7 Jul 2023

ANOTHER PERFECT NORTH DEVON DAY

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The North Devon Coast has many miles of very varied and spectacular coastline much of it well worth exploring so when James suggested a trip to check out a cove near Ilfracombe I was keen. Lee Bay is a secluded Wooded Valley that descends to a fascinating stretch of coastline intersected by the South West Coast path much of the land in the custodianship of the National Trust.

James had suggested a short trip to explore the coves with a fishing rod perhaps incorporating a swim. We arrived shortly after Low water and walked out along the beach following a fascinating pathway cut into the rocky foreshore.

The path leads to a secluded beach sheltered from the prevailing South Westerly. This was where James intended to take a swim. But before cooling off we ventured beyond the cove through a maze of gulley’s that lead to a rugged rocky foreshore that screamed bass.

We had a few casts but with the tide flooding time was limited and we headed back to the cove where James plunged into the clear waters to cool down.

I stepped out onto the rocks and cast a lure whilst savouring the unfamiliar topography.

I didn’t really expect to catch and joined James on the beach suggesting we head back to Ilfracombe and try for a mackerel as the tide flooded.

Ilfracombe was a contrast to the secret coves of Lee Bay with its bustling harbour and people all around. After catching up with the cricket score we took our lure rods to the rocks near the pier and cast shiny metals into the clear water.

The aqua blues and greens of the sea with white breaking waves against rocky foreshores were exhilarating. We spied vast shoals of sandeel shimmering and shoaling close in against the shoreline. Birds were working out in the tide a sign that mackerel or bass were hunting.

A burst of life upon the water caught my attention and I cast my lure into the general direction. After a couple of casts came that pleasing thump as a mackerel hit the lure. Over the next twenty minutes we added four more mackerel to the tally. Fresh from the sea we looked forward to them lightly grilled or pan fried for tomorrow’s breakfast or dinner.

I was delighted to share the shoreline with James seeing the sea as it should be with abundant fish and prey. A lively moving eco system that can be enjoyed if only we could learn to use it in a sustainable fashion taking only our fair share.

As the tide forced us to retreat again we strolled along the harbour to pick up  delicious burgers and a Katsu box from Paul Lorrimore’s https://www.baysideburgerbar.co.uk/

It would have been nice to savour the food sat on a bench overlooking the harbour but Ilfracombe’s seagulls made us retreat to the safety of the car parked beneath Verity’s towering presence.

            The end of another perfect day in North Devon.

4 Jul 2023

Join the call for curbs on spurdog fishery before its too late!!!!

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I had a call from John McMaster who has worked extensively to collate data for the Pat Smith Data base. John is working with the Angling Trust and Charter boat skippers to raise awareness of plans to extend the commercial spurdog fishery. Spurdog numbers had increased over recent seasons providing a useful recreational fishery particularly during the winter months. Anglers in North Devon have enjoyed great sport from boats out of Ilfracombe especially during the winter months. The fish have also provided a target for shore anglers since the demise of cod. John has put the case for protecting spurdog below and is asking anglers and charter boat skippers to fight for the spurdog and the need for conservation.

We all want long term viable fish stocks and the boom and bust fishery policy is no use to anyone in the long term.

Earlier this year Defra reopened the UK Spurdog fishery to commercial fishing. Recognizing that the female breeding stock needed to be protected to give the fishery longevity they restricted the slot size to 100cm.

To understand the significance of this you need to know that female Spurdog do not reach sexual maturity until they are around 15 years old and that their pregnancy lasts for up to two years. The younger female Spurdog have smaller pups which have a low survival rate but as the females get older and larger, their pup sizes increase and so does their survival rate.  A 100cm female Spurdog is around 20 years old whereas a 120cm female Spurdog is around 40 years old and her pups have a significantly increased survival rate. 

We were therefore very surprised when we heard recently that Defra are now considering a request from the commercial sector to increase the maximum landing size to 120cm.

The recreational angling community regularly access the smaller shark fishery on a catch and release basis and it represents a revenue stream which our recreational charter skippers and coastal communities rely on.

The situation was discussed at a recent Pat Smith Database trustee meeting where it was agreed unanimously that our smaller sharks (Spurdog, Smoothound, Bull Huss and Tope) need our protection as much as their larger cousins (Blue, Porbeagle, Thresher).

