21 Nov 2022

Estuary Flounder Sport – CMSAC & Braunton Small Boats

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Late Autumn is flounder time in the Taw and Torridge Estuaries with the competition season fully underway. I joined fellow CMSAC members in search of the humble flounder.  Despite plenty of floodwater pushing down fishing proved to be good with pleasing numbers of flounder tempted. The average size was lower than recent seasons but some good fish were found. One of the joys of flounder fishing is that it is great leveller. Eight year old Solly Welch trumped all the clubs senior entrants tempting several flounder including a superb specimen of 2lb. Solly also took runner up spot with a flounder of 1lb 10oz.

Solly Welch with his 2lb flounder

Full results :-

1st – Solly Welch – flounder 2lb

2nd – Solly Welch – flounder – 1lb 10oz

3rd = Solly Welch & Nick Phillips – flounder – 1lb 8oz

4th – James Thomas – flounder- 1lb 7oz

5th – Nick Phillips – flounder – 1lb 6oz

Solly Welch flounder – 1lb 10oz
James Thomas – Flounder 1lb 7oz

The estaury has a special appeal as the sunlight and cloud sweeps across the ever moving landscape and ebbing and flowing waters.

Many thanks to club members, Jack Phillips, James Thomas and Daniel Welch for sharing their images.

 

Braunton Small Boats – Flounder Competition

1st -Nick Phillips 1lb 8oz

2nd – Andy Henderson 14oz

Joint third  Jeremy Long and Jack Phillips flounder 12oz.

 

13 Nov 2022

COMBE MARTIN SAC – NOVEMBER OPEN – Celebrating 60 years

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David Brooke won £75 cash in Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs November Open Competition with a fine specimen smoothound scaling 13lb 6oz.

His fishing partner for the day Shane Hookway secured second, third and forth place in the event winning a £30 voucher from Quay Sports, a superb base layer from Chillcheater and a box of chocolates to celebrate his win.

Shanes fish were a specimen bull huss of 11lb, smoothound 8lb 4oz and Bull Huss 7lb 14oz.

Shane Hookway 11lb Bull Huss

Full results :-

David Brooke – smoothound 13lb 6oz – 133.750%

Shane Hookway – Bull Huss – 11lb – 110%

Shane Hookway – smoothound – 8lb 4oz – 82.5%

Shane Hookway – Bull Huss – 7lb 14oz 78.750%

Solly Welch – flounder – 1lb 8oz  75%

Solly Welch – flounder – 1lb 6oz  68.750%

Antony Smith – flounder – 1lb 4.5oz 64.063%

Antony Smith – flounder – 1lb 4oz 62.5%

Nathan Clements – blonde ray – 6lb 5.5oz 52.865%

Wayne Thomas – pollock – 2lb 6oz – 47.5%

A variety of fish were landed during the competition reflecting the changing seasons with smoothound once thought a summer species bringing rewards. David Brooke and Shane Hookway tempted their smoothound on  Teign Baits squid baits. Whilst the bull huss were tempted using Teign Baits joey mackerel.https://m.facebook.com/people/Teign-Baits/100080212568197/

Competitors tempted a wide range of species including, bull Huss, dogfish, pollock, codling, flounder, pouting, conger and blonde ray. Combe Martin SAC would like to thank their generous sponsors Quay Sports and Chillcheater. Special thanks also to Danny Watson at High Street Tackle for providing a booking in location.

Shane Hookway – bull huss 11lb & 7lb 14oz
Shane Hookway – Bull Huss 11lb & 7lb 14oz

 

Shane Hookway – smoothound 8lb 4oz
Nathan Clements – blonde ray 6lb 5.5oz
Antony Smith flounder 1lb 4.5oz
Wayne Thomas – pollock 2lb 6oz

 

Combe Martin SAC Secretary Nick Phillips in action
A well marked Bull Huss

 

dogfish and huss

pollock
The evening session fished beneath the light of a bright moon.
Winning anglers David Brooke (Right )and Shane Hookway (Left)
30 Oct 2022

Open Sea Angling Competition

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Combe Martin SAC are hosting an Open Competition on November 12th. The boundaries are in line with the clubs boundaries. Old Severn Bridge to Lands End. The competition is catch and release with a photo of catch required along with a witness to the capture. Booking in is via the clubs facebook page, via phone or in person via High Street Tackle Ilfracombe.

