18 Jul 2018

Fly fishing for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Great Torrington Army Cadets take on the trout

Fly fishing for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Captain Trevor Cook

ACF Instructor

Fly Fishing for D of E skills element ,,

20^th February 2018 Saw the start of a new challenge for five young members of Great Torrington Army Cadet Force who decided to take on fly fishing for the skills element of their D of E Award scheme.

Prior to the course starting we arrange a Sunday morning visit to Monkokehampton Salmon Hatchery on the 4th February to learn about their work, kindly laid on by Charles Innis, who explained to the Cadets about the life cycle of the Salmon from egg to return, we looked at the setup and walked up river to see the weir, the Cadets found this visit very educational.

Over the past 5 months Cadets Sjt Daniel Lobb, L/Cpl Tyler Bolt, L/Cpl Jack Pledger L/Cpl Sam Newberry & Cdt Harvey Hodge have learnt and practiced all the skills needed to become proficient fly fishermen.

The course covered all elements such as types of rods, reels, lines leaders, knots, casting techniques and types of flies and how to fish them, which was then followed up by a day tying their own flies for them use on the two lake days.

The course also included two guest speakers, the first being Paul Carter, Environment Agency Water Bailiff who gave the Cadets an insight into his job role, Licensing and environment, the second was Allan Crawley Commons Conservators River Warden, Allan gave the Cadets an insight into his role and how they were working on better access for anglers along the commons riverbank. We also had a third speaker Keith Armishaw lined up from the fly fishing section of the Torrington Museum, unfortunately Keith was taken ill, the Cadets found Paul and Allan’s presentations really interesting. I’m sure Keith’s presentation would have been equally as good, we do hope Keith is on the road to recovery and wish him well for the future.

Months of hard work practising paid of on our two lake days, the first being at Simpson’s Valley Coarse & Trout Fishery nr Holsworthy on Saturday 26^th May 2018

This was a good days fishing and despite it being hard work all five managed to catch a nice Rainbow Trout, the first fish of the day was caught by Col Ashley Fulford OBE, Chairman of the Army Cadet Force Association and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Advisory Panel who joined us for the day being a keen fly fisherman himself.

The heaviest fish of the day was caught by L/Cpl Tyler Bolt, a nice Rainbow weighing in at 3 ½ pounds. Everyone went home excited having caught their first ever Trout, thanks to Paul Cozens & Andrew Moores for making this possible for us, we really appreciate it.

Our second lake day was held at Bratton Water Trout Fishery, Loxhore Cross, nr Barnstaple, This proved to be another cracking days fishing where after a slow start all five caught their second ever trout. The first fish of the day was caught by L/Cpl Sam Newberry and the largest was caught by L/Cpl Pledger. Thanks to Mike Williams for all his help setting this up and accommodating us on the day , really appreciated.

This Course is the third one we have run but this year we have built a lot more into it and it has gone so well these five Cadets have started buying their own kit and asking for more lake days in the future.

Great Torrington Army Cadets would like to express their sincere thanks to the following people for their help and support this year it really has been appreciated, thank you.

Charles Innis : visit to Salmon Hatchery

Paul Carter : EA Bailiff

Allan Crawley : Commons Conservators River Warden.

Paul Cozens & Andrew Moores : Simpsons Valley Coarse & Trout Fishery

Mike Williams : Bratton Water Trout Fishery

Keith Armashaw : Great Torrington Museum

Again many Thanks

Capt Trevor Cook ACF Instructor. Lt Matt Sanders OC Great Torrington Detachment

Great Torrington Army Cadets started fly fishing for D of E two years ago, buying six starter kits directly from Airflo at a special price thanks Glenda Evans (Airflo) and funded by a grant from Great Torrington Town Council.
We now have enquiries from Cadets about the next course.
From this years five Sjt Lobb has now used fly fishing for his Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards
L/Cpl Pledger for his Bronze & Silver
L/Cpl Bolt, L/Cpl Newberry & Cdt Hodge for Bronze.

8 Jul 2018

Bideford Host Junior Fishing Event

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Match Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Bideford Angling Club hosted the first of three Junior Events at their Tarka Swims Lake. many Thanks to Martin Turner for his report below and for his efforts in introducing a future generation to angling. Further events take place on July 21st and August 4th.

This afternoons junior event took place at Tarka Swims in hot conditions. Rory took the honours with 2lb 14oz of roach and perch on peg D,joint second Tyler and his French exchange student Martin both on 2lb, joint fourth went to Brooke and Thomas, on 1lb 14oz ,nets in this 3 hour event were mainly made up with roach perch and rudd .Thank you to Summerlands Tackle for providing the prizes and bait.

