13 Feb 2026

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

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            Angling clubs traditionally hold their AGM’s at the start or end of a season and these events are an important social gathering for the membership. The meeting is a reset point for the club enabling members to guide the committee as to the direction the club should follow and an opportunity for the committee to engage with members.

            I attended two AGM’s in the past week the first was that of South Molton & District Angling Club on February 10th and the second was Dulverton Anglers Association on February 12th. Both events were well attended and reflected anglers vital links to conservation of river habitats.

South Molton AGM

            This was the clubs 57th AGM and was held at South Molton’s Masonic Hall. Close to thirty members attended and it was very much business as usual as club Chairman Ed Rands addressed the members and introduced the committee officers as they delivered their reports.

            Before the formal meeting commenced Daniel Skeat’s and Karen Saunders of the West Country Rivers Trust gave an informative presentation outlying the valuable work undertaken across the region via the Teign and Taw Fisheries plan. The funding for much of this work is from the governments Water Restoration Fund.

            Karen and Daniel gave an outline on work with the farming community to effectively manage maize crops to reduce soil run off that is causing serious issues for salmonids spawning sites.

Electro fishing results across the Taw catchment gave some room for optimism with fry counts encouraging across some sites.

The Taw shad eDNA survey results were inconclusive with only a tiny percentage of samples giving a positive indication of the presence of shad. It is known from anglers catches and observations that both twaite and allis shad are migrating into the River Taw and as this is an annual event spawning is probably taking place though there is not yet conclusive evidence.

Edward Rands taking eDNA samples from the River Taw

The West Country Rivers Trust are working closely with the North Devon Biosphere , National Trust and other organisations to improve river and wetland habitat.

The club continues to thrive in an everchanging world with members enjoying excellent wild brown trout fishing on the River Bray. The long dry summer impacted upon fishing during the latter part of the season though a few migratory fish were contacted during the final days as rivers responded to rain.

The River Bray

The clubs boat trips proved generally productive and enjoyable and more are planned for the coming season.

Trophies were awarded to Jim Ricketts for the best specimen fish with a black bream of 3lb. The Mac Trophy for the biggest Trout was won by Ed Rands with a brown trout of 4lb 8oz and the Hancocks Bass Trophy by myself with a bass of 7lb. The biggest fish trophy was awarded to Ed Rands for a tope of 25lb.

Dulverton Anglers Association AGM

https://dulvertonanglingassociation.org.uk

 The Dulverton Anglers Association AGM was held at the Anchor Inn, Exebridge, on Thursday, February 12th.  The venue meeting room was packed with close to fifty members keen to support the club and hear the talk by Pete Tyjas the new editor of Trout and Salmon Magazine.

The hard working committee briefed the members on a successful year with the club in excellent financial health. The club now has close to 300 members who enjoy access to fishing on nine beats of the Upper Exe, Barle and Haddeo.

Old Woman’s Pool

Habitat improvement was high on the agenda and it was clear that there is a dedicated team who carry out regular work across the associations waters.

 

Pete Tyjas was given a warm welcome and delivered an inspiring, entertaining and informative talk on West Country Fly Fishing, his life and Trout and Salmon Magazine. Pete was the owner of Fly Culture Magazine for seven years and had built a sound following via this high quality quarterly magazine. He was recently given the opportunity to take on the role of Trout and Salmon Magazine editor. It was too good an opportunity to miss and Pete seized the chance to impart his own style to this long standing publication.

 

Pete told how he moved to the West Country in 1999 inspired by the writings of John Gierach and Mike Weavers excellent book The Pursuit of Wild Trout. Pete spent several years as a fishing guide & Instructor at the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel. The hotel has a long history as a fishing hotel with waters on the River Taw a river that Pete calls his home river.

 

            Pete gave numerous valuable tips on fly presentation and how to approach the river.  He conveyed a deep love for fly fishing, trout and the rivers in which they live. Through Fly Culture a thriving community has been forged that Pete will undoubtedly continue to build upon via Trout and Salmon Magazine.

            The future of Fly Fishing and the direction of Trout and Salmon was high on the agenda with social media and AI constantly influencing society and readers habits. Pete oozes passion and optimism for the future believing that there could be a shift back towards traditional print media as what is seen online becomes increasingly false.

            The price of Trout and Salmon is now less than a pint of beer and offers entertainment and inspiration from both new and established writers fishing a wide variety of venues. Pete is keen to connect with all fly anglers ensuring that those venues fished by the majority of anglers feature alongside those prestigious rivers like the Tay, Tweed, Test and Spey.

