Jeremy Johnson used a light approach at Blakewell fishery to tempt a fine rainbow scaling 11lb 6oz. Jeremy used a size 12 montana nymph presented using a 4 wt Orvis rod and 4 wt floating line. The montana nymph is one of my favourite patterns and a good choice at this picturesque well stocked water.
Graham Snow secured first place in Appledore Shipbuilders monthly Rover with a grey mullet of 3lb 151/2oz. Andrew Atkinson took the runner up spot with a ballan wrasse of 4lb101/2oz and Joshua Atkinson was third with a smoothound scaling 9lb 23/8oz.
Smoothound and bass are providing some great sport for shore anglers with specimens of both species being landed. I have received reports of several bass caught in recent weeks above the coveted weight of 10lb but the captors have not made their catches public. The next couple of months should see a few double figure bass landed. The biggest specimens tend to fall to large baits fished from rock or beach marks. Spider crab is without doubt the top bait at present with squid and mackerel baits working better as the summer progresses. Lure anglers also tempt big fish each season when conditions are favorable.
Kyle Bishop and Dan Spearman enjoyed another action packed session with smoothound landing close to twenty hounds in a session the best 10lb 14oz to the rod of Kyle. They also landed a bass and a small eyed ray of 5lb small eyed ray all in daylight.
Martin Turner won North Devon Match Groups summer league match at Jennets Reservoir with a fine net of roach scaling 27lb 15oz. Thomas Downing was runner up with 20lb and Christopher Morris third with 17lb 2oz. The winning net of roach was put together using pole fished hemp and caster tactics.
Anglers gathered at the club house for the best weigh in for several months with some fine fish visiting the scales.
The Taw and Torridge are both in perfect condition following recent rainfall and fish are there to be caught. Clinton Marshall fished the Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the Taw to land a 5lb grilse and Len Francis fished the same beat to land a 6lb grilse. Both fish were fresh in from the sea with silver flanks and sea lice still attached.
I fished the Middle Torridge with the river in fine trim I expected a fish at anytime but not a pull. The sight of a kingfisher alighting on a branch opposite where I fished was reward for my effort plus the glimpse of two barn owls as I drove home.
At least seven salmon were landed from the Torridge from beats throughout the river all of them grilse up to 4lb. Martin Weeks and his party fish the Torridge every summer specializing in sea trout fishing after dark. Their latest visit to the river saw them land twenty six sea trout to 3lb in three nights fishing.
It is surprising how many sea trout can be in the river with anglers being unaware of their presence. Whilst there are a number of fishers who target the fish after dark there are far fewer than fish the famous sea trout rivers of South Wales. If more anglers adopted nocturnal habits it is likely that far more of these enigmatic fish would be tempted.
The best book on sea trout fishing is undoubtedly Hugh Falkus’s classic work Sea Trout Fishing published in 1962. It is surprising that this classic tome was written so long ago as its is still totally relevant to this day and well worth seeking out. A book that captures the atmosphere of sea trout fishing through the night is BB’s The Pool of the Black Witch.
Joshua Vernon enjoyed a session on Stafford Moors Lodge Lake landing nine carp to 20lb 2oz using Sticky baits Krill.
Stuart Hutchings
Stuart Hutchings fished lodge lake to land 18 fish up to 20lb 2oz using chopped boilies and spoding with hemp party mix and mainline cell wafters and also bumble berry Goo and mango-nana goo.
John Barbeary has been finding plenty of tope for anglers on board his charter boat ‘Bluefin’ off Ilfracombe. The best have been up to 35lb with bull huss and a few bass showing. From July 1st anglers can keep one bass per day following a contentious six month total ban on keeping fish for the table.
Bideford and District Angling Clubs midweek competition on their home water Tarka Swims saw John Lovell secure first place with a net of 8lb 11oz. In second was Martin Turner with 6lb 1oz and third Keith Copeland with 2lb 6oz. Eleven members fished on a wet and windy night.
Sadly there are no pictures this week as club photographer Martin Turner had a malfunction with his camera. However looking back through my back catalog I have found a few pictures of the lakes opening day on May 7th 2006. The lake has matured well in the past 10 years and has been a great success for the club.
Wednesday night is steak night at The Rising Sun at Umberleigh and an ideal place to catch up on he latest news from the River Taw. Landlord Julian Zealey is a keen angler and is always worth chatting with for the latest news from the river.
At least two salmon were landed from the Taw on June 29th including a 12lb fish from a middle river beat to the rod of Roland Eustace and 10lb salmon to the rod of Trevor Smith from the Mole. Several school peel have also been caught over recent days from beats throughout the river system.
Richard Johns landed a 9lb salmon from the Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the Taw along with a couple of sea trout to 2lb 8oz.
The last Thursday of each month sees a get together of salmon anglers at the monthly soiree with canapés and beers from 5:30.
On the Middle Torridge Stuart Eynon shared a catch of seven salmon from a middle river beat.
Sundays Open Results from Stafford Moor’s open match on Tanners and Woodpecker lakes . Jo Coombes writes- “continental payout so I have written the results out as they should be as my computer guy is still trying to sort out a system where I can have it showing a normal match payout and a continental payout.
We had 31 guys fishing , weather was rain all day !”
winner of the day was Dave Stockton Woodpecker peg 6 with 176lb 11oz
2nd place was Keith Needham Tanners peg 3 with 94lb 8oz
3rd place was Tim Hagg Woodpecker peg 3 with 123lb 11oz
4th place was Kevin Osbourne Tanners peg 18 with 94lb 3oz
Silvers winners was Ron Hardiman Tanners peg 6 with 19lb 6oz and also from Woodpecker lake Bruce Hunt peg 8 with 19lb 8oz
Section winners were :
Pete Vernon Woodpecker peg 20 with 87lb 14oz
Gary Mealing Woodpecker peg 10 with 70lb 4oz
Steve Pearce Tanners peg 20 with 76lb
Keith Hillier Tanners peg 35 with 93lb 7oz