Christmas Gifts for the North Devon Angler

These are difficult times on the High Street with many shops struggling as many shop online to secure the best deals. This is understandable but we must not forget the local tackle shop for they provide us with an invaluable service. Fresh bait, tubs of maggots, the chance to pick up and look at the product and that social benefit of meeting fellow anglers. Tackle shops have always been at the hub of the angling world a place to learn and become motivated by fellow anglers. If your thinking of what to buy the angler for Christmas   why not head to your local tackle shop of which we have a great choice in North Devon.

Danny Watson runs High Street Tackle in Ilfracombe with his partner Pauline and has a passion for lure fishing that is reflected in the huge range of lures on offer in the shop. They also stock qaulity Ammo frozen bait along with sea angling tackle and essential items for the coarse angler.

 

 

 

Jamie Miller (Below) runs North Devon Tackle in Queens Walk, Barnstaple (in the arcade adjacent to Queens Street and Bear Street Car Parks). They specialise in carp, Coarse and Sea Fishing with Gift Vouchers available to ensure the angler gets to choose the perfect gift.

Summerlands Tackle are North Devons longest established tackle shop. A family run business that has traded for over thirty years. They carry a range of tackle covering all three disciplines and are actively promoting safety at sea this year with Crewsaver Life jackets on offer at a very reasonable price. What better present for the angler you care about?

 

Chillcheaters in Braunton offer a range of qaulity garnets for combating extreme weather conditions. See link below.

 

Chillcheater Keeping out the cold as winter sets in!

Blakewell Fishery boasts a well stocked tackle shop with Fly Fishing Tackle, clothing and a range of flies from West Country company Snowbee. Whilst there you can enjoy a coffee in their tea room and even choose a Christmas Tree.

 

Choose a good book for those cold winter nights from River Reads book shop near Torrington.

 

STAYING ALIVE AT SEA

 

There has been a concerted campaign by the RNLI to encourage anglers to were life jackets and this has been supported a by a few high profile anglers including Henry Gilbey. The vast majoroty of anglers do not wear lifejackets and this is something that needs to change if the number of lives lost each year due to drowning are to be reduced. I visited Summerlands at Westward Ho! recently and was delighted to see that they have embraced the campaign and are selling Crewsaver 165 Sport Life Jackets at a very reasonable price of £65.95. This could make the perfect Christmas present with the potential to save a life.

Many experienced sea anglers if challenged will admit to having near misses and with an average of ten shore anglers drowning each year it is time to consider investing in this valuable kit that could save your life.

FESTIVE SEA FISHING RESULTS

            Storm Diedre failed to keep members of Combe Martin Sea Angling Club from the shoreline to compete in their Christmas Competition. Mark Jones secured victory with a thornback ray of 10lb 7oz. The fish won him a voucher from https://cokerscreations.co.uk  and choice of a secret Santa prize donated by members. In runner up spot was myself(Wayne Thomas) with a dogfish scaling 2lb 9oz and in third Dave Brooke with a bull huss of 7lb 9oz. Ross Stanway weighed in a small- eyed-ray of 7lb 2oz for forth.
1st-Mark Jones – thornback ray – 10lb 7oz
2nd– Wayne Thomas – dogfish – 2lb 9oz
3rd– Dave Brooke – bull huss – 7lb 9oz
4th– Ross Stanway – small-eyed-ray – 7lb 2oz
5th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 2lb
6th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 15oz
7th– Mark Jones – thornback ray – 6lb 15oz
8th– Jack Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 14oz
9th– Nick Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 14oz
10th– Dan Welch – flounder 1lb 3oz
11th– Nick Phillips – dogfish – 1lb 10oz

 

http://www.cokerscreations.co.uk

Bideford Angling Club – Christmas Competition

Fifty eight anglers lined the banks of the Torridge estuary to compete in Bideford Angling Clubs Christmas Competition last Sunday with twenty four flounder registered. The winning angler Owen Hare was a junior who landed a flounder of 1lb 71/2oz. Runner up was Stephen Found with a flounder of 1lb 63/4oz, third Darren Burslem with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz and forth Robert Bowden with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz. The club were very appreciative of the behind the scenes work of Paul and Lisa Downing and to the sponsors.