A WEEKEND DEDICATED TO FLY ANGLERS

Trout & Salmon Gathering

CALL 01769 580345 TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE

We’ve blocked off our entire country hotel in Devon exclusively for a special weekend, 27-29 March 2026, to welcome in the new fly fishing season. Presented by Pete Tyjas and Trout & Salmon Magazine, the weekend will feature an exciting line-up of speakers, with exhibitors and demonstrations throughout the weekend.  It’s an opportunity to get together with fly fishing enthusiasts and experts from across the country for a relaxed weekend of all things fly fishing.

tsg

3 Feb 2026

The South West Fly Fair makes a welcome return to Roadford Lake on Sunday 22 February.  

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The South West Fly Fair makes a welcome return to Roadford Lake on Sunday 22 February.

The fair is hosted by charity South West Lakes Trust at Roadford Lake, between Launceston and Okehampton. The event is always a highlight in the Westcountry’s angling calendar and this year’s is not to be missed!

Throughout the day there will be fly tying and casting demonstrations, ‘have a go’ fly tying rooms and several talks by a range of experts including world champion fly caster Hywel Morgan and Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust.

Returning favourite, expert Charles Jardine will be giving a casting demonstration – a must see for all attendees, whether you are newcomers to the sport or experienced anglers.

Trade stands will be selling new and used tackle and equipment and food and drink will be available at the onsite café.

The event runs from 10am to 3pm. South West Lakes Trust’s Head of Fisheries, Leon Fisher, said: “This year’s Fly Fair is set to be an amazing event with lots of activities on offer for the whole family. We have some fantastic guests lined up with world class knowledge of the sport. Attendees are in for a real show, whether you are an experienced fly angler or you are just starting out.”

Book in advance to avoid disappointment. Entry is £7 for adults (£10 on the door) and free for under 18s. Entry includes car parking and a raffle ticket. Tickets are available from https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/Event/south-west-fly-fair-trout-2026.

All attendees to the event will be offered a 10% season ticket discount.

2 Feb 2026

Bulldog Fisheries Fly Fishing Competition – 1st February 2026

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Bulldog Fisheries Fly Fishing Competition – 1st February 2026
Many thanks to Tom Early for his report on the competition below ;- My own account follows
Our latest fly fishing competition at Bulldog Fisheries took place on the 1st of February 2026, and on arrival the conditions looked absolutely perfect. Overcast skies paired with still air set the scene nicely. Over a cup of tea and a bacon roll, plenty of fish were already showing, rising steadily along the far bank. Much of the early conversation centred around the recent stocking, with Nigel and Tom boasting of monster browns that had been introduced — excitement levels were high before a line had even been cast.
Following a quick peg draw, keen anglers made their way to their designated spots, patiently awaiting the starting horn. When it sounded, the ‘stocky’ rainbows came hard and fast during the opening hour of the competition.
Then came the first real moment of the day. Out on the point, with his rod bent double and a huge splash at the end of the line, it was clear Dave Chapman was connected to something special. After a lengthy fight and some expert netting from his son Freddy, the first big brown of the day was landed. Weighing in at just over 11lb, it was a cracking fish and gave Dave’s total weight a serious boost.
As the day went on, the rain arrived — heavy at times — and the fishing followed a familiar rhythm of sudden flurries and quieter lulls. There were moments when multiple anglers were playing fish across the lake at once, followed by brief pauses before the action fired up again.
Big browns continued to make an appearance throughout the day, particularly for Andrew Facey — quickly earning him the nickname “the man of many browns”. Fish after fish came to the net, including a double-figure brownie and a second biggen not far off, prompting a running joke that he’d soon need a wheelbarrow to carry his fish bag.
Just before lunch, the biggest fish of the day decided to show itself. North Devon Angling News editor, Mr Wayne Thomas, found himself locked into the battle of a lifetime. When the fish was finally landed, it was nothing short of spectacular — fin perfect and a prime example of what Bulldog Fisheries is capable of producing. Weighing an incredible 13.7lb, it was not only the largest brown taken from Bulldog’s waters in several years, but also a brand-new personal best for Wayne!
By lunchtime, anglers were soaked through and thoroughly hungry, so lunch was very welcome — cheeseburgers and chips all round!
Competition Results
1st Place: Andrew Facey – 5 fish, total weight 29.4lb
2nd Place: Dave Chapman – 5 fish, total weight 23.10lb
3rd Place: Chris Dunn – 6 fish, total weight 22.13lb
Biggest Fish of the Day: Wayne Thomas – 13.7lb Brown Trout
Many fish were landed throughout the day, including multiple Spartics and browns in the 4.5lb to 6lb range.
Overall, this was definitely one of the better competitions we’ve held. It’s always great to see everyone enjoying the venue, and knowing that our hard work is appreciated makes it all worthwhile 🙏
Onwards to the next one

The Cultivation of luck

Those big moments in angling are often the result of a bit of luck and there are many sayings used in relation to the luck factor. ” The harder I try the luckier I get” is perhaps one of the biggest in angling. Chatting with Nigel about the carp lake I pondered upon the investment of time when he commented on an angler having caught one carp in eight days fishing. Carp fishing by its nature is a discipline where the amount of time spent on the bank can be seen as hours invested results in success.

