Jack Pike boated this stunning smoothound of 18lb. Its been a great start to the smoothound season so far with plenty of double figure fish from both boat and shore.
Martin Turner Wins Two Matches
Coarse Section Monthly Comp Results May 13th Tarka Swims.
Coarse Section Monthly Comp Results May 13th Tarka Swims. 1st Martin Turner 48lb 15oz 2nd Pete Slade 11lb 1oz 3rd John Lisle 9lb 11oz 4th Stephen Craker 9lb 6oz 5th Richard Jefferies 4lb 7oz 5th Colin Gorman 2lb 15oz Martin drew on peg P and caught 4 large carp on bread flake, this added to a nice net of skimmer bream taken on maggot over groundbait was enough for victory in the 5th match of the series. Pete drew on peg F and landed a late carp on the pole for second . John’s single large carp on luncheon meat was third . Stephen came in fourth with a nice bream and a carp off peg M. this also took the silvers pool, just pipping Richard who landed small bream on the feeder off peg S
1st Martin Turner 48lb 15oz
2nd Pete Slade 11lb 1oz
3rd John Lisle 9lb 11oz
4th Stephen Craker 9lb 6oz
5th Richard Jefferies 4lb 7oz
6th Colin Gorman 2lb 15oz
Martin Turner drew on peg P and caught 4 large carp on bread flake, this added to a nice net of skimmer bream taken on maggot over groundbait was enough for victory in the 5th match of the series. Pete drew on peg F and landed a late carp on the pole for second . John’s single large carp on luncheon meat was third . Stephen came in fourth with a nice bream and a carp off peg M. this also took the silvers pool, just pipping Richard who landed small bream on the feeder off peg S
(Above) Martins net of skimmer bream
Summer Evening League. Match No. 1 Tarka Swims Results
1st Martin Turner 17lb 10oz
2nd Craig Crash Lamey 11lb 13oz
3rd Stephen Craker 8lb 5oz
4th Ian Sedgewick 6lb 13oz
5th Keith Copland 5lb 4oz
6th Martin Hawker 4lb 12oz
15anglers fished. Martin drew corner peg M and caught 2 good carp on bread on the pole plus some skimmer bream for top spot in the first of the evening series. Craig drew on the point peg F and had a nice bag of small bream on the pole with maggot for second spot, new member Stephen landed a nice carp on a bunch of dead red maggot on peg U to take third spot, 15 anglers took part on a mild still evening.
Fine Slade Twenty
Ian Ross enjoyed a couple of nights at Lower Slade and was rewarded with this fully scaled mirror of 22lb 10oz.
Torridge Fly Fishing Club – Mike Ball Wins Annual Trophy
(Above)Torridge Fly Fishing Club Chairman Robert Chugg presenting Mike Ball being presented with the shield for winning the Torridge Fly Fishing Club annual competition.
Mike Ball won Torridge Fly Fishers Annual Trophy at Gammaton Reservoir with a five fish bag limit. Derrick Joubert won the cup for biggest fish a rainbow of 3lb 8oz.
Day tickets: from Summerlands Fishing Tackle, Westward Ho!, Tel. 01237 471291. £20 per day (3 fish limit) Season tickets: £150 (waiting list, membership limited to 30).
Some stunning catches of carp from Stafford Moor
(Above) Karl Hutchings and friend Edward Cochran who fished up on the inlet swim on Beatties lake they had 10 fish out up to 28lb fishing with Sticky baits white Manilla pop ups (Edward had a new pb of 28lb )
(Above) Matt Everill caught 5 fish up to 22lb 5oz on the dam wall of lodge lake fishing with Nash scopes boilies in a 48 hour session.
(Above) Darren Rundle landed 3 fish in a day session on swim 3 up on lodge lake fishing with Sticky Baits Manilla 16mm boilies.