                                 Barnstaple Triple Hook Clubs 

Barnstaple Triple Hook Clubs Christmas Flounder Open attracted a field of fifty anglers all keen to secure a turkey dinner. The results were the best for many seasons with plenty of quality flounder weighed in. The top ten all recieved a turkey. 

1st – Richard Chapel – 2lb 13/4oz

2nd- Nigel Gullen – 2lb 7/8oz

3rd – Steve Luxton – 1lb 143/8oz

4th – Max Peake – 1lb 13.75oz

5th – Dennis Toleman – 1lb 127/8oz

6th – Darren Short – 1lb 125/8oz

7th – Kevin Hancock – 1lb 121/8oz

8th – Dave Mock – 1lb 113/4oz

9th – Isabel Luxton – 1lb 113/4oz

10th = Cleo Babb – 1lb 101/2oz

 

I have been reporting on these estuary flounder competitions for many seasons now and have often noted the contrast in the average size of flounder caught between the two estuaries. This year the results show a marked difference in fish sizes with the top ten flounder caught from the Taw in Triple Hook Clubs Open all bigger than the winning fish from the Torridge. Both rivers share many common characteristics yet seem to produce different sized flounder potential?

http://www.highstreetackle.co.uk

 

Its an Ill wind! Brings in the cod!

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The stormy weather has coloured the inshore waters dislodging lots of food for hungry fish. Just after the storm is often the best time to get out and capitalise on conditions that sometimes last for no more than a couple of tides.

Kyle Blackmore landed five codling the  biggest just under 4lb along with plenty of eels all caught on squid and frozen blacks. Kyle is hoping that is a good sign for the months ahead.

 

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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The estuary flounder season has been one of the best for several seasons with both quality and quantities’ of flatfish. Appledore Shipbuilders Christmas Competition attracted a field of 31 anglers. The winning fish was caught by Junior angler Max Peake who landed a fine flounder of 1lb 133/4oz. In runner up spot was Junior angler Cleo Babb with a flounder of 1lb 12oz. Cameron Atkinson took third and forth with flounder of 1lb 91/2oz and 1lb 91/4oz. Fifth was Jack Pike with a flounder of 1lb 83/4oz.

(Above)Junior angler Max Peake with the 1lb 13.75oz flounder that won Appledore Shipbuilders Christmas Competition

 

Dennis Toleman secured first prize in Triple Hook Clubs Flounder Open with a flounder scaling 1lb 93/4oz. Joan Cairns was runner up with a flounder of 1lb 71/2oz.

 

(Below) Antony Smith won Bideford Angling Clubs twenty-four hour Rover with a spurdog scaling 7lb 141/2oz. Nathan Clements was runner up with a dogfish of 1lb 131/2oz.

 

I expect to see some good fish caught from the Open coast over the coming weeks with spurdog, bull Huss, big conger and tope all likely.

Shore Caught tope 39lb 12oz

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Combe Martin SAC member Ian laird landed this stunning 39lb 12oz from a North Devon rock mark. This is the second tope caught this week and bodes well for the coming weeks with more anglers hitting the shoreline over the festive period. I will take this opportunity to remind anglers of the dangers of shore fishing with cold water, surging waves and big fish a dangerous cocktail.

Shore Caught tope for Ollie Passmore

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Shore caught tope are hard won fish that often require many hours of dedication to hook and land. Ollie Passmore has been targeting  tope this season and has been rewarded with this fine specimen of 32lb 2oz.

