at 11:45 AM.
Location: Albert Embankment, London, SE1. Zones C-D, look for signs on the lamp posts & the Anglers Against Pollution banners.
Rally: The event will conclude with a rally at Parliament Square from 1.30 PM finishing around 3:00 PM.
Speakers: Penny Gane from Fish Legal and Angling Trust ambassador Feargal Sharkey

We’re asking everyone to wear blue as a show of solidarity, if you want to carry an old rod, or make up your own Anglers Against Pollution placard to show that the angling community stands united in the fight for cleaner, healthier waters. Your presence at the march will send a powerful message.

If you can’t attend, you can still support by sharing our social media posts to help spread the word.

This is our chance to make a difference, and we need you with us. We hope to see you there!

For updates see here.

25 Oct 2024

Bideford & Barnstaple AGM – Members

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Club Page, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Match Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Bideford Angling Club and Barnstaple Angling Association both hold their AGM’s in November. If your consiodering joining these clubs or are members already its good opportunity to meet fellow members and find out whats what.

Dear Members,

If anyone has any proposals for the AGM 15th Nov, they must be received by midnight tonight, with a proposer and seconder. sent to [email protected]

Thank you

Mervyn Club Secretary.

Barnstaple & District Angling Club AGM will be held in the Ebberly Arms, Bear Street, Barnstaple on Tuesday 12th November at 7.30pm. There is free evening parking in the car park at the rear. This is always a friendly social evening, and we are expecting a good attendance as in previous years.

16 Oct 2024

TRIPLE HOOK CLUB – Flounder Opens 2024

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Following on from the very successful Dan Miles Redmore Memorial Competition Triple Hook Club are launching their Flounder Open Schedule for 2024

Full Details Below –

10 Oct 2024

How Fishing Can Help Your Mental Health – By Simon Tilbury

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Today is Mental Health Awareness Day and for all those who love fishing this beautiful article written by Simon Tilbury of Farlows is a wonderful reminder of how fly fishing helps us to switch off and step away from the stresses of our everyday life.

Our Mental Health is Getting Worse

There’s an old saying that a bad day’s fishing is better than a good day at work. It’s much more than that though, especially where fly fishing is concerned. There’s something unique about the rhythm of casting a fly, the focus on fishing and outwitting the fish, and being one with nature that can produce an almost zen like state. Norman Maclean, author of “A River Runs Through It” (later made into a memorable film with Brad Pitt that won an Oscar for Cinematography) remarked “one great thing about fly fishing is that after a while nothing exists of the world but thoughts about fly fishing”.

Today’s digital world is fast paced, always on and it’s made our lives better in many ways, but it’s also made us more stressed. Witness the rise of yoga, meditation, wellbeing apps, therapists, mindfulness and such like as an antidote to our deteriorating mental health. According to the British Medical Association, mental health services in England received a record 4.6 million referrals during 2022 (up 22% from 2019), and there simply aren’t enough doctors to match it.

YOUR OBJECTIVE ISN’T THE ENDGAME:

So how exactly can fly fishing help? Firstly, catching fish isn’t that important. If you wanted to catch a fish, there are more effective ways than fly fishing. These days the majority of fly fishers now practise catch and release, and personally speaking I much prefer the satisfaction of safely releasing a fish than actually catching it. Another American, author Zane Grey, said “if I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago”. So if it’s not to catch fish, why do we do it? There is a myriad of reasons here, however in broad terms I think they can all be narrowed down to one simple answer – how it makes you feel.

ONE LONG JOURNEY:

One of the things I love about fly fishing is that you never stop learning. You can get familiar with the basics of casting and fishing reasonably quickly, but the art and science of fly fishing takes time to master. Fly fishing provides a lifetime of learning and improving, of challenging yourself, trying different things until you work out what works. And what works one day doesn’t always work the next. Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher from around 500 BC, said “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man”. But that’s the fun of it, the constant learning, the variety, the challenges, pitting your wits against the fish and the conditions. Fly fishing can be as all-consuming as you want it to be. It’s a hobby and passion that can be with you throughout your life, an ever giving partner, an endless source of enjoyment, despite whatever else is going on. It’s one long journey that makes you feel good.

