Neilsen Jeffery and John Forster enjoyed an afternoon session on Fletchers, one of the day ticket lakes right next to the car park at Clawford Fisheries. With warm sunshine raising the water temperature they landed plenty of carp to 10 lb and plenty of nice fat pasties, lovely days fishing. Neilsen gave many thanks to fishery owners John Ray and Wanda Ray. http://www.clawford.co.uk/
The EA have introduced a revised rod licence system for the coming year with some welcome changes see info and links below.
To see poster on new rod licenses please click on below links.
The Environment Agency has also launched “Get a Fishing Licence” on GOV.UK to simplify the process of buying a fishing licence: www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence. This is part of a series of improvements to the service, which include:
People are required to buy a fishing licence in order to fish legally in England, Wales and along the Border Esk in Scotland. Sales of licences for the 2015/16 season raised £21 million. The money was used to restock rivers with 452,220 coarse fish, encourage over 35,000 people to try angling for the first time and bring 2,043 successful prosecutions against crimes like poaching.
With the help of Paul Carter from the Environmental Agency B&DAA have added stocks of Tench and Crucian Carp plus further quantities of ‘Silver Fish’ for this coming year. Further extensive tree work and pond access is in the pipe line to enable easier fishing access with close car parking.
The game section’s water at Newbridge will, weather permitting be fishable as soon as we get a drop in water heights. The club also has subsidised ‘private beats’ available to it’s members on a day ticket basis on the Upper Taw, Lower Torridge & the famous Blackpool Beat on the River Exe.
There are still membership vacancies in both Course & Game sections at £35 for the whole season.
For further details please contact John Webber [email protected]. or membership secretary Colin Ashby on 01271 323017.
South West Lakes Trust are hosting two major competitions at Upper Tamar Lake see details below.
Whilst this is primarily a website on fishing in North Devon from time to time its good to look over the horizon. My long time fishing mate Rupert Morrall has been on a family fishing holiday to the River Ebro in Spain where they made some impressive catches, This image of a catfish caught by his son Aidan caught my eye and I thought it worthwhile sharing with readers.
Colin Joy has just returned from Costa Rica where he has been enjoying some fine sport with Rooster Fish to 80lb
Colin also enjoyed a long and exciting tussle with a Black Marlin estimated at 500lb. The mighty fish was released at the side of the boat.
Jacqui Joy with fine Costa Rican hound fish a close relative of the garfish we catch off Ilfracombe Pier!
Anglers Paradise’s Lure Weekend proved to be a great success with Andy Payne making the headlines with what could be the UK’s first ever catfish on a lure. The huge catfish estimated at over 60lb was tempted on the first day of the weekend and helped to secure a victory for the seven man team captained by Nathan Edgell of Fladen Tackle. The fully subscribed event attracted lure-fishing contestants from all over the UK and was generously sponsored by Fladen, Quantum Specialist, Fox Rage and Drennan. The Individual winner of the event was Tim Halls who landed four species including perch, rainbow trout, brown trout and blue trout. The individual biggest fish were won by James Thomas who landed the events biggest pike at 85cm, Phil Burke who caught the biggest perch of 31.5cm and Dominic Cooke who caught the biggest trout a fine brown trout of 69cm.
(Above )The winning Team
Anglers Paradise is one of the UK’s best known fisheries with a reputation for its specimen fish, luxury accommodation, famous anglers and most of all for its colorful founder and man at the helm Zyg Gregorek. The complex was founded after Zyg moved to North Devon in the late 1970’s transforming a marshland into the angling holiday and day ticket destination it is today.
The true heart of Anglers Paradise is the Safari Bar with its walls lined with pictures of big fish and memento’s of Zyg’s globe trotting exploits. It is to the bar that many anglers have returned after a day by the water to recount their tales from the waters edge. The room is certainly unique and oozes angling history with antique rods and angling related paraphernalia all around.
The 2017 Lure Fishing Weekend was certainly a friendly competition with lure enthusiasts who had travelled from all over the UK quickly making new friends and greeting fellow piscator’s from past events. The weather conditions over the two days proved to be a little challenging with cold winds and rain chilling contestants to the bone. However spirits remained high throughout the event with the warmth of friendship and plate fulls of hot food thawing out the chilled anglers.
On the Saturday night the auction of a 1913 Fishing Gazette book and an Orvis rod raised over £150 for local charities. Since its formation Anglers Paradise are proud to have raised many thousands of pounds for local charities. Anglers Mail contributor Bill Rushmer who has visited many times was close at hand to assist with the auction.
The Saturday night auction raised over £150 for local charities.
The competition was fished on four lakes with the teams of seven rotating over the two days with constant tuition from the four team captains. As an occasional lure angler I certainly learned a lot about modern lure fishing techniques with information and tactics shared willingly between anglers.
(Above)The entire cast of the Lure Fishing Weekend.
Thanks go to the events sponsors, Fox Rage, Drennan, Quantum Specialist and Fladen Anyone can Fish
Many thanks also to Joe Drury for organising the event, to Zyg Gregorek for Anglers Paradise and to the Gregorek Family and all the staff at the complex.
Chris Lambert and Adam Moxey have had another great Perching session from the boat at Upper Tamar Lake. Chris had this to say about their day: The previous couple of visits have been really tough but we are yet to blank….famous last words! When we arrived it was a bit on the windy side. I wasn’t exactly beaming with confidence but the first drift produced a 3.08 perch to my rod on a 3inch black shad fished on a 7.5g jig head, the wind dropped off nicely allowing us to fish a lot more effectively. We went on to take a dozen good sized perch mainly fish in the low 2lb range topped by a brace of 3’s at 3.05 and 3.03 both caught by Adam on the 2inch spikey shad.
I have just come back from Angler Paradise’s 2017 Lure Fishing Weekend and will post a full report on a very enjoyable event later this week when I have downloaded all the pictures and gathered my thoughts. In the mean time here are a few taster images.
Special thanks to the Gregorek Family all at Anglers Paradise and the events sponsors Fox Rage, Drennan, Quantum Specialist and Fladen.
VALENTINES CATCH FOR DAMIEN!
Damien Chambers, 30 from Southport came with Partner Gemma to our Annual Valentines Weekend and after enjoying the 3 Course Meal, the Viagra Wine and the Fun and Games, Damien went onto the Main Carp Lake the morning after in the hope of a Fish or Two, and that he did!!
Damien caught a 19lb and 21lb Mirror both on Paradise Baits – The Twist! He didn’t get to picture the 19lb Mirror but he did of this stunning Scaley 21lb Mirror.
( Below) SURPRISE ON THE FLY!
Thomas Winspear, 26 who is part of the estate team, decided to have a go Fly Fishing on the Trout Lake after work for some Trout action, but he had a shock when his rod bent nearly in half and he landed this Beauty! A Grass Carp about 8-9lbs, caught on a Bloodworm Buzzer. Tom said it gave him a great fight too!
(Below) 5LB CHUB MAKES THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT – EVER!
During a holiday away ourselves to Shropshire, we took our eldest 6 year old son Fishing on his 6th Birthday to the River Severn in the hope of a Pike, he had the shock of his life when he struck into a hard fighting Chub and landed a New Personal Best at 5lbs! Zaine caught the Chub on a 5oz Deadbait Rudd too! He said “it was the best birthday present ever”, he’s even beaten his Mummy and Daddy’s Personal Bests!! He is officially hooked and already becoming a fine little angler!