Our sport has a seat at the Fisheries Management table but if we don’t use this opportunity to make our views known we will be sidelined by the other players so as a first step we have decided to send a letter to the Fisheries minister signed jointly by as many charter skippers, angling clubs and angling related organizations as possible.

If you would like to be a signatory and help protect the fishery from future closure, please get in contact with the Pat Smith Database at [email protected]

 

https://www.patsmithdatabase.com/post/our-smaller-sharks-also-need-our-support

John McMaster

 

https://anglingtrust.net/2023/07/04/skippers-anglers-urge-fisheries-minister-caution-on-spurdog/?fbclid=IwAR0ts1cZXlfMPPZ4rUoY6jobShHwZMRvzciRH1ot88nRs62UCXcj-6vch2Y

 

A room full of memories – Looe Sharking

3 Jul 2023

COMBE MARTIN SAC  Bass Lure League 2023

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COMBE MARTIN SAC  Bass Lure League

Mark Jones – 71cm 63cm 59.5cm       Total – 193.5

Shuan Quartly – 72cm 60.5cm 56cm – Total – 188.5

Reece Woolgar – 64cm 59cm 57cm  Total – 180

Wayne Thomas – 67cm 54.5cm            Total –  121.5

Nick Phillips – 64.5cm 47cm                  Total –  111.5

Mark Tossel 69cm                                Total – 69cm

After the weekends Open Lure fishing competition members on the scoreboard have increased injecting welcome numbers to club members taking part. The league runs until the end of October and is sponsored by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe. Bass from boat and shore count.

 

Mark Jones is currently leading the lure league with three bass totalling 193.5cm

3 Jul 2023

Sea Angling Club Results

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Bideford Angling Club 
July’s Rover results
1st Stephen Found thicklipped mullet 4lb 13 121.094%
2nd Jon Stevens  Spotted Ray 3lb 11 1/2 82.638%
Appledore Shipbuilders – July Rover
12 Anglers fished the July Rover .Andrew Atkinson was victorious with a cracking Smoothound of 15lb 111/4ozs. Michael Hammett was second with a fine Smoothound of 11lb 2ozs and Andrew Atkinson was third with another specimen Smoothound of 10lb 7ozs.
2 Jul 2023

COMBE MARTIN SAC – OPEN LURE COMPETITION

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First – Wayne Thomas – Bass 67cm

Second – Nick Phillips – Bass 64.5cm

Third – Reece Woolgar – Bass 64cm

The North Devon Coast proved to be challenging over the lure fishing weekend competition with suspended weed proving problematic on the open coast where water clarity was good.

After weeks of very calm weather a brisk North West breeze undoubtedly resulted in the weed issue. The event hosted jointly between High Street Tackle and Combe Martin SAC failed to attract a large number of competitors. The difficult conditions undoubtedly deterring some from entering. I wonder if lure fishers tend to be non-competitive. There were bass to be caught as was proved with several fish registered from both the open coast and estuary. With many miles of coastline and a many lures and tactics to employ getting anglers together is a great way to promote learning in a pastime where those who take part will never stop learning.

( Below) The winning fish of 67cm caught after dark in shallow water.

(Below) Runner up Nick Phillips with a bass of 64.5 cm 

Reece Woolgar tempted several bass over the weekend inclding this fish of 64cm

A few observations on lure fishing the North Devon Coast. There are many miles of varied coastline to fish and anglers have a wide variety of tactics to employ depending upon where the fish are located and what the fish are searching for. A significant factor in lure fishing is undoubtedly confidence and the willingness to adapt and experiment. Nick Phillips and I caught bass fishing an open coast shallow rock mark after dark when the fish will often. move very close to the shoreline. My belief is that the fish lose much of their natural caution after dark. Weightless soft plastics work after dark despite producing little movement and vibration.

Reece Woolgar tempted his fish again on soft plastics stalking the fish in shallow estuary water where polarising glasses are perhaps the greatest asset.

On the open coast surface lures can often work if there is suspended weed in the water. In the right conditions hard plastics and metal lures have their days and can produce good catches.

A jelly fish hooked a hard plastic lure !!!
Nick Phillips on the Open Coast

 

 

30 Jun 2023

REEL DEAL – Bass and Tuna news

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Reel Deal Charters have been finding anglers some good bass from Reefs off North Devon and Cornwall.

http://www.highstreettackle.co.uk

Dan welcomes the great news that the CHART program will be running again this year.