MANY SHORT JOURNEYS:

A fishing trip can be split into 3 parts: anticipation, enjoyment, recollection. There are two types of anticipation for me. Firstly, the months and weeks leading up to the opening of the trout river season, a time of checking over tackle, replenishing fly boxes and wondering how the river might have changed, what tactics I might use and when. Then there is the giddy anticipation the day before an actual fishing trip, getting your gear packed, keeping an eye on the weather and water conditions, and if you’re fishing with a friend usually a healthy exchange of eager WhatsApp messages full of hope. Then of course there’s the actual enjoyment of the day itself. A great cast to a tricky place, the satisfaction of adapting tactics to outwit an unwilling quarry, watching a fish released, a nice lunch by the riverside, damsels dancing in the air, the flash of a kingfisher swooping past, plucking a blackberry from the brambles that caught your fly when casting, the sounds of the countryside, not thinking about work or life, just being in the moment in a place of beauty. And when it’s over, then there are the happy recollections, not just later that day as you smile thinking back, but also the amazing moments and memories that keep you going through the winter months. Anticipation, enjoyment, recollection. Every time you go fishing. Many short journeys that simply make you feel good.

FISHING AS THERAPY:

In 2021 fishing was officially prescribed by the NHS to help people suffering with anxiety and depression. Farlows sister brand Sportfish, which runs the Sportfish Game Fishing Centre with two spring-fed crystal clear trout fishing lakes, is now an approved supplier and partner for the Get Fishing For Wellbeing program from the Angling Trust, the national fishing governing body. Fishing as therapy is nothing new – for decades there have been fly fishing charities supporting military veterans to cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and combat fatigue. A new feature film called Mending the Line starring Brian Cox is now available on Netflix, about an old Vietnam veteran and a young Afghanistan one finding healing for their traumas through fly fishing and friendship.

The BBC’s hugely successful TV show “Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing”, now in its 6^th series, is all about fishing as therapy. Its origins lie in Paul Whitehouse discovering Bob Mortimer wasn’t going out anymore following his triple heart bypass surgery and inviting him out fishing. Mortimer loved it and later said “I’ve never felt anything like it. There comes a moment when you realise that you’ve said nothing for an hour and a half. I haven’t thought about anything else. I haven’t worried about the past, or future”.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE WELLBEING:

According to The Royal College of Psychiatrists there are 4 key areas as to why fly fishing is so beneficial for your health:

It involves a therapeutic engagement with nature and green-blue spaces, leading to a positive effect on your subjective happiness, satisfaction, relaxation levels and overall emotional wellbeing
It can support personal development, including new resilience and coping skills, and provide a sense of purpose and a network of positive relationships to improve psychological wellbeing
It provides opportunities to join clubs, participate in social events, take on new responsibilities, and engage in volunteering or coaching, all integral to social wellbeing
It requires various levels of physical exertion from walking, wading and repeatedly casting, which can increase physical wellbeing

When fly fishing, you’re concentrating solely on what you’re doing and the beauty of where you’re doing it. For hours, all the pressures of work, home life and the modern world are forgotten. This leads to lower stress levels, and studies show this reduction in cortisol (stress hormone) can have a positive effect for up to 3 weeks. With an opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people in both a sociable setting and have some tranquil time with just yourself in nature, it’s no surprise there’s a new generation using fly fishing as a form of meditation and a means to support their physical and mental wellbeing. Especially given these days neither the kit nor the fishing itself needs to be expensive, and good fly fishing can be found pretty much everywhere. Especially at the Arundell.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING:

For some it’s hiking, cycling, jogging or something more extreme that helps their wellbeing. For a huge amount of us (last year nearly one million rod licences were sold by the Environment Agency in England and Wales), it’s fishing. Some words from legendary Arundell fishing guide David Pilkington:

“I had been busy all day teaching a couple of beginners, and finally found time to have an hour or two on the river Ottery, which is fortunately enroute for me as I journey home. The sedges were fluttering over the water, and the trout were rising. I caught a few nice wild brownies on a dry sedge pattern, missed a few others, and was reminded of that lovely quote from Howard Marshall, at one time editor of the Fishing Gazette, and a very accomplished fly fisherman. In his classic fishing book ‘Reflections on a River’, Howard said ‘we are all potential bunglers’. As my head touched the pillow later that evening, this went through my thoughts – yes, I had bungled a few fish, but by heck I had enjoyed it all, and my sleep that night was sound and totally contented. I awoke the next morning a better person.”