Fly Fishing and in particular competitive fly fishing is time constrained meaning that the decisions made on the day within a strict time frame are perhaps more focused. Thinking back over my many years at the water’s edge many of my personal best fish can be attributed to a big slice of luck that has to some extent been cultivated.

The luck of the draw

The big brown trout I caught during Bulldogs February Competition is a good example. I had started the day in peg 10 determined by a random draw. As is often the case the first twenty minutes are often hectic with the fish seizing anglers offerings with gusto. I capitalised on this early spell banking two rainbows though I could and should have done better as numerous fish came off after a few seconds of brief connection. A lesson that I have learnt is that in a competition keep at it if the fish are playing ball for they will often switch off quickly as a result of angling pressure.

The competitive format is that every twenty minutes the horn is blown and all move two pegs along. The next three moves resulted in just one fish for myself and by late morning I had still to catch that fourth fish to complete the morning quota. Colin Combe a friend from Wistlandpound angling Club had come for a chat and we talked of previous successes at various lakes. Fly choice is a widely debated topic amongst fly fishers and we both agreed that Bulldog Trout seem to respond to larger lure patterns. My own favourite is an olive damsel whilst Colin reflected upon recent success with a cats-whisker. Now I know the cats whisker is a very successful fly but it is not a fly I tend to use often.

Half an hour or so later I was fishing the point a good peg but success was eluding me. It was by now lashing with rain and there were only three of us left on the striving for that fourth fish whilst all other anglers chatted in the warmth of the hut beside a roaring woodburner with hot drinks and biscuits. Tom walked over and perhaps taking pity upon us told us we could fish where we liked during the last twenty minutes.

I took the opportunity to walk ten yards to peg ten where I had started the day. I carefully tied on a catswhisker  and checked the hooks bend for it was a fly that had resided in my fly box for quite a while. I cast the fly to what I perceived was the hot spot and after two tweaks of retrieve all locked up as a big fish hit the fly. Five apprehensive minutes or so later a big beautiful brown trout slid over the rim of the net.

It was a very lucky cast destined by being in the right place at the right time with a fly at the lines end that tempted the trout. In a stocked Stillwater big fish are no wiser than small fish. If there is any skill it is in the landing of the fish as a big fish can break free as they often do. Checking those knots, hooks and removing those line weakening wind knots are key to capitalising upon luck.

The burger and chips went down well as we chatted of fishing, country sports, healthy eating, cooking, local meetings with rock stars and a wide range of wider topics wisely keeping clear of politics and other contentious issues.

The afternoon session proved harder going with most struggling to complete their six fish limit. I did add another brown trout of a couple of pounds and lost a good rainbow of perhaps four pounds when the hook pulled. Chatting later it was obvious that the trout were nipping at the tails of the flys without fully committing.

It was cheery bunch at the weigh in as the days catches were admired and memories captured before heading home with plenty of trout and  prizes.

 

 

29 Jan 2026

Big browns at Bulldog

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Bruce Elston enjoyed a great days sports at Bulldog Fishery tempting a fine brace of brown trout weighing 7lb 12oz and 6lb 6oz. He also added a brace of rainbows and a spartic which that was his first of the species. The fish were all tempted on orange lures and damsel nymphs. Bulldog host their popular monthly open competition this Sunday, February 1st.

16 Jan 2026

Winter Grayling

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Mid-January, a steely cold grey morning with rain pattering on the car windscreen as I navigate the winding road across the winter landscape of Exmoor. My destination is the River Haddeo a tributary of the Upper Exe just over the Somerset border.

I call into Lance Nicholson’s Fishing & Guns in Dulverton to renew my Dulverton Angling Association membership which at £35.00 is excellent value giving access to several beats on the Rivers Exe, Barle and Haddeo. Whilst brown trout are the predominant species there is also a population of grayling.

The Dulverton Angling Association AGM will take place on Thursday 12th February at 7pm, Anchor Inn Exebridge.

Our speaker is Pete Tyjas, whose new job is as editor of Trout & Salmon magazine.

Grayling are not native to Exmoor but have thrived since their introduction into the Exe in around 1896. These delightful silver ladies of the stream offer an excuse to visit the river in the depths of winter when the valleys have a certain atmosphere that contrasts with the vibrancy of Spring and summer.

After catching up on the latest river news with James in the shop I grab an apple and pork sausage roll from the Exmoor Deli and head to the Pixton Estate.

