Daniel Welch of Predator has been putting anglers amongst some fine bass and pollock over recent weeks. If weather permits October could see some of the biggest bass of the season boated.
Looe Basher 25
My sea angling journey started many years ago fishing from the Banjo Pier in Looe, South Cornwall so each year when we return to join what has become known as the Looe Basher group many memories are rekindled. I was booked onto the Reef Fishing trip on the Friday of the week which turned out to be a lucky break as two days of the six booked for the group ended up being cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Looe Basher is organised with military precision by Lee Armishaw of Watersmeet Publications who navigates many hurdles to put together this highly enjoyable convergance of friends each Autumn.
I joined six other anglers on Dan Margetts, Sowenna and we sailed out of Looe on a grey morning eager to connect with the many species that dwell on the offshore reefs. The previous days highlight had been the sighting of a fin whale breaching close to the boat.
I hope to cover the trip in a future Sea Angler Feature so will not go into too much detail. But the trip resulted in some stunning fish that brought much colour to the grey Autumn day. Two of us boated nine species each on the day with a total of at least a dozen species to the boat including three comber.
The week concluded with a gathering and a delicious meal in the Golden Guinea where the annual ‘Evans Top Rod award’ was presented to Dickie Howell who landed ten species in a single session and assisted Dan Margetts with crewing. ‘The Evans Top Rod engraved Tankard is presented in fond memory of Peter Evans who was a regular attendee of the Looe Basher. He brought a warm presence, optimism and humour to the event and is greatly missed following his passing earlier this year.
Jack Perks was also congratulated in catching a comber to bring his tally of Uk species to 100!
Grey Mullet provide Autumn Sport
Jack Phillips won Combe Martin SAC’s latest fishing event targetting mullet at a North Devon Harbour. A thick lipped grey mullet of 2lb 14oz was the biggest of several fish tempted including a school, bass that also took a liking to his bread bait.
The Autumn months offer exciting fishing for grey mullet that haunt the cpast and estuaries.
Bideford Angling Club – 48-hour Rover Results
September 48-hour results
1st -Dale Kiff Smoothhound 13lb 4 132.5%
2nd – Stephen Found Smalleyed Ray 9lb 3oz 102.083%
3rd – Dale kiff Smoothhound 10lb 1oz 100.625%
WEEKLY ANGLING REPORT – September 14th -2025
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BIDEFORD SECURE IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER PLYMOUTH
Bideford & District Angling Club secured an impressive victory against Plymouth and District Angling Club at Bake Lakes. Bideford totalled weight was 147lb 6oz with Plymouth only managing 35lb 14oz. The individual winner on the day was Bideford’s Craig Lamey. The combined weight totals after the two legs were Bideford 447lb15oz to Plymouth’s 150lb 12oz.
42lb carp – Stafford Moor
Scott Cowling banked a fine mirror carp of 42lb whilst fishing Stafford Moor’s Lodge Lake. The venue also produced eight fish for Rob Gibbon and his friends the biggest 36lb.
Smoothound Dominate
Smoothound dominated Bideford Angling Clubs monthly sea rover with Stephen Found landing a fine specimen of 14lb 10oz. Andrew Clements was runner up with a thornback ray of 9lb 2oz. Dale Kiff and Jenson Kiff took the remaining places with smoothound scaling 9lb 11oz, 9lb 9oz, 8lb 1oz and 7lb 4oz.
Bass Wins Appledore Rover
Michael Hammett took top spot in Appledore Shipbuilders rover with a bass of 4lb 5oz.
Triggerfish wins CMSAC Competition
Kevin Legge won Combe Martin SAC’s rover with a specimen triggerfish scaling 3lb 15oz. I took second and third place with thick lipped grey mullet of 4lb 14oz and 4lb 1oz.
Trevor Telling Memorial 2025
The Annual Trevor Telling Memorial Competition at Wimbleball was won by Colin Combe who boated five trout for a total weight of 12lb 8.5oz. The bank trophy was won by Roger Truscott who banked three trout for 5lb 12oz. The prizes were presented by well- known and respected fly fishing writer and instructor Peter Cockwill. All monies raised go to the Exeter Hospice Care Team.
As water levels at local reservoirs recover and water temperatures drop trout sport is expected to improve with late September and October often providing some of the seasons best sport.
RAIN BRINGS HOPE OF SILVER
Heavy rain showers have brought hope that salmon will move into North Devon’s rivers bring a late flourish to what has been a poor season with drought conditions dominating throughout the summer.
FLOUNDER FISHING SEASON
Late September is the traditional start of the flounder fishing season and competitions are already planned for the coming months. The Barnstaple Bait & Tackle Dan Miles Memorial Open Competition is on Sunday November 30th and is proving a popular event with over 100 entrants in last year’s event. All proceeds go to Children’s Hospice South West Little Bridge House, Fremington.
LATEST SEA ANGLING RESULTS – SEPTEMBER 25
BIDEFORD ANGLING CLUB – September Rover
Results
1st Stephen Found – Smoothhound 14lb 10oz 146.250%
2nd Andrew Clements – Thornback Ray 9lb 2oz 103.388%
3rd Dale Kiff – Smoothhound 9lb 11 96.876%
4th Jenson kiff – Smoothhound 9lb 9 95.625%
5th Dale Kiff- Smoothhound 8lb 1oz 80.625%
6th Jenson kiff – Smoothhound 7lb 4oz 72.5%
APPLEDORE SHIPBUILDERS –
SEPTEMBER ROVER
Michael Hammett won Appledore Shipbuilders Rover with a bass of 4lb 5oz.