Regular Arundel guest Mike Murray summarised it neatly below:

“Fly fishing at the Arundell Arms is my perfect getaway from the daily grind. It’s where I can switch off, relax, and lose myself in the beauty of Devon’s streams. There’s no better therapy than fishing for crafty wild brown trout, soaking in the peace of nature, and sharing it with great friends. I feel lucky & privileged to have fly fishing as my escape.”

When I last stayed at the Arundell in May this year, I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely gentleman called JP, who offered me this:

“Each year at the Arundell I cast my line into the river and wade away from the noise and pressure of my daily life in the City. My passion for fly fishing, the beauty of the Devon countryside and the Arundell hospitality are just about the best mental therapy for a stressed mind. In these quiet hours I rediscover balance and clarity. It’s all about tight lines and peaceful minds”.

It’s a sentiment also shared by the two co-owners of the Arundell:

“From the moment I pack the rod and waders into the car, and head to the river, I can feel the stresses of everyday life dissolving. The peace and calm of what lies ahead. The added excitement of not knowing what the day will produce. A kingfisher, a dipper, and possibly even that magnificent wild brown on a dry fly. I am in a state of subconsciousness. At that moment there is nothing to consider but my surroundings, and the gliding and winding river ahead of me. The Arundell is a truly special place for me, and always will be.” (Simon Village)

“Fly fishing really does have a unique way of connecting me with nature. The serene beauty of the Arundell streams is a perfect backdrop for those peaceful moments. It’s great how the rhythm of casting allows for a meditative state, helping me to unwind and truly appreciate the surrounding environment. It’s like therapy in motion that destresses and reenergizes. I love that place!” (Mark Bristow)

For some though there’s another aspect, less about fly fishing allowing you to put your concerns and worries temporarily aside, more about putting them into place. Fly fishing author John Gierach puts it best when he says: “they say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that’s not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they’re just not such a big deal anymore.”

I wrote earlier about if fly fishing isn’t really about catching fish, why do we do it, and that we do it for a whole bunch of reasons, all of which can all be narrowed down to one answer – how it makes us feel. It’s that simple. Go fishing, feel better.

They are not alone. When we asked our Farlows customers in a recent online survey, 97% of them said that fly fishing significantly improves their mental health and 98% said it significantly improves their general wellbeing.

8 Oct 2024

RIVERWOODS @ BARNSTAPLE LIBRARY October 10th

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

An inspiring film about salmon and complex eco systems. Come along a join the debate.

6 Oct 2024

Combe Martin SAC – Mullet Fishing Weekend

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Combe Martin SAC held a weekend long competition for the mullet anglers in the club that was fished between seven keen members. Fishing a variety of marks a total of 32 mullet were caught over six tides.

*( Above) Daniel Welch with 3lb 14oz thick lipped grey mullet*

( Above ) John Avery with a 2lb 8oz grey mullet

( Above) First light Combe Martin Bay

( Above) *An open coast mullet – Strange how they always seem to show between 1.5hrs and 2 hrs ebb at this particular mark ?*

*A colourful wrasse that took a liking for bread flake.*

The winning fish, a fine specimen thick lipped grey mullet fell to the rod of Callum Gove and weighed 5lb 2oz. Daniel Welch was runner up with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 14oz.

*( Above ) The winning mullet of 5lb 2oz for Callum Gove*

Members concentrated their efforts over high waters that coincided with first and last light each day with members fishing from pre-dawn until after dark on some tides.

The competition concluded with a full English and tea and coffee in the Pavilion.

1 Oct 2024

Seasons End at the Half Moon Inn

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The seasons end comes all too soon and it seemed surreal to be walking through the familiar doors of the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash for the Torridge Rivers Association end of season Egg Box Dinner. The Torridge Fishery Association was formed back in 1979 with a young Charles Inniss at its helm. Forty five years later Charles is still very much the engine room of the Association and continues to welcome anglers to the Half Moon Inn with his cheery demeanour and resilient optimism.

*My wife Pauline and the ever cheery Charles Inniss*

The new owners of the Half Moon have wisely embraced Charles and Adam who has worked behind the bar for many years. A fascinating insight into the Half Moon can be gleaned by listening to the latest Fly Culture Podcast with Pete Tyjas. Interviewing Richard Miller.

Podcast

It has been a difficult salmon fishing season across North Devon and the chalked writing on the Inns blackboard told a woeful tale.