(Above) Joe Slater banked 5 fish up to 29lb from the summer house swim on Beatties lake. Joe was fishing with Sticky baits Manilla 16mm boilies and spodded hemp and Manilla pellets combined.
(Above)Mark Downing and Dave Dymond’s haul of 41 fish in a 48 hour session on Beatties lake, Mark fished with Dave on the summer hut swim then Dave had a session on the inlet swim all caught on Sticky Baits Manilla bodies and Uberbaits.
Fun Fishing at Agapi
Agapi Fruit & Fishing is a small lake that nestles in a secluded valley a few miles from Torrington and is reached via quiet country lanes that make its discovery all the more rewarding. I had not visited since last September when I had visited with my wife Pauline and son James and wrote a review on the fishery. http://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/2017/08/24/unique-fishery-agapi-fruit-fishing/
This is a fun fishing venue teaming with rudd and a few carp that have probably grown to a little over 5lb maybe more. I had persuaded Snowbee ambassador Jeff Pearce to join James and I on a fun trip to try and catch a carp using fly fishing tactics. James would act as back up using free lined stalking tactics to get a carp for the camera if Jeff and I failed. Jeff is a dedicated Fly Fisher and loves to catch his fish on Fly Tactics whilst I tend to be a little more flexible in my approach generally using whatever tactics are within the rules to catch. On this occasion however I was going to remain strictly Fly Only!
Jeff was first to tempt a fish a small golden scaled rudd.
This was closely followed by a couple more tiny rudd on Jeff’s small nymph patterns. The fascinating aspect of this being that once a couple had been caught it seemed that the lakes population had been briefed for catching consistently became frustratingly difficult.
James was persisting with the traditional bread tactics and caught a pleasing rudd early in the evening and glimpsed a couple of carp cruising the margins.
After a couple of hours we retired to the lakeside Summerhouse for a well earned cuppa with delicious ham and chutney sandwiches, salad, crisps and Kit Kat’s. Special thanks must go to Sandra for making us welcome and ensuring we didn’t go hungry.
Fortified we returned to the fishing I dabbled my chum mixer fly in the margins and watched the rudd nudge and nibble at it whilst I hoped to see a carp materialize from the green tinged water and devour my offering. Jeff and James had crept up to the shallows where James had spotted a few carp. I strolled up to see how things were going and Jeff said a good carp had slurped up a bit of floating crust from amongst the reeds. James had modified his tactics and was using a chum mixer on the hook that slowly sank with the weight of the hook. This tactic proved successful as the line suddenly zipped tight and the rod hooped over as a carp surged to and fro stirring up clouds of silt as it fought gamely before eventually slipping over the rim of the net. Sandra appeared at this moment to congratulate James on catching the first carp of the season a handsome mirror carp of around 4lb.
Agapi is the perfect venue for a family fishing excursion with hordes of small rudd to ensure plenty of action and the chance of a carp to set the pulse of the young angler racing. This is thie sort of water all young anglers should start off on for many anglers today set their sights so high that they reach the summit too early without enjoying the journey. Of course old timers like me still get immersed in the fascination of the chase and the challenge of catching whatever the lake holds.
If you are going to Agapi I suggest you give Sandra a ring for directions and to book the lake and secure a few hours of tranquil seclusion deep in the countryside.
Upper Tamar Carp Brace
Nick Galley landed a brace of fine carp from Upper Tamar lake a mirror carp of 23lb 15oz mirror and an 11lb common carp both fish came to homemade baits on Gardner silt skin rigs and Gardner mirage leaders.
Big Porbeagle on Reel Deal
South Molton angler Steve Saxby age 67 has caught a fine porbeagle estimated at between 350lb and 400lb. The mighty fish was tempted using Ammo mackerel and chum mix and took an hour to bring to the side of the boat where it was released.
Boat Fishing Sport Round Up!
Thomas Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders Boat Competition with a fine smoothound of 17lb 10oz. Andrew Atkinson was second with a hound of 13lb 4oz and third Michael Hammett with a hound of 12lb 6oz.
