Anglers Enjoy Deep Sea Sport on Bluefin

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The days fishing got underway following the stunning sunrise above Combe Martin Bay ( Above).

I joined a party of anglers on board John Barbeary’s ‘Bluefin’ Last Sunday morning when we steamed out to a mark six or seven miles off Ilfracombe where we hoped to connect with the packs of spurdog that have become a feature of winter fishing off the North Devon Coast. Several trips had been possible to these deep water marks over the previous few days when plenty of tackle testing specimens had been boated.

It wasn’t long after dropping the anchor before a few spurdog homed in on the array of baits on offer beneath the boat. Spurdog are not particularly fussy feeders devouring most fish baits with gusto.

(Above) Simon Blacher with one of the first double figure spurdog of the day.

(Below) One of several spurdog I landed during the day.

As the tide eased several conger joined in on the feasting beneath the boat with Exeter based angler Pete Gregory boating a beauty of 36lb. (Below)

 

A brace of bull huss ( Below)

Pete Gregory with a fine spurdog (Below)

Over the previous week John Barbeary had taken several parties of anglers to the grounds several miles off the coast when neap tides and good weather gave a perfect window of opportunity.

Below highlights from a productive week on Bluefin

Rob Scoines with two spurdog the best a fine specimen of 18lb 2oz

(Above)Rob Scoines with a huss

(Below) Pete Gregory with a 30lb plus conger

Pete Gregory with a rare Bristol Channel Ling.

 

 

Litter Issue brings threat of angling ban!

 

Once again I am prompted to mention the contentious issue of litter and angling. Last year there was talk of a ban on angling at Clovelly as a result of anglers leaving litter, bait and urinating against the harbour wall. Clovelly is a picturesque village that is currently in the running for Channel 4’s Village of the Year with Penelope Keith. it is completely understandable that the owners of the village and the community do not want their beautiful village to be tarnished by irresponsible anglers who undoubtedly have no respect for the environment or local community.

(Above) Clovelly during the Herring Festival in November

When I have posted about this previously I have provoked  strong protestations about this issue with many anglers condemning the culprits. This vitriol on Facebook and social media achieves little. In my view local anglers need to take action and work with the Clovelly Estate to address this issue. As Bideford and District Angling Club are closest it would be useful if they could take the lead and I have contacted them to this end and the issue will be discussed at their AGM. I would hope that anglers from other areas of North Devon will join in with a possible beach clean and show that we do care. If this is considered a good idea I will promote the event both here on NDAN and within my Angling Column in the NDJ.

It may well be that there is a need to control angling access in future so that any culprits can be identified and banned from future visits.

 

 

 

Tunny History

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http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/tunny-action

I am always on the look out interesting angling stories and thought this old film footage a fascinating glimpse into times gone by its all a bit barbaric by today’s standards but don’t judge past generations on today’s perceptions. This was remember a time when people had little perception of the vulnerability of the oceans believing that its wonders were inexhaustible.

Fish from cold climates

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(Above)10lb + halibut for Craig

North Devon anglers Craig Mcloughlin and Kevin Legge are enjoying fishing in Norway where temperatures are minus 6 during the day and there  are just three hours of daylight!

Craig hopes to capture the Northern Lights before they come home. One of angling joys is the adventures it takes its participants on.

(Above) Double Figure cod for Craig

(Above)Kevin Legge with a double figure cod

A fine specimen haddock for Kevin

Sea Angling Results – Bideford, Appledore-Shipbuilder’s & Triple Hook

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Antony Smith landed the only two fish in Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly Rover a fine specimen spurdog of 12lb 81/2oz and a whiting of 1lb.

Dennis Toleman won Triple Hook Clubs first competition of the New Year winning the Sportsman’s Cup with a flounder of 1lb 3oz. In runner up spot was Rob Hancock with a flounder of 1lb 21/2oz.

In Appledore Shipbuilders Rover eighteen senior anglers failed to catch a fish big enough to bring to the scales. Jack Pike secured victory in the Junior section with a whiting of 101/2oz.

 

 

Toothy Predators on the prowl as the storm passes!

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Big fish are on the feed moving close inshore to feast on the food dislodged by storm Eleanor. Several anglers have enjoyed success as the waters have calmed. The window of opportunity is often short as a bitter North East wind is now tearing down channel chilling any angler out there to the bone.

Ali Laird enjoyed the session of a lifetime when he  fished a North Devon rock mark to land a fine tope of 29lb 10oz(Above) and spurdog of 9lb 15oz and 9lb 8oz. (Below)

Fellow club member Dan Miles Redmore was also delighted to land his first ever shore caught tope weighing 33lb 10oz.

 

Beating the elements and cheating the chill

(Above) Chill-Cheater Storm Jacket kept the chill out on this bitterly cold day off Penarth.

When I started fishing forty odd years ago fishing garments tended to consist of old clothes and at best outfits bought from the nearest Army Surplus store. Times have fortunately changed and angling clothing has come on a long way with specialist weather resistant clothing available that is both functional and smart.

A couple of years ago my good friend Kevin Legge introduced me to a local North Devon company based in Braunton that provides bespoke clothing for use in demanding environments. Reed Chillcheater Ltd specialise in garments for use in water sports such as kayaking. Kevin’s logic was that this quality equipment would be ideally suited to sea anglers who spend many hours exposed to hostile weather and conditions.

I recently enjoyed a visit to the shop floor where I met up with owner Chris Reed and Dion Hunt who gave me a fascinating tour of the premises and explained the intricacies and complexity’s of the manufacturing process and the properties of the materials used. Chris established the company in 1999 when they got off to a flying start winning the British Plastics Award for Aquatherm Fabric.