Sea trout numbers were not so bad and the brown trout returns very encouraging with close to five hundred brown trout recorded. In fact the general consensus is that the wild brown trout fishing is the future for North Devon’s rivers.

*A fine wild brown trout caught from the Half Moon Waters this summer by Nick Collard*

The annual dinner sees those with a deep love of the Torridge travel from all over the UK. It is always a joy to sit with fellow Torridge fishers and hear stories from the water’s edge told with a burning passion that flows through generations.

There was of course much talk about the sad demise of salmon across the UK and beyond with the complexities and causes of this debated over plates of delicious food, wine and ale.

*One of a handful of salmon caught this season.*

Charles Inniss gave a short humorous and impassioned introduction to Lord Clinton who has taken on the role of Torridge Rivers Association President.

A Memorial Service for the late Lord Clinton was held on July 15^th at Exeter Cathedral. It was attended by Association Chairman Paul Ashworth and his wife Geraldine along with Charles Inniss and Steve Phelps. Lord Clinton was the prime mover in the creation of the Association and was its first Chairman and President for Forty years.

The Grand Egg Box Draw once again raised considerable funds towards the running of the associations hatchery a project that requires much work and dedication and rewards with a glimmer of hope for the future.

Before I sat down to write this I walked out into the garden and smelt the comforting scent of woodsmoke drifting through the valley. Autumn has arrived and another salmon and trout season has drifted into the past. In less than six months anglers will once again be wading into those perpetual flows as yellow daffodils once again decorate the banks.

Lines will be cast and flies drifted in renewed hope for a true anglers optimism is both strong and resilient.

27 Sep 2024

South West Lakes Trust Trout Fisheries Report September 2024

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

Snowbee Autumn Sale – Click to View

September proved to be a mixed month weather-wise, although generally warm, with some occasional heavy showers. Water levels slightly dropped over the month, now down to around 60% to 70% at time of writing.

Fishing:

Kennick – The fishing gradually improved as the month progressed, with weekly rod averages up to 2.4 fish per rod towards the end of the month. The fish were well spread out around the fishery, with Clampitts Bay, The Narrows, Oak Tree Point, Poplar Point and the East Wall all proving popular locations. Fish tended to feed close to, or from, the surface, and floating line tactics proved the most successful, either with dry patterns (Foam Daddies, Black Hoppers, dry Sedges and Beetle patterns), or shallow-fished nymph patterns (Damsel Nymphs, Green Buzzers, Pheasant Tails and Diawl Bachs). Successful lure patterns included Orange Fritz, Cats Whisker and Cormorant, as well as the occasional deeper fished Booby – Jerry Hiscutt (from Newton Abbot) caught five rainbows on a Black Booby.

Siblyback – The fishing at Siblyback proved challenging this month, with anglers struggling to average one fish per visit, although this did pick up as the month progressed. Stocky Bay, Crylla Bay, Two Meadows and the West Bank proved to be the most promising locations, with Damsel Nymphs, Goldhead Montanas, Black Buzzers, Shrimp and the occasional Black Midge catching fish. Few fish of note were caught – Nigel Hoskin managed to catch a 2lb rainbow using a Black and Green Goldhead pattern fished on a floating line and fast retrieve, and Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) caught a bag of four fish using a slowly pulled Black Beetle.

Burrator – Rods averaged 1.9 fish per angler over the month (picking up to 2.7 by the end of the month), with most fish being caught from Longstone Point and Bank, Bennetts Lawn, Lowery Point and Pig’s Trough. Fish were feeding throughout the water column, with floating, intermediate and sinking line tactics all catching fish. Successful nymph patterns included Damsels, Hares Ears, Buzzers and Black and Peacock Spiders, while successful lures included Hothead Yellow, Orange Blob, White Dancer and Black Woolly Worm. Alan Green caught a bag of five fish, the largest of which was a rainbow of 3lb 12oz, a personal best, as well as best rainbow of the season at Burrator. Carl Thomas (from Kingsbridge) caught five rainbows to 2lb, as well as two brownies, using Buzzer patterns on a floating line.

Stithians – Fishing at Stithians remained tough throughout the month, with anglers again struggling to average one fish per visit. The best locations included Goonlaze, Deep Bank, Pipe Bay and Yellowort. Generally midge-Tip and Floating lines proved popular, in conjunction with Daddy Longlegs, Black Gnats and Deerhair CDC fished on the surface, or Diawl Bachs, Hares Ears and Quill Nymphs fished just below. Neil Chapman (from Penryn) caught three browns from the East Bank, using a floating line and a moderate retrieve.

