“Picked my tides and weather last month and fishing some new marks, payed off Nicely with four Tope to 37lb didn’t weigh the smaller ones nice smalleye and a pleasing white Huss”.
The Taw estuary flounder fishing has been below par so far this season with specimen sized flatfish very scarce. Fish seem to in small pockets with some anglers finding up to half a dozen flounder whilst other have blanked. The estuary has a ceratin appeal even on a grey November day. I fished the town area of the river with Nick Phillips and his son Jack and moved around to several swims without any indications on the rod tip. The glimpse of a kingfisher brought a welcome flash of electric blue to the day. The cry of curlew, oyster catcher, geese and gulls drifted across the grey estuary. The unpleasant litter of society was strewn here and there a rat scurried on the bank. Urban fishing on a grey late autumn day. I looked up to the bridge and thought of the salmon that had hopefully migrated through in recent weeks to spawn high on the moors.
Appledore Shipbuilders held their Christmas Competition at Heanton Court on the River Taw where the twenty four competitors recorded fifteen flounder. The winner was with a flounder of 1lb 6.75oz.
SAC OPEN RESULT
In the aftermath of Storm Ciaran conditions are promising for big fish feasting on the food dislodged by the large swells. In light of the pier being closed for boat removal the meet up will be on the harbour road leading to the Pier.
Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs annual Lyn Fish competition concludes each year at Lynmouth with the meet up afterwards in the pub. This year’s meet up was in the Ancient Mariner where members were pleased to retire to the warmth of the bar after fishing around the harbour as a cold North Wind swept in.
October is generally a good month for targeting thick-lipped grey mullet and most members who fished the competition concentrated on these wily grey ghosts fishing several of the weekend’s tides.
I ( Wayne Thomas) was fortunate to win the competition with a mullet of 3lb 4oz and added a brace of mullet weighing 3lb 3oz each to secure the top three places. Dan Welch also caught several mullet to 2lb 9oz using float and feeder tactics. I was also surprised to catch a pollock of around 1lb 8oz using bread flake as bait.
Only 1 fish weighed
1st Andrew Clements Wrasse 3lb 13 1/2oz 85.416%
Combe Martin SAC member Kyle Bishop braved stormy conditions to bank a superb brace of specimens including a new club record bull huss of 15lb 5oz and a tope of 46lb 2oz.
Banging trip out last month in the 50mph storm headed to ruff ground mark in search of a big Huss on my own , giving 4m swells I armed my self with a life jacket and a shit load of leads , after losing a load of gear was gonna head home when my rod arched over and line peeled off after a good few attempts to land the tope I finally managed to get a grip on its tale in between the massive swells she went 46.2 , quick pic and back she went ,next cast I landed an absolute beast of a Huss going 15.5 and new pb after struggling to land that as well I was happy to call it a day as swells were to dangerous , take some beating a trip like that on my own.
Combe Martin SAC Member Kyle Bishop has enjoyed success on the coast catching a 13lb smoothound and a 10lb 8oz small eyed ray.