(Above) Owner Chris Reed and Dion Hunt

 

Aquatherm is a modern intelligent Fabric designed using basic practical science as Chris explained to me in layman’s terms. Wind and water is the enemy and are combated effectively using layering with Chillcheater’s Aquatherm providing the outer layer. The smooth outer surface is water resistant and drys quickly reducing wind chill that is caused by evaporation.

The most popular products for anglers have been the Aquatherm outdoor jackets with transpire fleece inner with matching storm trousers. I have had one of these jackets for close to two years and can vouch for its warmth and weather resistance both at home and abroad in Norway.

(Above)Storm Jacket

 

(Above)Rugged non-corrosive Zip
(Above) Storm Cuffs

Extensive testing and consultation with anglers including North Devon’s local enthusiast Kevin Legge has resulted in a product that ticks many boxes. The Storm Jacket has several useful features including a fleece lined kangaroo pouch pocket to warm the hands, an Aquatherm outer pocket with a drain hole along with Velcro fastening, adjustable wrist straps to prevent water ingress and ¾” length zip that is made from hardwearing saltwater proof plastic. The storm peak is reinforced with wire; reflective strips give high visibility for added safety. All seams are fully heat taped to ensure no leakage.

The storm trousers are made of the same Aquatherm material with adjustable Velcro boot fasteners, shin guard overlay protection for knees, twin cargo pockets with drain holes, double Aquatherm bum patch, inner foam pouch phone pocket, elasticated back fix braces with simple double loop fasteners and elasticated top for close fitting.

Ideally beneath this robust outer layer can be worn transpire fleece inners. These are made using single filament yarns made from polyester and spandex. This ensures a tangled array of soft filaments that cling to the body matching the body’s contours trapping a warm layer to the skin. These fleeces can be purchased in either single layer suitable for the British Climate or in double layer for extreme climates like Norway and Iceland in winter!

Other items in the transpire fleece range include socks, long trousers, short trousers, long sleeve tops, zipped or unzipped tops, beanies and balaclavas.

(Above)Balaclava and beanie

 

Dion also showed me a Pertex jacket that can be worn over the inner layers or as an outer garment to repel wind and light rain. This amazingly lightweight material folds up into a bag no bigger than an apple!

Testament to the quality of the clothing produced at Chillcheater is the fact that renowned adventurer and long distance Kayaker Justine Curgenven has chosen the products for several of her expeditions in some very harsh climates.

I found the tour of Reeds fascinating and was very impressed with the attention to detail and the state of the art production techniques ensuring a top quality product. The venture into clothing aimed at anglers is a relatively new venture for the company that has for years focused primarily on providing robust, light weight and warm clothing for extreme water sports enthusiasts.

(Above)Leonie Isaac-Pike – Works on a Reed’s garment

(Above) The factory floor

 

I discussed breathability and overheating with Chris who gave some sound advice regarding maintaining comfort whilst out fishing. Angling tends to be a rather sedentary pastime. I explained that one issue with fishing is that reaching the venue can require a considerable degree of excursion that can result in perspiration. This can then lead to the angler feeling cold as the session unfolds. Chris suggested that in many cases venting whilst in transit could significantly reduce this. So remove your hat and undo the zip. During long expeditions explorers cover ground slowly to reduce overheating. Plodding slowly to your chosen mark and taking five minutes longer to get there can significantly reduce perspiration and subsequent chilling. When you arrive at the mark you can of course zip up and put on the hat to keep the warmth in!

Chillcheater gear isn’t cheap but it is certainly quality gear that will outlast the majority of weather gear sold by other companies for anglers. For more information on Chillcheater visit their website www.chillcheater.com or give them a ring on 01271 815828.

 

 

Shore Caught Tope

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Jansen Teakle manager at Veal’s Mail Order made a trip from the Bristol area to fish the North Devon coast and was rewarded with a fine tope off 37lb 10oz. The fish was successfully landed using Varivas catfish hooks as featured in my recent news story regarding Kevin Legge.

 

https://www.veals.co.uk/blog/2018/01/varivas-catfish-hook/?utm_source=Veals+Mail+Order+Angling+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f38229fe9a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_01_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_79e4958923-f38229fe9a-52447321

Spurdog on the feed in stormy seas

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North Devon Angler Jon Patten kindly gave permission for me to replicate this account of his latest trip.

With the chance of a spur on the horizon myself and a couple of mates ventured out in the middle of the night in pursuit of spurdogs
After a long drive through wind.. sleet… snow.. hail and very high winds
We arrived at our location to find a lumpy sea….perfect although the rain was now coming down in stair rods and extremely uncomfortable against our faces
But at least the wind was behind us
We cast our baits into the murky depths of the Bristol channel in pursuit of our quarry
Rods rattled instantly as the baits hit the sea bed with small bites…… bait fish were in the area for the spurs to feed off
We didn’t have to wait long before the first spur showed…mostly smaller size between 6/7lb with bigger specimens showing aswell later in the tide
Little flurries of them went through and our spur numbers rose
2 hrs into the ebb must have seen a mass of fish go through as spurs hit our baits in a big way
It was mayhem
We landed 18 fish in total and then released after a photo…. with Several nice doubles to add to our tally…. it was pure madness
Red letter day to say the least and we did manage 1 or 2 breaks in the weather to boot.

Jon is sponsored by Shimano, Reeds, Veal’s Mail Order, Sea Power UK and Jim’s Lures.

 

The biggest spurdog pulled the scales to 12lb 3oz.