14 Jun 2018

Fun and Fishing at Anglers Paradise

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Report and pictures below from Zenia at Anglers Paradise

Zenia Drury-Gregorek (myself) took her son Zaine, age 7 fishing for the day on the Specimen Tench and Orfe Lake and had a great day full of beautiful Tench! Zaine caught a personal best 4lb Golden Tench and Zenia caught her 1st ever Koi Tench and many Golden Tench up to 4lb+, all float fished off the bottom using strawberry soft hook pellets – Life is better with Fishing and it’s even better when you can share fishing moments with your son.

(Below)5C’s Member Maggot aka Mike Whitfield caught a Personal Best 64lb Wels Catfish from the Main Carp Lake, it gave him the fight of his life but he won the fight in the end! Maggot caught the Monster using Paradise Baits Castastrophic dumbells.

We had the lovely handsome actor that is Will Mellor of Hollyoaks fame come and stay with us bringing his wife, son and daughter. They had lots of fun fishing every day and caught some stunners along the way! Will said “Had a fantastic few days at Anglers Paradise with the family! Caught some great fish, had quality family time and met some lovely people.”

8 Jun 2018

Big North Devon tench!!

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Wilder Van Koutrik aged ten caught this stunning tench of 6lb 7oz from a Private Lake near Barnstaple. Its great to receive a picture of a fine tench from a local water as these fish are no were near as abundant as there were in North Devon waters. This is partially due to an obsession with carp fishing and also I guess due to environmental factors? Its also great to be able to report of a successful junior anglers.

16 May 2018

Fun Fishing at Agapi

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

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!

*James adopts simple free line tactics to try and catch a carp* Jeff being the fly Fishing purist ties on a small nymph pattern whilst I elect to use a deer hair chum mixer fly. To increase our chances I catapult pre-soaked mixers out into the lake so that they will drift slowly down the lake with the breeze. When the carp start slurping them down I will flick my fly into their path. That was the plan but the carp proved elusive whilst the rudd swarmed around the baits in their hundreds with an occasional glimpse of a bigger than average rudd that would have been close to 1lb!

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.

25 Apr 2018

Young Ollie Boats best of the day

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Ian Laird and Ali Laird organized a four hour trip off Minehead with Michael Webber Griffiths skipper of Teddie Boy Charters. They enjoyed sport with ray, smoothound and the inevitable dogfish.The best specimen of the trip was a small eyed ray of 9lb 5oz and was boated by young Ollie Laird. The ray gives Ollie an excellent chance to retain the specimen trophy for the best fish caught by a Junior in CMSAC.

These short four trips are excellent for young anglers who might find a full eight hour trip too much.

24 Apr 2018

Riverton Impresses!

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Coarse Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Ross Stanway enjoyed a great day out with his son Charlie at Riverton Fishery. He was particularly chuffed with the crucian carp that was his first of the species. Young Charlie caught his biggest fish to date. They caught tench a few bream and a few small carp.

Ross commented, ” I have to say what a well managed fishery Riverton is now very impressed. All the fish we caught were in prime condition.”

24 Mar 2018

Junior Masters at Exe Valley

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Nick Hart was pleased to post the latest news from the Troutmasters event at Exe Valley where Nick was super impressed by “these young lads competing as juniors and all helping one another out. Sam in the yellow had his first 2 fish within 7 minutes!!! We just need more of them …..”

It is imperative that we encourage as many young anglers as possible into angling to enjoy a lifelong pastime that is proven to be for good mental health, social interaction and awareness of the natural world.

BIG congratulations to junior winner James Mockridge with 5 fish for 13lb including a 1 hour time bonus and senior winner Phil Duckett in his first comp with 5 fish and a 2 hour bonus for 16lb. And finally 9 year old Max Mockridge & 10 year old Sam Shepherd both got 4 fish each and weighed in at 9lb 12oz to tie second place!

*(Above) Exe Valley troutmasters fish off junior winner James Mockridge & senior Phil Duckett*

2 Jan 2018

Blakewell – First trout on New Years Day

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Shaun Antony Ley sent me this account of his trip to Blakewell with his son Danny.

As a keen angler growing up fishing with my dad it’s only natural that I’ve been waiting for my son to show an interest and catch his 1st fish by himself on a fly. New Years Day seemed like the perfect time to try our luck at Blakewell. Danny’s interest was soon established when we saw fish rising and turning as I set up he picked his fly and spot. Not long after he bagged his 1st trout quickly followed by a second which was bigger. A perfect start to the New Year.

24 Dec 2017

Flounder provide Junior joys

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Sea Angling, Young At Heart | 0

The humble flounder have introduced many young anglers to the joys of fishing. Kevin Legge took six year old Grace Joslin on an angling adventure on the banks of the Taw Estuary where under Kevin’s guidance she landed a fine 1lb 10oz flounder. One of angling’s greatest attributes is that it gives that hands on link to nature that can last a lifetime.