Combe Martin SAC hosted an LRF float fishing social on Ilfracombe Pier where several species of fish were landed including black bream, wrasse, pollock, bass and garfish.
(Above) Sally Welch with nice school bass(Above) Nick Phillips with a small pollock caught on LRF tackle(Above) Dan Welch – with a garfish(Above) Paul Saunders with wrasse tempted on ragworm
(Above)Jake Moule fished Ilfracombe after dark to land a 10lb 12oz conger. Several spotted ray have been tempted from the pier on sandeel bait.
Small Boat owners have been enjoying some great sport whilst taking advantage of calm seas and blue skies. Combe Martin SAC Members have landed tope, huss, pollock and bass.
Chris Bonds – Pollock 9lb 13oz(Above)Ross Stanway – tope(Above) Chris Bonds – bass 6lb 12oz(Above) Dan Welch – bull huss(Above) Dan Welch – tope
If you want to sample some of the excellent sport to be enjoyed off North Devon’s Coast line book a trip on one of the Seaside towns charter boats.
Twenty anglers competed in Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs week long competition to catch the best mixed brace of specimens. The event was held in conjunction with the Lyn Sailing Club with proceeds split between Combe Martin SAC and the 1st Lyn Scout Group. Several anglers invested a degree of effort into seeking out specimens from both boat and shore.
The presentation was held at the Ancient Mariner at Lynmouth as part of the Lynmouth Maritime Festival. The winner of the event was James Fradgley Gubb who boated a fine specimen tope of 50lb and a blonde ray of 12lb 12oz a combined rating of 210%.
James was also presented with a special prize from Ardosia Slatefor the best specimen fish caught during the week.
Prize winners at Lynmouth
Results –
1st James Gubb Fradgley – tope 50lb & blonde ray 12lb 12oz 210%
2nd – Dan Welch – smoothound 10lb 2oz & blonde ray 11lb 14oz 200.208%
3rd – Rob Scoines – rockling 1lb 10oz & small eyed ray 8lb 6oz
Dan Welch – blonde ray – 11lb 14ozDan Welch – smoothound – 10lb 2ozRob Scoines- blonde ray caught off Minehead on OspreyRob Scoines – rockling 1lb 10ozDan Welch – Bull Huss 6lb 2ozDavid Jenkins – small eyed ray 10lb 5oz Caught on Osprey off MineheadRob Scoines – bass caught on OspreyRob Scoines – ballan wrasse
Paul Lorrimore – small eyed ray caught on Osprey off Minehead
Kevin Legge took top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s Spring Rover landing a specimen bull huss of 10lb 15oz. Mark Jones took the runner up spot with a new club shore record turbot scaling 4lb 4oz.Mark also took third place with a bass of 5lb 2oz. Members also landed numerous dogfish and several pollock fishing on a boat off Ilfracombe.
(Above) Combe Martin Club Record – Shore Caught turbot 4lb 4oz
Combe Martin SAC members Mark Jones and Craig McCloughlin fished off Scotland’s West Coast and enjoyed success with some huge skate. Fishing on one and a half days ( second day was cut short due to bad weather) the four anglers boated five skate with Marks estimated at 193lb and Craig Mc Cloughlins 191lb. The other skate were between 136lb and 188lb.The fish were tempted using three whole mackerel sent to the Bottom in 500ft of water using 4lb of lead, 80lb b.s braided line and rod to match.
“These creatures totally ruin your back,arms,legs and joints. Never experience a fight like it!!!!”.
These awesome fish are all carefully returned and are now thriving in the deep waters off the Scottish Coast. It is sad to reflect that fish as big as these once swam in the waters of the Bristol Channel but were wiped out by overfishing.
Combe Martin SAC Member Mark Jones landed a stunning brace of specimen fish during his latest shore fishing session. Mark landed a personal best small eyed ray of 13lb 2oz and followed it with a huge bull huss scaling 13lb 6oz.
In addition to the big ray Mark also landed five smaller ray. He was joined by Craig McCloughlin of Braunton baits who landed a brace of small eyed ray to around 9lb and a spotted ray.
Combe Martin SAC held their presentation night at the Ebrington Arms at Knowle where members enjoyed a delicious meal followed by the presentation of awards. It was especially pleasing to be able to present young Joshua Jeffery with the award for best catch by a Junior and the the award for the best specimen grey mullet a fine thin lip scaling 4lb 6oz. The full list of award winners are listed below with some fine fish registered throughout the year.
Cod Trophy Rob Scoines Cod 12lb 4oz
Bass Trophy Ali Laird Bass 9lb 12oz
Mullet Cup Joshua Jeffery Thin Lipped 4lb 6oz
Conger Cup Kevin Legge Conger 28lb
Flatfish Cup Matt Jeffery Flounder 1lb 14 3/4oz
Shore Shield Kevin Legge Conger 28lb
Medway Cup Rob Scoines Spurdog 18lb 2oz
Ray Shield Jonathon Stanway Small Eyed 11lb 2oz
Specimen Shield Dan Welch 646.737%, Ali Laird 634.913% and Matt Jeffery 622.537%
Burgess Trophy Joshua Jeffery Thin Lipped 4lb 6oz
Wrasse Trophy Ross Stanway Ballan Wrasse 4lb 7oz
Scouse Shield Rob Scoines Rockling 1lb 9oz
D Kyte Award John Shapland 6 Mullet to 631.411%
Merit Award Dan Welch
Joshua Jeffery and his father Matt Jeffery proudly displaying their awards.
Matt Jeffery secured top spot in Combe Martin SAC’s Six Hour Rover landing a conger of 18lb 6oz. Conditions proved difficult at many marks along the coast with a large swell pounding the coastline. Fish were hard to find with several of the competitors failing to catch. Runner up was Kevin Legge with a rockling of 1lb 6.5oz and third Ross Stanway with a dogfish of 2lb 3oz. Jonathon Stanway caught a conger of 14lb 8oz and David Jenkins a dogfish of 1lb 9.5oz.
This competition signals the end of the clubs winter fixtures. The coming months will see attention turn to spring ray, bull huss and grey mullet.