The smoothound season has burst upon us with some superb catches from recognized marks all along the North Devon Coastline.
Combe Martin SAC member Kody Chugg enjoyed a great session with smoothound landing twelve of the hard fighting members of the shark family to 10lb 4oz.
(Below) Paul Hutchings landed seven hounds to 12lb 14oz.
It seems that summer fishing is on its way with smoothound moving into their summer haunts and putting bends in anglers rod at last after what has been a difficult spring. There have also been a few bass tempted from marks around Ilfracombe with fish tempted on lures in the clearing water.
Bideford Monthly Rover results
1st Andrew Clements wrasse 4 lb 9oz 91.250%
2nd Terry Dymond smooth-hound 8 lb 8oz 85%
3rd Taz Watton thornback 7 lb 1oz 78.472%
Appledore Shipbuilders Rover
Smoothound dominated the results for Appledore Shipbuilders with Michael Toogood securing top spot with a fine hound of 14lb 2.75oz.
1st Michael Toogood smoothound 14lb 2 3/4oz
2nd Kevin Pike smoothound 9lb 15 1/4oz
3rd Jazza John smoothound 9lb 1/2oz
Junior angler Jack Pike set a new Junior Club Record with a hound of 13lb 7 5/8oz.
The coming weekend sees Combe Martin SAC hosting the annual Putsborough beach open. The warmer condtions should have brought small eyed ray into the shallows where they feed primarily on sandeels.
Presents Our
Saturday May 12th
Fishing From 9.30pm to 1.30am
And Many Other Donated Prizes
2 Rods, 4 Hooks, Specimen Sizes
Entry £5 plus £1 Pool Best Brace
Phone Nick 814703 Or Wayne 850586
For More Details Please Check www.cmsac.co.uk Or Our Facebook Page
Please Respect Putsborough & Remove All Litter
Danny Watson and Pauline of High Street Tackle Ilfracombe have been out fishing from their local shore marks and have enjoyed success with bass, pollock, rockling and small eels. These have been tempted using lug worm and fish baits. Danny hopes that these catches are indication that things are improving after a difficult spring. Toby Bassett has also enjoyed success a good session of bass and wrasse on lug worm. Paul Lorrimore has had a few spotted ray from the pier.
Dan Hawkins ventured out near Lundy Island on with a party of anglers and they enjoyed success with the first tope of season along with bull huss, pollock, coalfish, whiting and the inevitable dogfish.They also enjoyed the spectacle of dolphins, porpoises and seals. Dan skipper of Reel Deal commented that such days make his job so enjoyable.
Ian Laird and Ali Laird organized a four hour trip off Minehead with Michael Webber Griffiths skipper of Teddie Boy Charters. They enjoyed sport with ray, smoothound and the inevitable dogfish.The best specimen of the trip was a small eyed ray of 9lb 5oz and was boated by young Ollie Laird. The ray gives Ollie an excellent chance to retain the specimen trophy for the best fish caught by a Junior in CMSAC.
These short four trips are excellent for young anglers who might find a full eight hour trip too much.
The first porbeagle of the season has been caught from Ilfracombe based Reel Deal skippered by Dan Hawkins who takes customers to marks off North Cornwall. John Krupa a member of the Plough Angling club brought the shark estimated at 250lb to the side of the boat. The shark was unhooked at the side of the boat. All sharks hooked by anglers in these conservation-enlightened times are returned alive to ensure the survival of these magnificent fish. The shark was tempted using a whole Ammo frozen mackerel and attracted to the boat using Ammo Chum Mix.
Keith Armishaw from Angling Book Specialists River Reads booked a days fishing off Ilfracombe on Bluefin skippered by John Barbeary. and sent me a brief report on an interesting day.
Keith tells me that The fishing wasn’t great a is often the case in Spring when the winter spurdog shoals have migrated away and the summer species have not arrived in any numbers. As they moved from mark to mark dogfish snaffled the bait in plague proportions.
But as is often the case the day was saved when John managed to locate a should of pollock that put a bend in the rods along with a few bull huss.
Days afloat are about more than just fish and Keith relays an interesting aspect of the day in that several birds landed on the boat.
Keith guessed that these were on migration to South Wales. They had 4 warblers (one actually settled on Lee’s rod whilst he was holding it), a blackcap and another ( caught a fleeting glimpse of was a redstart I think). Keith commented that it all added to the joy of the day. Great to be outdoors.
Presents Our
Saturday May 12th
Fishing From 9.30pm to 1.30am
Cash Prizes Of £100 & £50
And Many Other Donated Prizes
2 Rods, 4 Hooks, Specimen Sizes
Entry £5 plus £1 Pool Best Brace
Phone Nick 814703 Or Wayne 850586
For More Details Please Check www.cmsac.co.uk Or Our Facebook Page
Please Respect Putsborough & Remove All Litter
Combe Martin SAC member Kody Chugg landed this fine rockling of 1lb 10oz during a session at a North Devon Rock mark. Kody asked me to identify if the fish was a three bearded rockling or a shore rockling. My immediate response was that it is a three bearded rockling based on the colour of the fish and its size that would be a potential British Record if it was a shore rockling. As another angler muted the possibility of it being a shore rockling I referred to Alwyne Wheelers excellent reference book’ Key to Fishes of Northern Europe. The key distinguishing points are number of rays on the pectoral fins, the 3 bearded having 20 to 22 and the shore rockling 15 to 17. Having tried to enlarge the picture of the fin I can only make out around 17 rays. The eye position points to it being a 3 bearded. As there is small element of doubt I have sought expert advice and will report on findings later. This highlights the need to take numerous close up pictures if there is any doubt about a species of fish caught.
Kody also landed this bull huss on a recent trip.
Sea Angling sport is starting to slowly improve with several good fish boated by Appledore Club members in their boat competition. Dogfish are abundant from some areas of the shore line but fortunately scarce in other areas. Grey mullet are present in good numbers but are not feeding well. Warmer weather forecast for the coming days will hopefully raise water temperatures and trigger feeding amongst various species.
Michael Toogood won Appledore Shipbuilders Boat Competition with a fine bull huss of 13lb 5oz. In runner up spot was David Atkinson with a bull huss of 13lb 2oz.
Kevin Pike and Thomas Atkinson tied for third with bull huss of 12lb 6oz. Michael Toogood also boated a huss of 11lb 2oz. (Below)
Cameron Atkinson boated a fine smoothound of 11lb 4oz (Below)
(Above) Cameron Atkinson with a huss of 11lb 10oz.
Combe Martin SAC’s Spring Rover saw nine members fishing and the fish were hard to find. Rob Scoines won the competition with a dogfish of 2lb 3oz. Dan Welch was runner up with a thick lipped grey mullet of 2lb 2oz. The weigh in was held at The Rising Sun Lynmouth where members shared tales of the day over a delicious platter of sandwiches and chips.