Frank McBratney a long time DAA member and Haddeo regular reflects on his experience below :-

“Fishing the Haddeo makes a lovely half-day or more in quiet moorland farming country, for it is private water, hidden from tourists and dog-walkers. It is often feasible to fish the Haddeo when there is too much water running off the moor, and the Little Exe and the Barle are in spate. The Haddeo usually fines down sooner than its sister streams after a storm. This is because floodwater from the upper part of the river is impounded and normally held up by the dam, and the lower part drains only its own small valley.  The converse of this is that the water level of the Haddeo can sometimes be lower than is natural, because of the dam. It is therefore not the best of streams to fish in a long, dry spell. However, there is a river-conservation agreement for “compensation water” to be released from the dam from time to time, and this invigorates the river and improves the fishing when it happens – not only in the Haddeo but all the way downstream through the Little Exe and into the Exe itself. 

I park up the car, make a fresh brew of coffee and bite into the hot sausage roll. Pheasants strut about eyeing up the visitor to the estate. In just a couple of weeks the shooting season will be over and the valley will descend into a peaceful lull before Spring. Though I’m sure there will be plenty of work clearing fallen trees and clearing up extensive winter storm damage.

I thread the line through the rings and tie on a couple of tungsten nymphs with which to search the river. I have chosen to fish the Haddeo in preference to the Exe as I suspect recent rain will impact upon the main river more than the Haddeo that is to some extent buffered by Wimbleball Reservoir.

This is my third visit to the Haddeo in search of grayling and is becoming a regular feature in my winter fishing diary. The river valley has its own charm and character offering a less formidable experience than that of the main river.

I negotiate the entrance to the beat wading under the stone bridge to enter a sanctuary from the modern world. The river is slightly up with a tinge of colour that will I hope make my presence less obvious to the grayling I seek.

Having fished the river before I know where to concentrate my efforts and start my search using tight line nymphing tactics. The river twists and turns with ancient fallen trees providing intriguing entrances to the riverside.

My initial probing of the water proves fruitless but as I work upstream my confidence increases and I settle into a rhythm of dibbling the nymphs to search the river. I have the heaviest nymph on a dropper with a light pattern with a flash of pink on the point. This ensures that both trip along close to the bottom where I anticipate the grayling will be lying.

Its starting to rain heavily as I approach a pleasing looking glide that speaks of fish as I read the water. The drift commences the bright leader tightens and a silver grayling gyrates in the water as the rod flexes. My prize slides over the waiting net and I admire her bright beauty that contrasts with the grey winter day. I take a quick picture before slipping her back into her watery home; and away as they say on ‘Gone Fishing’.

I hook another grayling on my next cast a bit bigger but it slips the hook after a few seconds. I’m not too bothered by this loss as I have caught my target fish and anymore will be a bonus.

I amble on up river content in success. Towards the top of the beat is a run in which I have caught grayling on each of my previous visits and I flick my offering with joyous optimism. The line tightens but it‘s an out of season brown trout that darts around the pool, flanks of warm olives and golds decorated with crimson spots. I slip the barbless hook free with the trout in the water and hope to catch it again on a warm summer evening.

I slowly work my way back down the beat searching the favourite lies again without connecting. Snowdrops are starting to emerge from the cold soil their white flowers offering promise of spring. A wren flits between tangles of bramble. A pheasants cry drifts through the afternoon valley and the sun is starting to show behind a thin veil of cloud. Wisps of smoke drift from country cottage chimneys.

I wade back under the old stone road bridge and stroll back to the car where I finish off a Luke warm coffee and cold sausage roll that I left unfinished in my eagerness to embrace the waters edge. As I un tackle I congratulate myself on returning at the days end with the same two flies. As despite one or two tangles I have denied the trees and river snags any offerings; a rare accomplishment for this at times inexpert dangler.

I drive home passing through Dulverton, resisting the strong temptation to peruse the second hand fishing books that are always waiting on the bookshelves within Rothwell & Dunworth.

   (Below) Winterstorms have left their mark. at the waters edge.

It is a often a dilemma as to clear or leave as woody debris can provide valuable benefits to fish and fauna.

14 Jan 2026

THE ARUNDELL – West Country TROUT FESTIVAL 14th/15th March

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Join us on 14-15th March for the inaugural West Country Trout Festival.
Hosted at The Arundell Hotel, Tinhay Lake and the River Beats, the festival will feature presentations, fly tying, fly fishing and casting demonstrations. The lineup includes Orvis, Hanák, Unique Flies, Alternative Tackle, Veniard, the Wild Trout Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust, South West Rivers Association, Nigel Nunn, Charles Jardine, Alex Jardine and Dominic Garnett, with more guests to be announced.
A ticket for the weekend is £10 and includes all events on Saturday and the riverside celebrations on Sunday.
Tickets available via Westcountry Trout Festival tickets – TheArundell. Alternatively purchase your tickets by contacting The Arundell on 01566 784666 or emailing [email protected]