9 Jun 2018

Thin lips giving good sport

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Ian Laird caught this thin lipped grey mullet in the Taw Estuary using a baited spinner. These hard fighting members of the mullet family can give great sport and can also prove frustrating as they follow the spinner to the bank turning away at the last minute. Thick lipped grey mullet are also present in the estuary’s in good numbers but require a totally different approach with bread the top boat presented on float or quiver tip tactics. In the past huge catches of thin lipped mullet were made using float fished harbour ragworm a tactic that is seldom used today.

 

2 Jun 2018

Sea Angling sport update

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Sea anglers are enjoying mixed sport along the coast with bass, mullet and smoothound. It is also good to hear reports of  a few mackerel and herring from the boats.

(Below)Nick Job enjoyed a good night fishing with his mate Ian Hooper targetting smoothound they landed several hounds the best this fine specimen of 12lb 4oz. Ian landed hounds to 8lb 13oz.

 

(Below) Nick Phillips was targetting grey mullet when this 7lb 12oz bass seized his bread hook bait.

(Above) Nathan Clements caught this fine grey mullet on his first attempt after the species this season.

Daniel Welch took his daughter Effie fishing for grey mullet and they both enjoyed success with Dan landing the above mullet of 4lb 4oz whilst his daughter enjoyed success with a nice mullet of 3lb 3oz.

 

29 May 2018

North Devon’s Jon Patten selected to fish for Team GB in World Gig Game Championship

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(Above) Jon Patten with a huge 64KG GT caught in Africa

Globe Trotting North Devon angler Jon Patten has been selected by the Angling Trust to represent Team GB within a team of four anglers fishing in the World Big Game Championship’s. They will be fishing in Frontignan, Southern France against 28 teams from around the globe targeting Bluefin tuna and broadbill. Shimano, Sea-Power UK Costa, Reeds Chill-Cheaters, Jims Lures and Veal’s Mail Order sponsor Jon who fishes worldwide. Jon’s wide experience of angling for big game fish will be be a valuable asset for the team. The competitors will be fishing using a technique known as chunking using sardine and herring baits.

 

 

 

28 May 2018

Sea Angling Sport – Exceptionally good!

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Sea angling sport really seems to be taking off at the moment with a wide range of species being caught by anglers along the coast from both boat and shore. Shore anglers are enjoying some exceptional sport with smoothound and even a few early tope. Float-fishing is producing garfish and the occasional mackerel from marks in the Ilfracombe area along with some quality pollock. Several bass have been tempted by lure anglers who are relishing the clear water opportunities. Thin Lipped grey mullet are present in the estuary’s.

(Above)Cameron Atkinson enjoyed a great day afloat on a Private boat catching plenty of small bass and some decent pollock with the best one falling to Cameron weighing 7lb to set a new personal best for the species.

(above) 5lb 14oz bass tempted by Ross Stanway

27 May 2018

Ray and Hounds off Minehead for CMSAC

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Six members of Combe Martin SAC enjoyed a boat trip off Minehead on board Osprey Skippered by Steve Webber. The day started off with a cool North East breeze that made for an uncomfortable lop on the water. Despite this fish came steadily to the boat all day with smoothound the dominant species at our first mark in Porlock Bay. The biggest of the hounds was a low double. A range of baits worked for the hounds with crab, prawn and squid all tempting these hard fighting members of the shark family.

As is always the case banter flowed freely throughout the day that kept spirits up when heavy rain fell for a short while and grey skies shrouded the hills. John Shapland boated a fine huss of 11lb 8oz. (Below)

After a couple of hours targetting the hounds Steve suggested a move to the sandbanks to try for a few ray.

It wasn’t long at our new mark before we found a few ray with small- eyed ray, thornback and spotted ray finding our baits.

(Below)The best specimen of the day turned out to be a fine small eyed ray that gave a spirited tussle before reaching the net that was expertly wielded by Skipper Steve Webber,

 

As the tide flooded we made a couple more moves before anchoring off Dunster to try for the hounds again. The hounds here in the murkier water were very light in colour and whilst not so numerous appeared to be a slightly bigger stamp of fish.

As the day started to drift towards its conclusion the sun eventually started to break through and enable us to peel off some of the layers. Nick and his son Jack were not up until now enjoying good sport and seemed to have a knack of finding the dogfish that punctuated every ones day as always. Fortunately persistence eventually paid off  and something bigger nailed Nick’s bluey hook-bait.

After several minutes of tension there was some disappointment when the hard fighting fish turned out to be conger of perhaps 10lb.

Everyone on the boat by now really wanted Jack to catch a decent fish and Steve baited Jack’s hook with a generously donated helping of peeler crab. After a few minutes Jacks rod was bouncing on the gunnels and at last Jack enjoyed a bending rod as a hound fought strongly before reaching the boat.

Shortly after this it was time to head back to Minehead with its tourists crabbing down the harbour wall and devouring ice creams in the hot sun. We couldn’t help but wish it had been this calm and still all day. We ended the day with a flourish as several hounds came to the boat with John Shapland having an uncanny knack of finding the hounds.