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MAINLINE CARP PAIRS RESULT
South West Lakes Trust’ Mainline Carp Baits Open Pairs Competition at Upper Tamar Lake has been won by Terry Vincent and Ben Combes with three fish totalling 63lb 7oz. The pair take home a prize of £2000 plus trophies. Runners up receiving £1000 were Jason McEvoy and Paul Thomas with three carp for 61lb 15oz. In third place was Nigel Woods with 57lb 1oz. Over thirty carp were registered in the popular event held on South West Lakes Trusts premier carp water on the Devon and Cornish border.
Zenia Drury-Gregorek of Angler’s Paradise took a break from her busy schedule to celebrate her birthday and a enjoy fishing session with her husband Joe on the complex’s new Nirvana Syndicate Lake. The session proved very successful with Zenia banking a complex record common carp of 44lb, a 45lb mirror carp along with grass carp to 32lb and a 29lb mirror carp.
Bideford & District Angling Clubs Rod N Reel match at Tarka Swims was won by Kevin Shears with 67lb 14oz. Runner up was Keith Copland with 61lb 14oz and Paul Elworthy third with 45lb 10oz.
Andy Edge won the latest Open Match at Stafford Moor with 255lb 14oz.
Boat anglers are enjoying some fine bass sport off Ilfracombe with Predator 2 Charters putting anglers amongst some large shoals of feeding bass, Skipper Dan Welch took time out for a bit of fishing himself and registered a brace of 58cm bass and one of 55cm.
Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing League Sponsored by High Street Tackle is attracting a good number of entries from club members reflecting an excellent year for the species. Mark Drewer and Seth Tuson are currently joint first with five bass for 344.5cm. In runner up spot at present is myself with five bass for 313cm and in third place Reece Woolgar with four bass for 263cm.
Reel Deal Charters has taken anglers to the North Cornish Coast where several porbeagle shark have been brought boat-side.
The regions rivers are continuing to suffer from a lack of significant rain and warm temperatures. Barnstaple and District Angling Club control fishing on two beats on the River Taw and have closed both beats after recording water temperatures in excess of 24 centigrade. Water temperatures this warm are very concerning and can cause stress for both salmon and trout. The advice of the West Country Rivers Trust is to cease fishing above 20 degrees C.
http://www.highstreettackle.co.uk
1st – Seth Tuson & Mark Drewer – Five bass – 344.5 cm
2nd – Wayne Thomas – Five bass – 313 cm
3rd – Reece Woolgar – four bass – 263 cm
4th – Daniel Welch – four bass – 233cm
5th – Ross Stanway – three bass – 176 cm
6th – Jamie Steward – two bass – 140 cm
7th – Robert Hurst – two bass – 121.5 cm
8th – Toby Craven – one bass – 58cm
, broccoli, asparagus and a jacket potato, absolutely delicious! Then, all of a sudden, my right hand rod screams off!!
Pop Up was the winning bait!! 
Andrew Clements secured top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs forty eight hour rover with a specimen smoothound scaling 11lb 14oz. Tony Gussin was runner up with a smoothound of 11lb 1.5oz and Stephen Found third with a bass of 7lb 11oz.
Bideford Club have recently acquired fishing rights for club members at Higher Shorston Lakes near Holsworthy. Full details can be found via the clubs website. Access to these waters adds extra value to membership of this thriving and long established angling club.
Bideford Clubs Junior competition is proving very popular and is fully subscribed most weeks with twenty three participants in last weekend’s event which is very encouraging to see as it bodes well for the future. Hallie Osbourne won the latest match with 7.105 kilo. Runner up was Bailey Bramley with 6.935 kilo and Jenson Kiff third with 4.925 kilo.
This weekend is the first weekend of the summer holidays and I still relish the memories of those distant times when I fished the River Umber in Combe Martin to catch small brown trout and eels that were abundant in those days. The open coast and local ponds were also visited and our generation seemed to enjoy a greater freedom than todays. Angling is undoubtedly a pastime that is beneficial to mental health and connecting with nature and it is to be hoped that the joys are discovered by a few more young people this summer.
Predator 2 Charters operate out of Ilfracombe and in this their first full season of operation they are gaining a reputation for putting anglers amongst the fish. Skipper Dan Welch has fished the North Devon coast for many years and is putting that experience to good use having considerable success targeting bass and wrasse using the latest lure fishing techniques.
Good numbers of tope are also being tempted from waters off Ilfracombe with plenty of fish over 30lb boated.
High water temperatures have eased on many local rivers enabling angling to resume though extra care should be taken to ensure all fish are returned as soon as possible preferably unhooked in the water. During hot summer days fly fishing enthusiasts can enjoy some superb and at times challenging sport targeting bass and mullet in saltwater. Mullet have become something of a cult species to target with their wily reputation and powerful fights sometimes compared to the bonefish of tropical waters. On a warm summers day it is undoubtedly a joy to stand ankle deep in the cool waters as bass and mullet swirl close by in the flooding tide.