Fernworthy – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging three fish per rod in the final week. Lowtin Bay, Picnic Area Bank and the South Bank proved to be the most productive locations, with a selection of dry (CDC Sedge, Cinnamon Sedge and Black Parachute) and nymph (Damsel, Black Spider, Hares Ear and Pennel) patterns proving successful. Clive Garland (from Tiverton) caught three browns (missing six others) using a Black and Peacock Spider fished just under the surface on a floating line with a slow retrieve.

Colliford – Here the excellent sport continued, with anglers averaging 4.2 fish per visit (up to 5.3 in one week). Floating line tactics continued to produce the best results, with fish being caught on dry patterns (CDC Hoppers, Foam Daddies, Beetles and Black Gnats), nymphs (Pheasant Tail, Black and Peacock Spider) and pulled Soldier Palmers, Zulu Muddlers, Bibios and Zulus, as well as a few of the more traditional brown trout patterns (Alexandra, Teal Blue and Silver and Black Pennel). Popular locations included the Middle Car Park bank, Dam, Lords Waste, Stuffle and Menaridian Point). Simon Peters (from Cusgarne) caught thirteen fish in one session on a bright sunny day with a northwest wind, with fish coming to a selection of flies fished as a team with a slow retrieve. Chris Tilyard (from Fraddon) caught nine browns to 1lb 8oz, casting dry patterns to freely rising fish.

Roadford – The fishing improved as the month progressed, with anglers averaging 3.3 fish in the final week. Daveys Bank proved to be the best location, where Rodney Wevill (from Lifton) caught ten browns to 2lb, using Soldier Palmer and Humungous fished on a floating line with a varied retrieve. Other successful patterns included Blue Damsels and Bibios.

October 12th is the Final of the Fluff Chuckers Brown Trout Masters at Roadford

Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. The Trust, in conjunction with Fluff Chuckers, will be running a Brown Trout Masters competition this season, to be held over three dates at Colliford, Fernworthy, and Roadford – please see the website for more information.

Chris Hall (September 2024)

26 Sep 2024

Lyme Disease: A Doolally of Doctors Magic Pills and Clinical Clunkers

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, At the Waters Edge, Carp Fishing, Game Fishing, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Many thanks to Richard Wilson for sharing his thoughts on Lymes Disease with North Devon Angling News. Ticks are ever more common across North Devon and Exmoor and it is wise to check fior them after any visit to the countryside. Removing the nasty little creatures early reduces the risk of Lymes disease.

Lyme Disease: A Doolally of Doctors

Magic Pills and Clinical Clunkers

Are you familiar with the phrase a Doolally of Doctors? It’s a medical version of the Madness of Crowds, which is when a lot of people go collectively nuts. Like the dot.com stock bubble or a dangerous TikTok craze. OK, I just made it up, but it trips nicely off the tongue and is technically accurate.

For a great example of a Doolally of Doctors in action, look no further than Lyme Disease. It’s a textbook case.

Let me explain: Lyme, caught from ticks, is the fastest-spreading bug-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Which is a big and scary thought. It’s also nasty, very hard to treat and ruins lives. And if you spend time outdoors in long grass or woodland margins it’s very easy to catch. It’s even spreading to suburban parks and gardens.

So what’s a Doolally of Doctors got to do with ticks? Well, as said, catching Lyme is very easy, but try getting a diagnosis. Or treatment. And especially treatment that works.

For example: Hollywood actor and musician Kris Kristofferson had a physically debilitating disease that for 14 years, and maybe a lot more, ruined his life. It even moved into his brain, resulting in a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

He had muscle spasms, heart arrhythmia that needed a pacemaker, sleep apnea, fierce joint pains and pretty much the full gamut of symptoms that most of us with Lyme Disease would recognise as potential runaway Lyme; but a Doolally of Doctors didn’t. They opted for more familiar diagnoses, all of which failed to deliver a cure and, to repeat myself, this went on for at least 14 years. He also picked up diagnoses of several Syndromes, such as Fibromyalgia (beware doctors diagnosing a ‘syndrome’, it’s a weasel word).