Angling Trust 

16h 
🚨 CHART 2023 CONFIRMED 🎣🎉🐟
that the funding for the English CHART (Catch and Release Tagging) programme in 2023 has been signed off and the programme has been given the green light.
Given the severe funding constraints we – the Angling Trust and the UKBFTA – have highlighted previously, the process for approval took longer than we would have liked. Throughout the spring we continued to push hard for CHART to continue into 2023, including writing to the Minister and raising the matter with politicians directly. We are pleased the Minister recognised the importance of ensuring CHART will continue this year in England.
Those funding constraints have required some streamlining of costs and one way in which that is being done is via removing the workshop and training element of the programme this year. This means that for 2023 only those skippers who have previously completed the training element and operated in CHART beforehand will be eligible to apply. It is anticipated that up to 25 vessels will again be authorised from the pool of “CHART graduates”.
Fish welfare is of the utmost importance to many skippers and anglers, who fought hard for the workshop and training element to be included in order to pass on this crucial knowledge to new entrants, so the lack of funding for this prior element of CHART is disappointing.
We understand that there will be some disappointment from those who wished to join the programme this year for the first time. DEFRA has indicated that the only way in which CHART could go ahead within the funds available was to adopt this approach. More information will be provided by CEFAS in the coming days to the “CHART graduate” pool and more widely via social media platforms. Specific questions regarding the operational protocols etc should be directed to CEFAS once they go live.
England joins Wales and Northern Ireland now in approving programmes for 2023 which will result in up to 40 charter vessels being authorised to legally fish for Atlantic Bluefin across the UK’s western waters.
We are very grateful to those skippers, crew members and anglers who have supported our efforts to ensure some form of legal fishing continued in England this year. We continue to work with Defra on the introduction of a world-class recreational catch and release fishery in 2024. We are hoping a public consultation on this will take place before the autumn.
Good luck to the anglers and skippers participating in CHART 2023. Thank you for your continued support and tight lines.
26 Jun 2023

OPEN BASS LURE COMPETITION

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Combe Martin SAC are hosting an Open Lure Fishing Competition with High Street Tackle Ilfracombe. If the event is well supported it is hoped it will become an annual event that can be built upon each year if the appetite is there to share the wonderful lure fishing for bass that can be enjoyed along Nortb Devons coast line. The coast line offers a wide variety of marks to target bass with a wide range of lure tactics proving successful.

Shallow rocky shorelines –
Taw and Torridge Estuary

 

Bass tempted on a soft plastic
One of North Devons rocky headlands from the sea.

 

Sandy beaches have great potential for bass on lures

The boundaries for the event are the entire North Devon Coastline from County Gate to Welcombe Mouth.

https://northdevon-aonb.org.uk

This  event is shore only.

The entry fee is £10.00 Competitors must book in at High Street Tackle Ilfracombe.

There is a first prize of £100 and £50 for the runner up. Additional prizes may be added if support is good.

The presentation will be held at Ilfracombe Pier, Outside the Aquarium at 6:30pm on Sunday July 2nd.

All those who attend the presentation will be entred into a raffle for a lure donated by High Street Tackle.

The prizes are for the longest bass nose to tip of tail caught using an artificial lure. A photo of bass and tape must be provided in addition to picture with captor if possible.

Fishing is from 00.00 June 29th until 6.00pm July 2nd.

All entries to be sent to CMSAC via their facebook page or to North Devon Angling News via social media or [email protected] 

Advice on lure fishing for bass along with a huge sellection of lures are avaialble at High Street tackle.

26 Jun 2023

South Molton Angling Club – Boat Trip Clovelly

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A quick report from Ed Rands on South Molton Angling Clubs 4hr Clovelly evening sea trip on the 19th of June.
We met doug the skipper aboard “independent charters” at 5pm motored out for 10 minutes and set anchor.
We put squid baits and mackerel baits down and started catching fish and it never really stopped until we came in at 9:30.
We caught the inevitable dogfish, a few smoothound, probably 30 bull huss into double figures and we had a few mackerel to bring home to eat as well as a few scad which were not eaten! The weather was pretty good and flattened the sea out well by the time we had finished.
Thanks to Jim, Danny, Bob, Nigel and Craig for attending and doug looked after us admirably with tea and coffee, although we did Craig’s coffee again later!