“All the hours,effort and money chasing tope this year, i finaly land one and a cracker at that 32lb 2oz🎣 very sketchy landing this fish in the swell with great effort from @chuggehh who tailed the tope but he got hooked up also, causing the fish to be unhooked below me! so quick desicion to jump down to the waters edge before waves would of washed it away. Luckilly after getting wet it was safe on the rocks. Quick weigh and photos and it went back strong. It’s a Dream come true and what makes me love being out fishing on this coast.”

SEA ANGLING RESULTS

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http://www.sakuma.co.uk

A mild breezy weekend saw flounder dominate local sea match results. There were plenty of flounder caught and some decent bass to over 4lb.

BIDEFORD ANGLING CLUB

December Rover Results.

1st Dick Talbot bull huss 8 lb 3 1/2oz

2nd Graham Snow flounder 1 lb 3 5/8oz

3rd Terry Dymond flounder 1 lb 3 1/4oz

APPLEDORE SHIPBUILDERS ROVER

Eighteen anglers fished in Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover and flounder dominated the results with lots of school bass also caught.

1st – James Atkinson – flounder 1lb 14oz

2nd- Jazza John – flounder 1lb 91/4oz

3rd – Josh Atkinson – flounder 1lb 75/8oz

Juniors

1st – Jack Pike – flounder 1lb 47/8oz

 

Triple Hook Club – Ladies and Junior flounder Open

Ladies

1st – Marilyn Wotton -flounder 1lb 157/8oz

2nd – Joan Cairns – flounder 135/8oz

Junior

1st – Ian Cairns – flounder 1lb 25/8oz

 

Combe Martin SAC – AGM

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Combe Martin Sea Angling Club held their AGM at the White Lion Braunton where fourteen members attended to hear a summary of the previous years fishing and to set ideas in motion for the year ahead.

2018 Club award winners:-

Best Specimen from the shore – Kevin Legge – conger 28lb

Best specimen from a boat – Rob Scoines – spur dog 18lb 2oz

Best specimen by a junior – Joshua Jeffery – thin lipped grey mullet 4lb 6oz

Best bass – Kevin Legge – 9lb 9lb 2oz

Best mullet – Joshua Jeffery – thin lipped grey mullet 4lb 6oz

Best flatfish – Matt Jeffery – flounder 1lb 14.75oz

Best wrasse – Ross Stanway – ballan wrasse 4lb 7oz

Best ray – Jonathon Stanway – small eyed ray – 11lb 2oz

Best cod – Rob Scoines 12lb 4oz

Best rockling – Rob Scoines – 1lb 9oz

Merit Award has been won by Daniel Welch for his success over a wide range of species from both boat and shore.

Top six specimens – Daniel Welch total – 646.737 Runner up – Ali Laird – 634.913

Top Six mullet –  John Shapland – 631.906

 

Subscriptions for the coming year are :- Family £15.   Senior £12.00. Senior Citizen – £5    Junior £1.00

The clubs full calendar of events will be formulated by mid December incorporating ideas from the membership at the meeting.

There was a full debate around a few suggested changes to specimen weight sizes and the following amendments were agreed.

Boat pollock to be reduced from 12lb to 10lb

Shore – spotted ray to be reduced from 5lb to 4lb 8oz

Shore – Thick Lipped mullet to increased from 4lb to 4lb 4oz

Shore – thin lipped mullet to be increased from 3lb 8oz to 4lb

The club are also introducing a new fish of the season prize for all club members.

A full report should appear before long on the clubs website. The club would like to thank Sakuma Tackle and High Street Tackle who have supported the club throughout the year.

For details on joining the club visit their website – www.cmsac.co.uk

http://www.highstreetackle.co.uk

 

http://www.sakuma.co.uk

Bull Huss are about

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Combe Martin SAC member Ian laird enjoyed a hectic session on a local rock mark catching a brace of Huss numerous dogfish and a few small conger. The rough weather should encourage a few larger fish close inshore with the next set of bigger tides likely to bring in a few spurdog.