This continued until a new doctor tested for Lyme and it turned out, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, that Kristofferson had Lyme, which then responded to antibiotics (Alzheimer’s doesn’t). And because the longer treatment is delayed the harder Lyme is to cure, I expect his road to recovery is tough.

I have some sympathy with the first stages of misdiagnosis. Lyme shares symptoms with many diseases and it’s human nature for a Dr to reach for something familiar and treat that. And it’s not easy to confirm Lyme. If you get a blood test then about 15-25% can be false positive or false negative. Worse, the tests detect antibodies and once you’ve had the disease you have the antibodies for life. So you’ll always test positive, except when you test negative even if you have had, or still have Lyme. Confusing, isn’t it?

Next is something that’s very hard for us non-medical folk to grasp. The antibiotic treatment used by doctors always works. Always. Different countries have widely different drug regimes & doses, but they all work. 100%. You think they’re joking? No, they’re not. Lyme is a disease the experts have got nailed. Or so they say. And this is where the Doolally starts to part company with reality.

The first problem is that maybe 20-25% of Lyme patients report the same or worsening symptoms after treatment. In a Swedish study, 19% were still on sick leave or incapacitated 5 years after taking the approved antibiotics. No wonder so many people think their recurrent Lyme symptoms mean the treatment has failed. A lot of sick people think the experts have got it wrong.

This is heresy. The Doolally forcefully rejects such foolishness and explains that all these patients are suffering long-term damage caused by the original infection, now cured (by them). The pills always work.

Next, hands up everybody with Lyme symptoms who was tested for the co-infections ticks carry? Almost nobody? That sounds about right. A US survey of over 3,000 patients with long-term Lyme found that over 50% had co-infections, with 30% reporting two or more. The most common include Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, Anaplasma, and Tularemia. All are unpleasant, some are more globalist than others and many don’t respond to the antibiotics used against Lyme. A UK survey found 95% of 500 patients had co-infections.

So somewhere between the misdiagnoses, miracle pills and co-infections, it’s no surprise that the ne’re-get-well Lyme patients are everywhere. In fact they’re so common that the Doolally has a name just for those they’ve treated: Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). And there’s that snitty little word ‘syndrome’ again. PTLDS means people they’ve cured but who ungratefully still claim to be sick.

So what is this Frankenstein confection, this “disease-syndrome” endorsed by some of the top research institutions around the world? Broadly speaking the two words are a mismatch. Diseases usually have known treatments. A Syndrome might be real and treatable, but is often doctor-speak for a patient who’s a bit wrong in the head. Some patients are just weird. Sigh!

As an aside, I’ve never heard of anyone with Malaria Disease Syndrome. Why? Hold that thought.

It’s important to remember that a Doolally of Doctors is never wrong (it’s group-think): They know that real people have real diseases that real doctors treat. Everything else, including many syndromes, is woo or psychiatry or weird. And that’s really strange because Lyme is a bacterial disease with a track record for dodging antibiotics. It’s real, just like its cousin Syphilis, which is also difficult to treat (but a lot more fun to catch). Both are the unusual spirochete bacteria, which can run a doctor ragged. If you want peer-reviewed papers published in reputable journals, there are plenty to choose from. Here’s one. There are many, many more.

In most walks of life, this authority-figure insistence on the dumb-ass patient being delusional/weird, despite persuasive evidence that they’re not, would be called Gaslighting. And remember, we’re talking about up to a quarter of the patients they manage to diagnose with Lyme.

Spare a thought also for the many they don’t diagnose. Too many Drs will insist you’ve got Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, man-flu, sleep apnea, ME, heart disease, gallstones, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic neuropathy and/or pathetically-weird patient syndrome. Whatever.

Just think what could be achieved with global diseases like malaria if we applied Doolally Logic to our planning. Maybe half of the world’s malaria would simply vanish if we just got better at misdiagnosis. And to cure someone, all you have to do is give them a one-size-fits-all course of pills. Dose, duration, follow-up appointments? Nah! The treatment is infallible and malaria will be eradicated. Anyone still claiming to be sick must have a syndrome. Except this rule does not apply to post treatment Recurrent Malaria. That’s proper Malaria, the real deal, because sometimes, unexpectedly, malaria treatment fails. Unlike Lyme?

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. A place where medics can’t tell if you’re cured, but they know for sure their medication always works because, if maybe sometimes it didn’t, what would that make their ‘Syndrome’?

Answer: Lyme Disease.