Combe Martin SAC – SEPTEMBER ROVER
1st Kevin Legge – Triggerfish 3lb 15oz – 131.25%
2nd – Wayne Thomas – thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 14oz
3rd Wayne Thomas – thick lipped grey mullet 4lb 1oz
WEEKLY ANGLING REPORT – September 4th 2025
NORTH DEVON RIVERS TO FEATURE ON BBC COUNTRYFILE
This Sunday’s forthcoming BBC Countryfile episode features North Devon’s Taw and Torridge the two major rivers that feature in Henry Williamson’s classic tomes, ‘Tarka The Otter’ , ‘Salar the Salmon’ and A Clear Water Stream. The program features interviews with prominent local anglers reflecting upon angling history, the iconic salmon and the efforts to ensure the future of these marvellous fish.
TROUT & SALMON FISHING
Autumn is often a golden spell for anglers as temperatures drop and rain brings a welcome lift to the regions rivers that will encourage salmon and sea trout to enter the river systems. Trout anglers will also enjoy the chance to cast their flies into the rejuvenated streams and onto the regions reservoirs as cooler water encourages fish to the upper layers. Large dry daddy longlegs can provide exciting opportunities and large wild brown trout can also be seen slashing into shoals of fry in the lakes margins.
MATCH FISHING
Bideford Angling Clubs Rod N Reel Coarse Match on their home-water was won by Nathan Underwood with 96lb 3oz. Runner up was Martin Turner with 40lb 7oz and Kevin Shears third with 37lb 14oz.
Nick Jones won Stafford Moor’s Open match last weekend with 172lb 14oz.
The venues specimen carp lakes are in fine form with good carp from Beattie’s and Lodge Lake. Tony Franklin banked fourteen fish during a four day session including a personal best of 42lb.
At Bulldog Fishery a short closure to allow repairs to a water main seemed to result in the lakes resident carp feeding well on reopening with a group of anglers on a group booking banking 42 carp including a mirror carp of 33lb 1oz and a common carp of 32lb 10oz.
Combe Martin SAC hosted their Annual Fun Fishing event on Ilfracombe Pier an event that was enjoyed by over twenty anglers from different generations. Nine species were caught including pollock, conger, blenny, red bream, tompot blenny, smelt, ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse and poor cod. A good number of red sea bream were donated to Ilfracombe aquarium where they can be seen along with other fish caught on previous fun fishing events over recent years.
The Welch Family won a trip to Ilfracombe Aquarium that they kindly donated to runner up family Jesubaul and Becky Mringer. The longest fish was a 54cm conger caught by Louie Cameron and the heaviest a ballan wrasse of 1lb 1oz to the rod of Daniel Welch. The top individual points scorer was Ben Clarke with 25 points and Jesubaul runner up with 24 points.
Combe Martin SAC are very appreciative for generous sponsorship of the event from High Street Tackle, Ilfracombe Aquarium and Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.
Combe Martin SAC member David Brooke has set a new club boat record with a fine specimen gilthead bream of 6lb 4oz.
Autumn is often a time of plenty for sea anglers with water temperatures at their peak resulting in a wide range of species being present. Trigger fish, sea bream, red mullet and sole are all possible targets from Ilfracombe Pier along with squid on Autumn nights.
OPEN FLOUNDER – DAN MILES REDMORE MEMORIAL
Seth Tuson takes lead in CMSAC lure league
Seth Tuson is now leading Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing League with five bass for 347.5cm after adding a bass of 67cm to his five fish total.
1st – Seth Tuson – Five Bass -347.5cm
2nd -Mark Drewer – Five Bass – 344.5cm
3rd – Wayne Thomas – Five bass – 318cm
4th – Jamie Steward – Four bass – 272cm
5th – Reece Woolgar – Four Bass – 263cm
6th – Daniel Welch – Four Bass – 233cm
Combe Martin SAC Fun Fish 2025
Hard to believe that another Combe Martin SAC Fun Fish has come and gone signalling the end of the Summer season in conjunction with the annual Sea-Ilfracombe Festival.
This popular event is very much what it says on the tin so to speak; a fun fishing event with few rules and the focus very much on family fun. Once again a big thank you from Combe Martin SAC for generous sponsorship from High Street Tackle, Ilfracombe Aquarium and Barnstaple Bait and Tackle.
This year’s event saw over twenty taking part with several young anglers catching or seeing their very first fish. The move to use lighter tackle and small barbless hooks has certainly boosted the catch rate ensuring that plenty of fish were tempted.
Nine species were caught including pollock, conger, blenny, red bream, tompot blenny, smelt, ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse and poor cod. A good number of red sea bream were donated to Ilfracombe aquarium where they can be seen along with other fish caught on previous fun fishing events over recent years.
The Welch Family won a trip to Ilfracombe Aquarium that they kindly donated to runner up family Jesubaul and Becky Mringer. The longest fish was a 54cm conger caught by Louie Cameron and the heaviest a ballan wrasse of 1lb 1oz to the rod of Daniel Welch. The top individual points scorer was Ben Clarke with 25 points and Jesubaul runner up with 24 points.
The event cast off at 2.30pm as a strong swell surged close to the pier landings and a heavy shower threatened to dampen the spirits.
Fortunately the storm clouds soon drifted past and a vivid rainbow appeared off Hillsborough as bright blue skies brightened the rest of the afternoon.
Fish were caught from the start despite the murky water stirred up by heavy swells throughout the previous week. Four or five lobster were caught which is far more than any previous Fun fish. Another interesting feature was the large number of small red bream caught throughout the two hour long event.
Apologies if I have spelt any names wrong, a strong breeze, aging ears and a rain smeared score sheet undoubtedly contribute to any errors. Everyone who registered a fish took home a prize from our sponsors and in my view everyone who took part was a winner. I hope that those smiles convert just a few to enjoy the marvellous pastime that can forge a deep and lasting connection with the natural world.