Appledore Shipbuilders enjoyed a great good day on the hounds with the average size around 9lb they also had a couple of tope around the 20-25lb mark along with a few small pollack and a few small huss.
Anglers are also finding goof sport off Ilfracombe aboard Dan Hawkins boat Reel Deal with beautiful weather and flat calm seas hard fishing at times but some good early sport The Tope are starting to show more often now along with Huss, dogs and bass.
Blakewell Competition Day
I arrived at Blakewell just before 9.00am to meet up with members of the Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club and fish for the Edwards Floating Line Cup. It was a very pleasant late spring morning with lush green growth all around and birdsong filing the calm morning air. Dennis Toleman and Rob Hancock also arrived to fish Triple Hook Clubs A & J Barrow Fly Trophy Competition. They were a little concerned when I told them it was Wistlandpounds competition but when I told them it was not starting until 10:00 am they breathed a sigh of relief as they would most likely have got well underway towards their four fish quota by then as early morning before the sun gets on the water is often the best time of day.
After setting up my tackle I took a walk to the lake to capture Dennis and Rob in action and see if I could get any tips for the competition ahead. Both anglers were in action by the time I arrived and I took a few snaps as their rods absorbed the lunges of the hard fighting rainbows that both exceeded 4lb.
Dennis Toleman went on to win the A & J Barrow Trophy with a four fish bag totaling 13lb 4oz. Robbie Hancock finishing runner up with 12lb 3oz.
Blakewell’s Lake looked the perfect trout lake on this sunny morning with a brood of ducklings chirping as they dashed to and fro amongst the reeds. A few swallows swooped speedily over the water and high above a pair of buzzards soared on the thermals.
My fellow Wistlandpound club members duly arrived and after purchasing three fish tickets sauntered out to the lakeside. Within a few minutes several members were in action with bent rods as the lakes hard fighting rainbows surged to and fro in the clear water. I had tied on a damsel nymph and cast it well across the lake towards a rising trout. As I started to retrieve I noticed a trout of a couple of pounds closing in on the fly. Hoping for something a little bigger I stopped retrieving and watched the trout turn away. I fished on and within a few casts felt the pleasing tightening of the line. Whilst not big the rainbow fought gamely before eventually slipping over the rim of the net.
A few casts later I hooked an almost identical rainbow of a couple of pounds. Aware that other members had already landed bigger trout I decided upon a change of tactics and wandered to a shady corner on the far bank. I stood quietly leaning against a tree and peered into the crystal clear water watching as trout cruised past. I had tied on a gold headed green nymph one of my favourite stalking fly’s. After a few minutes a larger fish appeared and I flicked the nymph a few feet in front of the rainbow. I allowed the fly to sink then gave a twitch giving life to the gold head. The trouts mouth opened, the line twitched the rod lifted and I felt the weight of the fish and watched as it shook its head before surging away ripping line though my fingers before making the reel sing and rod absorb the strain. An enjoyable tussle followed before my prize was secure in the waiting net. At around four pound it was a pleasing result and emphasized how a little patience and stealthy angling can bring a better result than fishing blind.
By midday all members had secured their three fish bags with Paul Grisley taking top spot with a bag of 9lb 9oz the best fish a fraction under 4lb. David Eldred was runner up with 9lb 6oz, Myself third with 8lb 13oz and forth Colin Combes with 6lb 12oz.
With the competition over it was time to retire to the decking for welcome cups of tea and coffee. After a lengthy chat about fishing trips, catches and holidays it was time for a behind the scenes tour of the fish farm with co fishery owner Richard Nickell. Richard gave a fascinating and at times humorous account of rearing thousands of trout from fry to table size. Explaining the many trials and tribulations that can beset the fish farmer and the extensive costs involved. Richard ended the tour with a demonstration of his skill with the filleting knife and many ways to cook trout.