Stuart Kennedy won Stafford Moor’s latest residents Match with 269lb 10oz. This followed success for Stuart in the venues Open match when he put together a net of 262lb 15oz. On the venues Lodge Lake Zack Skinner banked a personal best carp of 32lb.
A spell of hot dry weather has resulted in water temperatures rising and fish retreating to deeper, cooler, shaded water on most of the reservoirs, while levels continue to drop. Intermediate and sinking lines have generally been the order of the day, although on some waters fish have still continued to rise and feed near the surface.
Fishing:
Kennick – Rods averaged 1.9 fish per rod, with boat anglers faring slightly better than those fishing from the banks. Generally deep-fished lures (Cats Whiskers and a variety of Boobies) caught the most fish, although Buzzers, Damsel Nymphs, Diawl Bachs and Montanas still managed to pick up some fish. The best fishing was to be had in the deeper water in Clampitts, Boat Bay and by the dam, although fish were also caught from the Causeway, Oak Tree Point and Hawthorn Point. Brian Hitchcock (from Budleigh Salterton) caught six rainbows to 2lb while fishing from a boat with a sinking line near the bottom. The water level is now down to 71% capacity.
Siblyback – The fish moved to deeper water as the month progressed, and while beetle and hopper patterns managed to bring a few fish to the surface, most were caught on subsurface nymphs (Montanas, Damsels and Buzzers) or lures (Orange Fritz and Blobs and Christmas Tree patterns), with both floating and sinking line tactics catching fish throughout the water column. Stocky Bay, Crylla, North Bank, Two Meadows and Stoney Bank all produced some good sport. Water levels are now down to 67% capacity.
Burrator – In spite of the high temperatures fish have continued to feed near the surface, either rising to dry patterns (Claret Hoppers, Black Gnats and Sedgehogs), or feeding relatively close to the surface, with floating lines and long leaders, sink-tip or intermediate line tactics catching fish (mainly using Damsels, Montanas and Diawl Bachs). Longstone, Sheepstor, Bennetts and Pigs Trough banks have all produced some good fishing. Andy Birkett (from Plymouth) caught a bag ten rainbows while fishing from a boat. Levels are now at 65% capacity.
Stithians – The warm weather meant that sport became more challenging, with anglers averaging 2 fish per visit, and fish well spread out around the lake (Yellowort, Sluice Bank, Deep Bank, Sailing Club, Goonlaze, Carnmellis and Pipe Bay all produced some reasonable catches). Generally floating line tactics with a slow retrieve are still working well, with Hoppers, Beetles and Sedge patterns taking rising fish, and Buzzers, Hares Ears, Black Hoppers and Spider patterns taking deeper feeders. Water levels are now down to 80%.
Colliford – Anglers averaged 3.1 fish per visit – popular locations included Lords Waste, Menaridian, Browngelly, East Bank and the deeper water by the dam. A floating line and slow retrieve produced the best results, either with dry patterns (Emergers, Black Hoppers, Bobs Bits, Foam Beetles and Daddy Longlegs) taking rising fish, or Bibios, Soldier Palmers, Zulus, Mini-Muddlers and Black Pennels taking deeper feeders. Gary Boyd (from Tintagel) caught four fish in one session, fishing on the surface and close to the bank, while Shane Coventry caught six. Levels are now at 67%.
Fernworthy – Anglers averaged 1.5 fish per visit, with most fish being caught off Lowton, Boathouse, below the picnic tables and off the South Bank. Hoppers, Black Gnats and Emergers took rising fish, while sub-surface feeders were taken on Invictas, Diawl Bachs, Partridge and Orange and Spider Patterns. Mark Warren (from Weston-Super-Mare) caught five browns to 1lb 4oz using Diawl Bach and Hopper Patterns.
Roadford – Anglers averaged 2.75 fish per visit, with fish mainly caught at Gaddacombe, Shop, Big Oak, Daveys Bank, Wortha and Grinnacombe. Some fish rose to dry patterns (Black Gnats and Emergers), but the majority were taken on sunk patterns (Soldier Palmer, Black Pennel, Gold Ribbed Hares Ear and Buzzer patterns) fished on a floating line. Dean Boucher (from Gunnislake) caught thirteen browns to 1lb 8oz in one session, fishing wets on a floating line from the bank. Water levels are now at 85% capacity.
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events.
Chris Hall (July 2025)
For more information, please contact:
Becky Moran
Head of Communications and Marketing
South West Lakes Trust
01566 771930
Combe Martin SAC member John Shapland is a dedicated mullet angler and focusses his efforts these days on this species to the exclusion of all others. In recent sessions he has tempted specimens of 4lb 10oz, 4lb 10oz, 4lb 4oz, 4lb 4oz, 4lb 4oz, 3lb 15oz and 3lb 12oz.
Thin lipped grey mullet are often caught using baited spinners typically a Mepps with a small trailing single hook baited with ragworm. They can also be tempted using fly fishing tactics and can offer fine sport on this light tackle.
