The bass are biting off Ilfracombe with good catches made on ‘Blueflin’ fishing the rocky offshore reefs West of the Port. Troy Laing landed this beauty of around 7lb.
The bass are also showing on the shoreline where Pauline Chard of High Street Tackle landed this beauty on a section of Ammo Bluey.
Tope are providing great sport off Ilfracombe with Reel Deal putting anglers amongst these hard fighting members of the shark family. There is also a very good chance of contacting these powerful fish from shore marks all along North Devon.
Results
1st Keith Copland 18lb 11oz
2nd Martin Turner 16lb 9oz
3rd Martin Hawker 12lb 6oz
4th John Lisle 10lb 2oz
After a week of indifferent weather , our members were rewarded with a pleasant summers day. Keith took the honours on peg S with 2 large carp and some perch, he also scooped the golden peg for a bonus’ payday’ . Martin Turner took 2 carp and 2 bream on peg P for 2nd , Martin Hawker had 2 carp on the pole in corner peg M. The silvers bag went to John with 2 big bream and some perch.
SMASHING UPPER TAMAR……….Upper Tamar regular Aaron Bunning has been in great form landing 27 fish in just 4 nights!! Aaron has landed 8 mirrors and 19 commons with the largest fish being a 23lb mirror which was stocked only a few days before he caught it! The fish has been named ‘Single scale’. The biggest common was 16lbs but only five fish were under 10lbs. Aaron also caught a 19.09 mirror which he has had three times in two weeks and amazingly the same fish he caught 8 years ago at low double figures!! All the fish have been caught on premier baits matrix bottom baits with matching freebies. Awesome stuff Aaron!
19lb 9oz
15lb 2oz
I enjoyed a couple of hours on the Mid Torridge last evening with the river in perfect trim. As I fished carefully down a favourite run the line zipped tight and there was a flurry of spray as I lifted the rod. “Dam” I exclaimed as the rod sprung back and line hung limp. First hook up this season and its off in a few seconds. This bodes well though as there are plenty of salmon throughout the system and so long as we have few wet spells I am sure there will be more chances.
Day ticket opportunitys exist at Little Warham a couple of mile above where I hooked my fish.
Dan Miles Redmore landed this stunning 8lb 7oz bass from a local shore mark.
(Above) Ollie Passmore with a double figure conger from a local shore mark.
(Above) Ross Stanway with a fine bull huss of 11lb 9oz tempted whilst bass fishing with a light weight 2oz to 4oz bass rod.
John Shapland has a slender lead in Combe Martin SAC’s two month long species hunt sponsored by Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle adding the a above gilthead bream to bring his total to 33 species. Dan Welch is currently on 30 species but will am sure be gong all out to catch up.
Stafford Moor regular Steve Pinn ( The BIvvy Tramp) sent me this awesome image of a mid double from Lodge Lake.
Above a couple more doubles for Steve Pinn.
Andy David Honey and friend Rob fished on the beach swim on Beattie’s and landed many carp out up to 29lb (Robs new pb) using C C Moore live system boilie.
(Below)John and Adam Atkins caught several carp from the back bays in Beattie’s Lake using Sticky Baits Krill boilies.
There is a winter ticket now available to buy for Stafford Moors specimen lakes Beattie’s and Lodge lakes. The ticket runs from 4th December until 2nd March (am Monday- am Friday). The ticket is £150 If you are interested in a ticket you can register with Jo now in which you then have 4 weeks to pay for your ticket. Call Jo in the shop on 01805804360
I once rather naively thought that fish farms were a good thing in that rearing salmon would reduce the demand for wild fish and eradicate the threat of poaching and commercial harvesting. Many years later I see fish farms as a menace and a very real threat to wild salmon stocks and other fish. The much publicized concerns regarding sea lice infestations and potential genetic issues with farmed fish mingling with wild stocks are just a couple of issues.
The Angling Trust have just publicized a campaign to halt the use of West Country Wrasse to control sea lice infestations in Scottish salmon farms.
Whilst I have not got any degree of scientific expertise I have grave concerns regarding other aspects of fish farming. I have recollections of statistics revealing that 5 kilos of fish meal is used to produce 1 kilo of salmon. Fish meal is basically ground down fish such as sandeel and mackerel both vital links in the aquatic food chain.
Whilst in Norway recently we caught cod and halibut with their stomachs full of pellets. These fish had undoubtedly been feeding from the spillings of food from the growing number of salmon farms. Many of the cod, coalfish and halibut also had large numbers of sea-lice on them. I do not know if this is normal or if numbers of sea lice have multiplied in recent seasons? At times there appeared to be an oily slick on the water was this pollution from the salmon farms? It is alarming if as I suspect this pristine arctic environment is being tarnished by commercial farming of salmon.
These issues are of course complex as we need to eat and we have probably all eaten farmed salmon and have not given any thought to the costs to the environment.
Ammo baits and Veals mail order gear at work on Reel Deal Charters a tope estimated at 40lb made a great start to a recent day afloat.
Jack Scott fished Lodge Lake with brother Ben. They fished on the double swim in the spit and landed 8 fish out up to 18lb using Sticky Manilla & Krill boilies.
Conner Nettleton fished on the inlet swim on Beattie’s using CC Moore live system boilies, he had 5 fish out in 24 hours.