See Combe Martin SAC Website for relevant specimen sizes ( Note for the competition dogfish specimen size is 3lb 8oz)

Entry fee is £5

 

 

30 Oct 2022

COMBE MARTIN SAC LURE FISHING COMPETITION

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Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs Lure Fishing Competition generously sponsored by High Street Tackle concluded on Saturday, October 29th, with presentation of prizes at Danny Watsons High Street Tackle Shop in Ilfracombe.

I ( Wayne Thomas) was fortunate to take the first prize of a Penn Conflict XR Lure Rod with Dan Welch securing the runner up prize of a lure bundle worth close to £100.

Results – All lengths are actual with weights estimated via B.A.S.S Calculation charts for length to weight.

Wayne Thomas – Bass

74.5 cm                                 9lb 12oz

69    cm                                   8lb

68.5 cm                                   7lb 12oz

Total 212 cm

Daniel Welch

68 cm                                      7lb 12oz

66 cm.                                          7lb 2oz

61 cm                                      5lb 1oz

Total – 195cm

 

Solly Welch ( Junior)

58 cm                                      4lb 12oz

58 cm                                      4lb 12oz

57 cm                                      4lb 8oz

Total – 173cm

James Corner

62 cm                                      5lb 13oz

60 cm.                                      5lb 4oz

Total 122 cm

David Jenkins

55 cm                                      4lb

53 cm                                      3lb 12oz

Total 108 cm

Peter Robinson

62 cm                                      5lb 13oz

Effie Welch

53 cm                                      3lb 12oz

The club would like to thank Danny at High Street Tackle for his generous support throughout 2022. We look forward to working with Danny in 2023 whe he have exciting plans for another bass lure league for club members and an Open Lure Fishing competition fished over a weekend.  More details and dates to be confirmed in the New Year.

North Devon has a vast potentail for lure fishing with beaches, rocks and estuaries providing a wide variety of opportunities. The fishing on offer can certainly match fishing in more high profile areas like Southern Ireland, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall. We owe it to our local angling community to promote what we have to support the local economy.

11 Oct 2022

Mullet Dominate CMSAC Competition

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Daniel Welch dominated Combe Martin SAC’s Lyn Fish competition taking the top three places with grey Mullet of 5lb 5oz, 3lb 8oz and 3lb 2oz. His son Solly also enjoyed success tempting a mullet of around 2lb.

Ten anglers fished the competition with Open coast fishing for heavyweight species proving difficult with just a few dogfish caught on baits intended for ray, bass and huss.

25 Sep 2022

Autumn Mullet Sport

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Combe Martin SAC members Daniel Welch and his son Solly had great fun mullet fishing landing a number of fish between them the two biggest came in the first hour of fishing both on float fished bread Solly had a personal of 4lb 4oz and about 20minutes later Daniel  hooked a good fish as well which also weighed 4lb 4oz.

5 Sep 2022

FUN FISHING 2022

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         Combe Martin SAC hosted their annual Fun Fish on Ilfracombe Pier in conjunction with the  2022 Sea Ilfracombe festival. The event was once again a resounding success with several families taking part in the Fun Species competition.

         Special guests on the day included Mat Mander Chief Officer of Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the Ilfracombe Area Coastguard. The event gave the opportunity for members of the public the talk with the guests about the valuable work that they do.

         The event was generously supported by High Street Tackle, The Angling Trust  and Ilfracombe Aquarium.

         The whole aim of the event is to give the opportunity for young anglers and their families to participate in angling. The Angling Trust provided Certificates, Angling books and caps. High Street Tackle provided a top prize for the overall winner of the event along with numerous prizes for all who took part. Ilfracombe Aquarium gave a family entry to be used by the winning family at a time of their choosing.

         The competition started promptly at 3.00pm as the tide receded from the landing stages. Close to twenty anglers of all ages cast out and fish came regularly from the start. Eight species were registered including, pollock, ballan wrasse, pouting, corkwing wrasse, rock goby, tompot blennies, Shanny and dragonette.

         Smiling faces lit up what was at times a grey afternoon as dark clouds drifted above with occasional drizzle.

         Small ragworm baits proved most effective with mackerel and squid also producing good numbers of fish.

 

         The competition closed at 5.00pm with the prize presentation at 5:15pm.

         The winning individual was Effie Welch who was presented with a superb Rockfish LRF rod and reel donated by High Street Tackle. The winning family were the Stanway family, Ross, Charlie and Jake who received a family ticket for Ilfracombe aquarium.

         All junior anglers who took part received a prize and each family were presented with a book on Angling from the Angling Trust.

         The club hope to host the event again next year and thank all those who made the effort to attend.